Managed API for Storage Engine

A managed API is available for the Extensible Storage Engine (ESE), the database technology originally developed to drive the Exchange Server Information Store and Directory. ESE may be a useful data solution for applications with large amounts of lightly structured data, such as event logs or contact directories, and adding a managed API will make it simpler to use in applications that run on the .NET Framework, Microsoft’s primary development platform. However, the API is currently not supported by Microsoft.

Still Driving Exchange

ESE, an indexed sequential access method (ISAM) database system, has been available in most versions of Windows since the release of Windows 2000 and currently ships with Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. It supports transactions (which maintain the consistency and integrity of a database) and write-ahead transaction log files (that enable failure recovery and online backup). Little or no database administration is required because ESE internally manages elements such as cache sizes and log file cleanup. A database created with ESE consists of a main file and supporting files and can scale to 16 terabytes.