Requirements for a database management system

This document discusses the requirements for a database management system that would satisfy the scientific needs of the Scientific Database Project. We give the major requirements of scientific data management, based on a system developed by Deutsch. Actual requirements, for each category, are identified as mandatory, important, and optional. Mandatory - we should not consider a DBMS unless it satisfies all mandatory requirements. Important - these requirements, while not as crucial as the mandatory ones, are important to the easy and convenient implementation and operation of a scientific database. Optional - such features are nice extras. We expect that the scientific database project can be implemented and operated in any DBMS that meets all of the mandatory and most of the important requirements.