Comparison of EclipseLink with HSQLDB server vs DataNucleus with H2 embedded

Each of the following tables focuses on a specific database operation, where the last table presents average results comparison.

Speed comparison of JPA database persistence operations (normalized score, higher is better)

Transaction Size =>	Few Entities		Many Entities		Average Score
	EclipseLink HSQLDB server	DataNucleus H2 embedded	EclipseLink HSQLDB server	DataNucleus H2 embedded	EclipseLink HSQLDB server	DataNucleus H2 embedded
Basic Person Test	12.2	15.2	20.9	8.0	16.6	11.6
Element Collection Test	11.6	9.8	failed	5.2	11.6	7.5
Inheritance Test	failed	6.2	failed	12.0	failed	9.1
Indexing Test	failed	16.0	failed	14.5	failed	15.3
Graph (Binary Tree) Test	failed	5.2	failed	4.6	failed	4.9
Multithreading Test	failed	8.0	failed	0.0000	failed	4.0
All Tests	11.9	10.1	20.9	7.4	14.9	8.7

EclipseLink with HSQLDB server has failed in 9 tests (see exceptions).

Speed comparison of JPA database retrieval operations (normalized score, higher is better)

Retrieval Size =>	Few Entities		Many Entities		Average Score
	EclipseLink HSQLDB server	DataNucleus H2 embedded	EclipseLink HSQLDB server	DataNucleus H2 embedded	EclipseLink HSQLDB server	DataNucleus H2 embedded
Basic Person Test	2.6	3.9	14.6	8.3	8.6	6.1
Element Collection Test	1.4	2.9	failed	5.8	1.4	4.4
Inheritance Test	failed	4.1	failed	12.4	failed	8.2
Indexing Test	failed	3.7	failed	8.5	failed	6.1
Graph (Binary Tree) Test	failed	3.6	failed	6.7	failed	5.2
Multithreading Test	failed	5.6	failed	10.1	failed	7.9
All Tests	2.0	4.0	14.6	8.6	6.2	6.3

EclipseLink with HSQLDB server has failed in 9 tests (see exceptions).

Speed comparison of JPA database query operations (normalized score, higher is better)

Retrieval Size =>	Few Entities		Many Entities		Average Score
	EclipseLink HSQLDB server	DataNucleus H2 embedded	EclipseLink HSQLDB server	DataNucleus H2 embedded	EclipseLink HSQLDB server	DataNucleus H2 embedded
Basic Person Test	0.53	0.63	3.0	3.6	1.8	2.1
Element Collection Test	0.98	1.7	failed	3.2	0.98	2.4
Inheritance Test	failed	0.53	failed	3.8	failed	2.2
Indexing Test	failed	0.63	failed	2.0	failed	1.3
Multithreading Test	failed	failed	failed	failed	failed	failed
All Tests	0.75	0.88	3.0	3.2	1.5	2.0

EclipseLink with HSQLDB server has failed in 7 tests (see exceptions). DataNucleus with H2 embedded has failed in 2 tests (see exceptions).

Speed comparison of JPA database update operations (normalized score, higher is better)

Transaction Size =>	Few Entities		Many Entities		Average Score
	EclipseLink HSQLDB server	DataNucleus H2 embedded	EclipseLink HSQLDB server	DataNucleus H2 embedded	EclipseLink HSQLDB server	DataNucleus H2 embedded
Basic Person Test	1.9	7.0	7.5	5.9	4.7	6.4
Element Collection Test	3.1	21.8	failed	6.2	3.1	14.0
Inheritance Test	failed	12.2	failed	6.2	failed	9.2
Indexing Test	failed	32.7	failed	6.9	failed	19.8
Graph (Binary Tree) Test	failed	7.0	failed	3.2	failed	5.1
Multithreading Test	failed	failed	failed	failed	failed	failed
All Tests	2.5	16.1	7.5	5.7	4.2	10.9

EclipseLink with HSQLDB server has failed in 9 tests (see exceptions). DataNucleus with H2 embedded has failed in 2 tests (see exceptions).

Speed comparison of JPA database removal operations (normalized score, higher is better)

Transaction Size =>	Few Entities		Many Entities		Average Score
	EclipseLink HSQLDB server	DataNucleus H2 embedded	EclipseLink HSQLDB server	DataNucleus H2 embedded	EclipseLink HSQLDB server	DataNucleus H2 embedded
Basic Person Test	9.5	1.8	33.1	0.81	21.3	1.3
Element Collection Test	6.7	2.7	failed	0.25	6.7	1.5
Inheritance Test	failed	2.1	failed	0.59	failed	1.3
Indexing Test	failed	3.4	failed	0.57	failed	2.0
Graph (Binary Tree) Test	failed	13.5	failed	26.4	failed	20.0
Multithreading Test	failed	failed	failed	78.6	failed	78.6
All Tests	8.1	4.7	33.1	17.9	16.4	11.9

EclipseLink with HSQLDB server has failed in 9 tests (see exceptions). DataNucleus with H2 embedded has failed in 1 tests (see exceptions).

Comparison of JPA/Database speed - the averages (normalized score, higher is better)

Transaction/Retrieval Size	Few Entities		Many Entities		Average Score
	EclipseLink HSQLDB server	DataNucleus H2 embedded	EclipseLink HSQLDB server	DataNucleus H2 embedded	EclipseLink HSQLDB server	DataNucleus H2 embedded
Basic Person Test	5.4	5.7	15.8	5.3	10.6	5.5
Element Collection Test	4.8	7.8	failed	4.1	4.8	5.9
Inheritance Test	failed	5.0	failed	7.0	failed	6.0
Indexing Test	failed	11.3	failed	6.5	failed	8.9
Graph (Binary Tree) Test	failed	7.4	failed	10.2	failed	8.8
Multithreading Test	failed	6.8	failed	29.6	failed	20.5
All Tests	5.1	7.4	15.8	9.1	8.6	8.2

The results above show that in general EclipseLink with HSQLDB server is slightly more efficient than DataNucleus with H2 embedded in performing JPA database operations.

A large performance gap has been detected when using simple basic entities with large transaction/retrieval size. Comparing the normalized speed of DataNucleus with H2 embedded database (5.3) to the normalized speed of EclipseLink with HSQLDB database server (15.8) reveals that in that case, EclipseLink with HSQLDB server is 3.0 times faster than DataNucleus with H2 embedded.

JPA Performance Benchmark (JPAB)