Design and Manage Apache Derby Databases with DbSchema
Build a clearer workflow for Apache Derby: reverse engineer existing schemas into interactive ER diagrams, model changes visually, and generate reviewed SQL scripts before deployment.
DbSchema is built for visual modeling, schema documentation, and deployment. Keep an offline model in Git, collaborate across teams, and publish documentation that developers, analysts, and stakeholders can navigate in minutes.
Download DbSchema See Apache Derby Features Download Apache Derby JDBC Driver
What happens after you download?
Get to your first Apache Derby schema diagram in minutes. No account, no credit card.
Install in minutes
Download the installer for Windows, macOS, or Linux and launch DbSchema. No signup required.
Connect to Apache Derby or open a sample
Reverse engineer an existing Apache Derby database or open a sample model to explore tables, relationships, and indexes.
Design, document, and deploy
Edit schema visually, generate documentation, and prepare reviewed migration scripts for safer releases.
Apache Derby is a lightweight Java database distributed with the JDK as JavaDB, and it remains common in Java EE application servers, test containers, and standalone Java applications that need an embedded relational store. Derby databases are self-contained file directories, making them portable but lacking any built-in graphical tooling. DbSchema connects to Derby in both embedded and network server modes, providing ER diagrams, a table editor, and SQL tooling for developers who need to understand or evolve a Derby schema.
Design Derby Schemas in Embedded and Network Mode
Derby's embedded mode requires no server process — DbSchema opens the database files directly. When Derby runs as a network server inside a Java EE container, DbSchema connects over the network and renders the same visual schema. Both modes produce the same diagram canvas with tables, columns, and foreign key relationships visible at a glance.
Download DbSchema Free See Apache Derby Features
Modify Table Definitions Visually
Derby's SQL dialect is strict about types and constraints, and ALTER TABLE operations have specific limitations compared to other databases. DbSchema's table editor generates Derby- compatible DDL for each change and previews it before applying, reducing the risk of runtime errors when modifying a live Derby instance.
Populate Derby Databases with Test Data
Derby is often used in Java test pipelines that require representative data to exercise application logic. DbSchema's data generator produces rows that satisfy Derby's type constraints and foreign key relationships, seeding test databases with realistic content without requiring hand-written INSERT scripts for every test scenario.
Connecting to Apache Derby
For embedded mode, use the JDBC URL jdbc:derby:/path/to/db;create=true — the
create=true parameter creates the database if it does not already exist. For
Derby Network Server, use jdbc:derby://host:1527/dbname after starting the server
with java -jar derbyrun.jar server start. DbSchema includes the Derby JDBC driver
for both modes. Note that Derby enforces single-JVM access in embedded mode — stop the owning
application before opening an embedded Derby database in DbSchema to avoid lock conflicts.
Why Use DbSchema with Apache Derby
- Open Derby embedded databases without starting the host Java application
- Generate ER diagrams for Derby schemas that have never been formally documented
- Edit table structures with Derby-compatible DDL validation built in
- Seed test databases with constraint-aware synthetic data for integration tests
- Generate schema documentation for Java EE application audits and handovers