  In time-domain astronomy, we need to use the relational database to manage
star catalog data. With the development of sky survey technology, the size of
star catalog data is larger, and the speed of data generation is faster. So, in
this paper, we make a systematic and comprehensive introduction to process the
data in time-domain astronomy, and valuable research questions are detailed.
Then, we list candidate systems usually used in astronomy and point out the
advantages and disadvantages of these systems. In addition, we present the key
techniques needed to deal with astronomical data. Finally, we summarize the
challenges faced by the design of our database prototype.
