Re: Are there features on other RDBMS's that it would be good for Oracle to have?

From: Kellyn Pot'vin <kellyn.potvin_at_ymail.com>
Date: Sat, 26 May 2012 08:35:24 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <1338046524.9156.YahooMailNeo_at_web121003.mail.ne1.yahoo.com>



This is one of my favorite reasons for being a multi-platform DBA is that I truly believe there are features in just about every database platform I've worked in that I've thought, "Oracle could do well with this and it's already in MsSQL" or "....that so would take care of that problem in SQL Server if they adopted this from Oracle..."  MySQL was an easy jump for me coming primarily from SQL Server and Oracle-  it had so many aspects of both platforms within it.  I'll stick to these three though, I ramble on as it is... :)

Top Features that other platforms could benefit from or improve on:

MySQL Storage engines rock-  This is a basic foundation that a MySQL database is built from that I have personally experienced, has allowed MySQL to be more adaptable to database requirements than other database platforms in many situations.  Using the right tool for the situation is key and this feature gives MySQL often an edge over other platforms.

SQL Server Agent Jobs vs. DBMS_Scheduler, DBMS_Jobs and/or EM Jobs-  The ability to build out complex jobs for managing and maintaining the database, out of the box with SQL Server is easier than with Oracle.  SQL Server has offered a simple tool for the DBA to set up a full monitoring and management suite in just a matter of minutes for any database server.  Sorry, but Oracle can only state they offered this recently and often it still is not the first choice for the DBA.   I know as a SQL Server DBA, there is a 99% chance what, where and when the database management jobs are coming from in a matter of seconds.  As an Oracle DBA entering a new environment, there are a number of locations, scripting languages and choices of jobs and schedulers that the previous DBA could have chosen to manage the databases.

Orale DBA_XXX and V$XXX views vs. SQL Server Dynamic Management Views/Functions,(DMV/DMF)-  Before SQL Server 2005, performance tuning a SQL Server database was a lot of voodoo to most folks and for an multi-platform DBA, you left Oracle's ease of identifying performance issues with views and said, "Why doesn't SQL Server have anything like this?"  They have done a fantastic job with the DMVs, but they still require joins to the original sysXXXX tables to often be of use.  Many of the DMVs are impacted because they only hold data since the last time the database server was cycled, so data can be misleading and/or incorrect until a proper amount of processing time has occurred.   SQL Server DBAs need to archive off the data with their own methods, no default retention time or archival like AWR is present.  SQL Server has improved greatly in this area and SQL2012 has shown, they are dedicated to improving DMVs with each release.  I simply believe,  this is an area they should have delved into earlier if they wish to complete with anyone in the RDBMS realm.

I could go on for days, but I'll stop here with these three... :D 

I've been allocating a bit of time to SQL Server groups presenting on "Oracle for the SQL Server DBA" and it's a presentation that is completely non-biased.  I truly believe a database is a database and I just happen to work primarily in Oracle these days.  There are some fantastic SQL Server and MySQL DBA's out there.  I always feel a certain level of frustration that many times they are both marketed as  "anyone can build a <MySQL/MSSQL>  database" .  The challenge comes afterwards as it takes a truly talented DBA to maintain and manage it, just as with any database platform, when it becomes essential to the business.  It takes the same DBA mindset, just a different database platform skill set.

 
Kellyn Pot'Vin
Senior Technical Consultant
Enkitec
DBAKevlar.com



 From: Ilmar Kerm <ilmar.kerm_at_gmail.com> To: oracle-l <oracle-l_at_freelists.org> Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2012 12:14 AM
Subject: Re: Are there features on other RDBMS's that it would be good for Oracle to have?  

On Sat, May 26, 2012 at 7:33 AM, Paul Linehan <linehanp_at_tcd.ie> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
>
> I'm interested in finding out whether posters to this list wish there
> were features in Oracle that
> are available on other systems?
>
> I saw a posting by Jonathan Lewis
> (http://jonathanlewis.wordpress.com/2010/02/04/sql-server/)
> who says there are some MS SQL Server features that he'd like to see.
> I asked what they
> were but he never replied to my  post.
>
> For example, Oracle has made a big hooha over getting virtual columns.
> A db that I have regularly
> used (Interbase/Firebird) has had them for decades and there's no
> doubt but that they're handy.
> I still think the Firebird syntax is better - Field Blah IS COMPUTED
> BY (expression)
>
> Anything similar on other systems that you use that you think would be
> of benefit for Oracle?
>
> Any ideas, references, URLS, &c. welcome.

Partial indexes in postgresql:
http://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.0/static/indexes-partial.html

Yes I know that its possible in Oracle using functions, but this also means changing the query and its more like a "trick".

-- 
Ilmar Kerm
--
http://www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l
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http://www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l
Received on Sat May 26 2012 - 10:35:24 CDT

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