Re: is oracle the right tool?

"jae" <jae.woo_at_pacificorp.com> wrote in message news:b5905300.0208221406.393de088_at_posting.google.com...
> I am seeking some advice. I am just starting a project that requires
> a database that will have at least 1 million rows and potentially up
> to 10 to 20 million. There will probably be about 10 tables, that are
> fairly simple with about 10 fields. Total number of users will be
> about 10 also. I was wondering if oracle is the right tool to choose.
> My background is purely MS Access and I'm pretty sure that this is
> too large for MS Access. The extent to which I have used Oracle is to
> connect to it with MS Access using ODBC. I consider myself an expert
> at Access but know next to nothing about Oracle, so my questions are:
>
> 1) Oracle or MS SQL Server? or is Oracle too much for what I'm trying
> to do? I'm leaning towards Oracle because it's not from MS and I have
> the impression that it is better. Not to open any cans of worms but
> am I generally right?

Well you are asking in an Oracle forum! Never the less both Oracle and MSSQL will easily handle the load you describe. I'd suggest therefore that it is a matter purely of preference (and cash) as to which to choose. The learning curve for MSSQL will be far less steep for someone form an Access background and the SQL you write will likely be much more compatible as well.

Oracle is IMO a more scalable, more robust and higher performing option than MSSQL with a better feature set. That doesn't mean MSSQL is bad though. It is a good product (runs off to wash mouth out), just not as impressive as Oracle.

So if you want fast, reliable results from your project I'd lean toward MSSQL given your background, if you want a more scalable solution and a move away from an MS Centric world go with Oracle.

>
> 2) If Oracle, then which of the many bizzillion flavors (8i, 8i
> personal, 9i, 8i enterprise, et al) do I use considering I am
> completely new to this but have a good capacity to teach myself?

If you are going Oracle then take either Enterprise or Std edition depending on

1. the features you require you don't seem to suggest anything that requires Enterprise Edition but you might come across a few features you'd like to use.
2. your budget.

My take on which version to use is that 8.1.7 (as patched) - the current 8i release - is the most stable and mature product that Oracle produce and that 9.2.0 (9i release 2) is the most advanced database product on the market (from Oracle or anyone else), you are far more likely though to encounter bugs and patches IMO with 9i than 8i at the moment.

HTH

--
Niall Litchfield
Oracle DBA
Audit Commission UK
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