Lies, Damned Lies, Statistics, Marketing Departments

Two Major MS SQL Server TPC-C benchmarks are withdrawn from the TPC.

###########################################################

http://www.tpc.org/new_result/c-withdrawn-results.idc

Why do withdrawls often happen?

###########################################################

Extract from the TPC Faq ( http://www.tpc.org/faq_TPCC.html )

"Q: I notice that some TPC results are labelled "withdrawn." Could you
explain what that means?

1. The TPC felt that users should be made aware of what results drop from the TPC's official results list and why those results no longer appear. Some vendors withdraw results because they feel these results no longer have market relevance. Other vendors withdraw results after compliance to the benchmark specification has been challenged by someone within the TPC. Rather than defend their implementation (and perhaps expend further resources to demonstrate compliance), the vendor chooses to withdraw the result. Finally, if the Council votes that a result is non-compliant, the Council will drop the r esult from the official results list."

Microsoft makes NO mention of this on their website.

##########################################################

http://www.microsoft.com/sql/productinfo/tpc.htm - 1st July 2000, 1921hrs G.M.T (UTC)

Oracle's CEO declares the latest MS SQL Server 'PREPOSTEROUS'.

##########################################################

http://www.nasdaq.com/reference/broadcast_oracle.htm (you'll need real player -
http://www.broadcast.com/redirects/realplayer.html)

Near the 1 hour mark, an analyst from Paine Webber asked a question about Microsoft SQL Server 2000. The following is Larry Ellison's response:

"In terms of microsoft.. we have no concerns at all. They still can't
scale. They have this benchmark that they got out which works only in the laboratory.

The only problem with microsoft's benchmark is that it has a 3-hour mean time of failure. What they have done is to chop up the database in to 10 separate little databases, and if any one of those databases fail it brings down the entire system, or worse yet gives wrong results.

So it is a completely bogus benchmark.

I mean, it meets the letter of the benchmark rules, however by their own statistics in terms of availability they have a very very short mean time of failure.

No one seriously will ever use this kind of system.

They have 10 separate computers each with 10% of the database. If you want an 11th computer you have to unload the entire database from the 10 computers and then put 9.1% of the database on the 11 computers. If one of the computers fail you lose 10% of the database. And that means when you use your query.. you don't get the right answer back.

If you use 10 separate systems.. if you believe Microsoft's statistics on failure rates.. one failure every 30 days, you are going to get a major system outage or wrong results every 3 days.

It is a preposterous benchmark."

MS SQL may be cheaper but Oracle has the highest Performance in the TCP-C benchmark.

#########################################################

Oracle can scale :

http://www.tpc.org/new_result/ttperf.idc

Microsoft can set cheap prices :

http://www.tpc.org/new_result/ttpp.idc

A monopoly company can set the price for a product any which way it chooses - this is easy.

But can it make a product that truly scales? - THAT is the question. THAT takes technology.