Re: Oracle on OpenVMS or Unix

In our last gripping episode "Syltrem" <syltrem_at_videotron.ca> wrote:
> David,
>
> you are right in saying that "NT was originally written by one of the
 team
> that developed and coded VMS" and to-day I still don`t understand why
 the NT
> OS is so messy. 3rd party vendors on the VMS OS NEVER overwrite
 system stuff
> (DLL`s in NT) making the system or other applications crash after you
> install something. Why do they do it on NT? It would be a lot more
 stable if
> that practice would be stopped. Let the vendors use the system
 libraries,
> not modify them.
>
> Syltrem
>
> "David Fitzjarrell" <oratune_at_aol.com> wrote in message
> news:9039h5$2j7$1_at_nnrp1.deja.com...
> > In our last gripping episode "Syltrem" <syltrem_at_videotron.ca> wrote:
> > > It also is the most easily connected OS to
> > > WinNT (domains and stuff), if you have NT boxes around.
> > >
> >
> > And well it should be -- NT was originally written by one of the
 team
> > that developed and coded VMS; unfortunate that NT is far less stable
> > than its "parent". I can vouch for the stability of VMS; although
 I do
> > not like the English commands (yes, the cryptic command naming on
 UNIX
> > is a favorite of mine) I cannot fault the underlying O/S as it is
 quite
> > reliable. I have run Oracle on both UNIX and VMS and I would take
> > either as a stable platform for Oracle (again, my preferences lean
> > toward UNIX).
> >
> > --
> > David Fitzjarrell
> > Oracle Certified DBA
> >
> >
> > Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> > Before you buy.
>
>

Yet when a new release of VMS or UNIX appears the system libraries change. Additionally upgrades and/or patches to the O/S can include updated system libraries. I'm not aware that the many DLL's that get swapped on an NT box are all system DLL's; it is my estimation that most of the system DLL's are left alone.

You are correct, however, that whenever a new application is installed on an NT system DLL's that are shared between applications are routinely modified and replaced and this can cause existing applications to fail. Standards should be in place whereby existing functions in DLL's should not be changed in such a manner as to invalidate other applications, however it would be futile to attempt to enforce such standards. What software developer would test his DLL changes against every application that uses, or could use, that particular DLL? Not many, if any at all.

The number of software vendors for NT/2000/95/98 far outstrips the number of vendors writing applications for UNIX or VMS, thus making it easier to keep such activity in check for VMS and UNIX. Remember, too, that NT was originally written for the business community -- not an environment that routinely makes software changes. Modified DLL's in this scenario would be few and far between.

--
David Fitzjarrell
Oracle Certified DBA


Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.