Re: Newbie's Oracle 9i impression: it sucks

"SQLJoe" <sqljoe_at_aol.com> wrote in message news:20020516110809.21498.00000052_at_mb-mv.aol.com...
> I am a MS SQL DBA of five years. Recently, I have been trying to learn
Oracle
> 9i on Windows2000. Here is my impression.
>
> 1)Oracle is SLOW on Windows2000, FAR slower than MS SQL 2000

Then it isn't configured properly. The two databases should perform at approximately the same level on the same platform. In particular the defaults for the demo database tend to be a bit daft.
>
> 2)Oracle uses Java interface which, although cross platform, is slow and
brings
> out the DOS prompt (which remind of legacy applications) everytime I try
to
> open up a GUI.

I haven't noticed it bringing up a dos prompt.

>
> 3)Believe ir not, Oracle is unstable and unreliable on Windows2000. I had
> Oracle GUI crash on me TWICE already.

Never had it crash on me. could it be a windows driver issue.
>
> 4)Oracle security is overdone. It has multiple layers of security on the
> network level to the application level. Initially, I had a hard time
enterting
> any database, and it took me while to setup the security features.

Matter of taste. Personally I think that multiple layers of security are a Good Thing TM. However it is perfectly possible to use windows authentication for you systems so the user doesn't need to (knowingly) pass any credentials to the server. just like MSSQL. Of course the fact that 8i has 14 security certificates in comparison to microsofts 1 might also be relevant to this discussion.

>
> 4)Setting up a Oracle Client is a nightmare. I need to setup a listener,
port,
> and separate account\pw for the client. Too much work.

You setup the listener on the server. For the client you just need to provide port and the identification of the server in an alias configuration file. if you fire up query analyser you'll note that you provide the same info for mssql.

>
> 5)The official Oracle books from the Osbourne press absolutely SUCKS. I
have
> read 3 books on Oracle 9i from the Osbourne press and all of them were
next to
> useless. Furthermore, there are very few non-Osbourne books on Oracle 9i
that I
> can currently buy. This is in stark contract to MS SQL 2000 which has
PLENTY of
> GREAT books and documentation (except the ones from OSBOURNE).

Can't comment on the oracle press books since I don't have many (apart from 2 versions of the dba handbook) . If you are a developer I heartily recommend Tom Kyte's Expert One on One Oracle. I also recommend the Oracle concepts manual and the relevant guides app devs or dba depending.
>
> 6)Oracle is too complicated. I am willing to bet most Oracle
DBA\Developers
> never use at least 20% of Oracle's features in their entire career. It
seems
> Oracle has a GUI for every little feature it provides, which makes it seem
> disorganized and a nightmare to manage. I think it has around 20 GUIs!!!!.
For
> a database, that is ridiculous.

I thought that all the Oracle GUI's were now located in Enterprise Manager. somewhat similar to MSSQL no. I do agree that in general MS design a better GUI (even if it does need to refresh properly). I don't agree that there are 20 separate GUI products.

>
> 7)PL/SQL is overrated. So far, I have seen nothing that PL/SQL can do
which
> T-SQL (with temporary tables and cursors) cannot do. Why would anyone want
to
> learn a SQL language that is, again, needlessly complicated?

Its as complicated as it needs to be. Prtobably what you mean is that the syntax is different and the approach is different.

>
> I am seriously considering dumping Oracle and learning DB2 instead. What
do you
> think?

I think you'd face the same 'shortcomings'.

>
> Jinsoo
> MCDBA, MCSD, MCSE+I
>

--
Niall Litchfield
Oracle DBA
Audit Commission UK
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