Re: choices regarding where to place code - in the database or middle tier

In article <1074547663.418147_at_yasure>, Daniel Morgan <damorgan_at_x.washington.edu> wrote:
>Daniel Roy wrote:
>
>> Hi Joe,
>> I am a Siebel configurator/programmer (Siebel is a "Customer
>> Relationship Management" software, which can be considered analogous
>> to SAP). My personal experience with the issue which interests you is
>> that as much as possible should be stored in the database. Siebel, by
>> some twisted reasoning about compatibility of code on various
>> databases (it runs on Oracle, SQL Server and DB2), decided to keep
>> almost all the code (including referential integrity!) in the middle
>> tier. As a result, on ALL the projects I've been a part of, we have
>> had data issues. The worst part is for the foreign keys which are not
>> valid. Other issue are about some code (usually PL/SQL) which is not
>> in sync with the database, for whatever reason (access rights,
>> objects/columns which don't exist anymore, ...). Also, performance is
>> always better from inside the database, from what I've seen so far.
>> This is logical since there is less network traffic when everything is
>> done from Oracle.
>>
>> Just my 2 cents
>>
>> Daniel
>>
>>
>>>Hi -
>>>
>>>Over the last several versions of Oracle, developers have been provided with
>>>a pretty revolutionary idea for a database product - namely the ability to
>>>write code that used to belong in the middle tier and store it in the
>>>database. I'm referring here to the ability to write stored procedures in
>>>Java.
>>>
>>>Now of course, Microsoft with their SQL Server product is doing the same
>>>thing. The next version of SQL Server will allow programmers to write
>>>stored procedures in any of the .NET languages.
>>>
>>>I'm interested in looking at the increased choices developers now have
>>>because of these new features in more depth ,developing some best practices
>>>on the subject, and possibly publishing an article on the topic.
>>>
>>>I personally am more experienced with SQL Server than with Oracle. I am
>>>therefore looking for someone who has been involved with making these
>>>choices in the Oracle environment who would like to collaborate with me on
>>>the subject.
>>>
>>>If you are interested, please contact me at joelax_at_dbdirections.com
>>>
>>>Thank you
>>>
>>>Joe Lax
>
>Exactly mirrors my experience with Siebel, SAP, PeopleSoft, and Baan.
>

Hello!

Data belongs in the database. Business logic; i.e. code, belongs in the middle tier.

Referential integrity belongs in the database. That is data.

CRM packages typically don't perform well because, as noted, they push as much into the middle tier due to the differences between the different databases. But the DBMS systems are optimized for RI.

They also miss indexes which cause huge performance problems.

Replication of business logic via clusters/EJB will provide a lot of performance improvements with code in the middle tier.

My .02

e Received on Tue Jan 20 2004 - 00:17:04 CST