Re: Stuck on old system can you feel my pain

Ranting this one time wrote:

> Hello,
>
> <rant>
>
> I have been using (living/breathing/sleeping) Oracle a long time...I love
> it!!!
>
> Has anyone been associated with an entity that for some reason was stuck on
> an old version of Oracle in some (or all) parts of their business.
>
> The "vendor" for a mission critical systems we have (purchased in 1999)
> deployed it on 7.3 on HP-UX at the time...and when they "upgrade" our
> application (they make a huge big deal about this and run some scripts-you
> know the drill) they never upgrade the instance, but run an upgrade script
> to create new objects...and give a new but almost identical FFFAAATTT client
> (that people run around and install).
>
> Now the system is going to be sunset for development (buy the new one and
> get features-this new one should be an upgrade!) but we will have it for a
> while w/their support for both the app and Oracle...and they give a BS
> answer and smirk when I ask if they will upgrade the DB, and others at the
> entity (non-tech) do not really care (or understand) what version of Oracle
> and accept the answer...hey things are working in this complicated (it does
> do a lot) system and vendor gives "support" for DB and app.
>
> I run 9I for my own DB's and will go to 10g...but forced to keep an 8I
> instance around to link to the 7.3 (9Ir2 connections to 7 are not supported,
> and some issues do pop-up when you do it)....and I warehouse this data and
> also often get things real time.
>
> I find it ridiculous and want to use new features (or even reasonably old
> features) when I work w/the data in the application in real time.
>
> I would love if they even upgraded (this sounds like a joke) to 8.0!!! so I
> could connect via 9IR2...
>
> 7.3 is so old that this is not strange, it is nuts....
>
> The entity is actually responsive to most IT issues...but is
> semi-held-hostage from the vendor of their most mission critical and
> multi-functional system.
>
> </rant>
>
> Comrades, any experience like this, tips for connecting to old servers (post
> in server newsgroup for this reason) or tips in dealing w/the vendor?
>
> I see know reason why they could not upgrade a version or two (they claim
> testing a sunsetted product), what works in the old version should work in
> the versions a few notches up. Do you agree?
>
> Thanks,
> Ranting Once

Ranting will do no good.

Management must be willing to should loudly with their dollars.

Why not get a new system, based on 9i or 10g, from a vendor that will guarantee that they stay current?

Don't know what your firm needs but I have a list of names if you email me off-line.

-- 
Daniel Morgan
http://www.outreach.washington.edu/ext/certificates/oad/oad_crs.asp
http://www.outreach.washington.edu/ext/certificates/aoa/aoa_crs.asp
damorgan_at_x.washington.edu
(replace 'x' with a 'u' to reply)