Re: SQL Server 2005 - Still not upto it

From: Holger Baer <holger.baer_at_science-computing.de>
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2005 18:06:09 +0100
Message-ID: <d19p23$rqn$1@news.BelWue.DE>

Aaron [SQL Server MVP] wrote:

>>This statement I disagree with.

>
>
> That's fine. Your analogy of a Flintstone car is incorrect, however. I
> wouldn't consider a car that you "drive" with your feet fully functional.
> In addition, you failed to identify that it's not a one-or-the-other thing.
> You do both, but fine-tuning performance (not designing for general
> performance, that's always a goal when implementing the design from the
> start) doesn't need to be done until you're sure the tool does what it's
> supposed t.
>
> It's just a different approach, not a right/wrong thing. Maybe the software
> projects you've seen fail just didn't have the right people.
>

As Stephen, I have to disagree with that you. Delivering performance within the defined constraints (the system must be able to support X transactions within m seconds; this transaction may not take longer than n seconds...; the system must meet this criteria for the next y years with a growth rate g in datavolume/transactions) is a functional requirement. Either you meet that requirement by designing for it, or you don't. Sometimes it might be impossible to meet some requirements (Cary Milsap has a very good example in his book on Oracle performance) but you don't tune after the fact.

And the analogy of a flintstone car holds perfectly well. Look at your own statement:

 > I wouldn't consider a car that you "drive" with your feet fully functional.

Well, who said a car has to have an engine? My four-year-old son would be perfectly happy with the flintstone edition. Oh, well let's finetune and add an engine. Damn, now we need something to keep the fuel in. No worries, I can fix that....

If the requirement is that the car must reach a minimal speed you can either let it roll down a hill crying "See? it can reach 20 MPH, I didn't know you wanted to go uphill" or you design the car to reach that speed everytime upfront.

My 2 eurocents
Holger Received on Wed Mar 16 2005 - 11:06:09 CST