DBMS tools evaluation criteria (LONG)
Date: Fri, 16 Jul 1993 18:07:50 GMT
Message-ID: <CA9rzA.16z_at_news2.cis.umn.edu>
In article <1993Jul1.131743.11039_at_almserv.uucp> aluart_at_fnma.COM writes:
>
>** Maybe you have a list of evaluation criteria just laying around that you'd be willing to
> share with me?
>
What this document is: The current draft of the criteria we propose to use in selecting tools used to manage NCC's inhouse data. There are separate criteria for evaluation of the database engine (used to store data) and the database application development tools (used to develop database application software and to perform database reports/queries).
Document organization: Each of the two tables of criteria has three separate columns. The first column is the overall property addressed by the criterion. The "criteria for consideration" column are criteria we will use to whittle down the list of tools from 10-15 to the final 2 or 3 (to be completed on or about 8/1/93). We then plan to get evaluation copies of the finalists and use the "criteria for evaluation" column to rate the finalists.
The criteria lists are long because if the criteria had been grouped into more general categories (such as power, productivity, cost, etc.) it would have been impossible to rank criteria in order of importance, which is necessary to facilitate the DBMS selection process.
Computing Environment
Our environment is a Novell LAN of about 50 nodes. We have
purchased a 66 MHz 486 with 32 MB RAM as our server
hardware, and are willing to install UNIX, NT, and/or OS/2
as a server operating system. Our mission is the design and
use of complex time-related (temporal) databases (that
contain food composition data). Flexibility in database and
application design is paramount, with database querying
capability also of major importance. High performance
transaction processing is less important. Typical databases
will have 30 to 40 tables, with the largest table having
25,000 records, largest database size 40 MB. We plan to
build 4 to 6 such database for various purposes, and to have
all such databases fully integrated with each other.
Criteria for selecting a DBMS engine In order of importance, based on above computing environment
Attribute Criteria for Criteria for evaluation2
consideration1
Power Variable length Alternate collating
fields. Multi-field sequences. Storage of
indices. graphics.
Autosequenced
numeric fields.
Connec Supports a wide Well integrated with a
tivity variety of wide variety of
application application development
development environments (see
environments. application development
environment for more
info). Supports a wide
variety of report
writers, query tools,
etc. Embedded SQL,
and/or 3GL API's.
Extendi Stored procedures, Support for temporal
bility triggers. data.
Application access
to stored
procedures.
Integrity Server-enforced data Integrity related
constraints. Easily features do not overly
maintainable compromise speed of
referential operation. Ability to
integrity. Audit easily run data
trail. Recovery constraints on data
from transactions already in database.
that are incomplete
at time of a server
failure (note: this
may be related to
the application
development
environment).
Speed Ability to process Availability of stored
data at speeds procedures for optimizing
sufficient in an client-server operations.
environment Cost-based query
characterized by optimization, as opposed
medium volumes of to syntax-based
transactions, optimization.
infrequent multi-
user updates, but
frequent ad hoc
queries. Query
optimization that
reduces need to
manually optimize
queries.
Scalability Available on a wide Takes advantage of
range of hardware, incremental hardware
from 486 Intel enhancements, such as
machines up to large added RAM.
workstations.
Docu Easy to understand. Well organized. Has a
mentation master index.
Training Is the engine easy
to learn? If not,
is economical
training available?
Mainte On-line backup. No need to periodically
nance Availability of reorganize data.
system
administration
tools.
Cost Initial software
cost (including
connectivity to
application
development
environment).
Upgrade software
cost. Support and
training costs. Cost
to upgrade existing
network and/or
hardware.
Possible choices. Operating system is in parentheses. Please add your favorites to the list, we will eventually narrow the list down to 2 or 3, and document reasons for elimination of any possible engines.
Oracle (UNIX or Netware)
Gupta SQLBase (Netware)
Sybase SQL Server (UNIX or Netware)
Microsoft SQL Server (OS/2 or NT)
IBM EE SQL Server (OS/2)
Informix (UNIX)
Netware SQL (Netware)
Rdb (VAX/VMS)
Criteria for selecting a DBMS application development
environment (ADE)
In order of importance, based on above computing environment
Attribute Criteria for Criteria for evaluation2
consideration1
Flexible Handles temporal Recursion, multiple child
data. tables.
Multi- Support for multiple Support for user-defined,
developer database developers, reusable objects.
including source
code control and
shared libraries.
Produc Concise and easily Ability to prototype
tivity maintainable applications for end
application code. users. End-user
applications can be run
simultaneously with MS
Windows applications.
Data interchange possible
with MS Windows
applications via
clipboard and/or DDE.
Utilities Debugger. Testing tools.
Economical run-time
generator.
Perform Responsiveness of Responsiveness of
ance developed development tools in both
applications in both a single user and multi-
a single user and user (10 user)
multi-user (10 user) environment.
environment.
Training Development User applications have a
environment easy to modern, graphical user
learn, or else interface. Facility for
economical training end-users to create help
available. screens for developed
Developed applications.
applications easy to
learn.
Import / Reads/writes data in Reads/writes data stored
export ascii files. by various DBMS's.
Ad hoc Provides a language Data need not be
data ma for manipulating associated with a
nipulation data on an ad hoc database in order to be
basis. manipulated (e.g. read in
a text file, manipulate
it, write it back out).
Remote Ability for
devel developers to work
opment remotely on a free
standing machine.
Portabilit Hides differences Takes advantage of the
y between different best features of the
engines, allowing engine currently in use,
port of applications as opposed to
from one engine to implementing only a least-
another with minimal common-denominator of all
effort. engine features (this may
be a trade-off with
portability).
Vendor Experience of Long term viability of
company in mission- company.
critical database
application
development.
Connec Supports a wide
tivity variety of DBMS
engines.
Docu Well organized. Easy to understand. Has a
mentation master index.
Cost Initial software
cost (including
connectivity to
engine). Upgrade
software cost.
Support and training
costs. Cost to
upgrade existing
network and/or
hardware.
End-user Report writers, ad hoc
tools database browsing tools
(such as query by
example), etc.
Possible choices for ADE's. Please add your favorites to the list, we will eventually narrow the list down to 2 or 3, and document reasons for elimination of any possible ADE's.
Oracle
JAM
Powerbuilder
SQL Windows (Gupta)
NeXT Step
Informix
Visual Basic
R:Base
Paradox
Access (Microsoft)
PC Nomad
Progress
Object Vision
FOOTNOTES
1 Mandatory features (absence of any of these features will
disqualify the package). Intended to be verifiable
without having to install the software (i.e. through
marketing literature, vendor phone calls, discussions
with vendor customers, etc.). Our expectation is that
only 2 or 3 packages will have all of these features.
2 Optional features.
Thanks for anyone who read this far, especially for not flaming me for
such a long post! Please reply by email; if there are sufficient replies
I'll post a summary.
Brian Westrich
Nutrition Coordinating Center (NCC) internet: westrich_at_keystone.ncc.umn.edu
University of Minnesota phone: (612) 627 4862
--
Brian Westrich
Nutrition Coordinating Center (NCC) internet: westrich_at_keystone.ncc.umn.edu
University of Minnesota phone: (612) 627 4862
Received on Fri Jul 16 1993 - 20:07:50 CEST