Re: Sybase vs. Oracle

From: Gordon E. Hooker <gordonh_at_acslink.net.au>
Date: 1995/09/12
Message-ID: <43514t$n6i_at_dingo.cc.uq.oz.au>


jwalters_at_igate.iohk.com (Jay Walters) wrote:

>For my 2 cents, SYBASE C API supports asynchronous and multi-threaded
>program models, I don't believe that ORACLE OCI or PRO*C do. SYYBASE has
>a clustered index which physically locates the data with the lowest level
>index page. ORACLE only clusters multiple tables.
 

>On the other hand, SYBASE pretty much does all space allocation on a
>dynamic fashion, so tables are never contiguous. Just because your data
>pages are next to each other in the clustered index, they aren't
>neccessarily any where near each other on the disk.
 

>I think a lot of people jump on the row level locking issue and make a
>big deal of it, when you can always design your application to take that
>into account.

Interesting...

You design your application so data is spread randomly over the disk? Or train the users not update, insert data that is on the same page? Better still, you could design the system so only one row fits on a page...

Wish I thought of that....

> Bill Frauenhofer (bill_at_mosaix.bluebird.com) wrote:
>: Craig Harper <caharper_at_hooked.net> wrote:
 

>: >Mark Kyes <mkyes_at_access5.digex.net> wrote:
>: >>Why would one choose oracle vs sybase? or vice versa are there any
>: >>distinguishable differences that clearly make one better than the other?
>: >>
 

>: >For one the sybase system allow for dirty reads, whereas the Oracle
>: >server does not.
 

>: >2. The development cycle seems to be faster on the Oracle Platform than
>: >the Sybase.
>: We use ANSI SQL in this shop and basically just had to do a port from
>: Informix to Oracle and Sybase. Oracle was definately faster to
>: develop because it seemed to support the basic ANSI stuff in a more
>: straight-forward manner. The original code was developed with
>: DB/2 and SQL/DS and the SQL statements changed little for ORACLE.
>: Bugs and differences just seemed to be less with Oracle.
 

>: >3. The Sybase system seems to be faster at some functions than the
>: >Oracle, but I have never timed them out.
>: One of the known weaknesses in Sybase is the optimiser. Many of our
>: SQL statements had to be recoded to accomadate Sybase. Oracle
>: accepted the recoded statements without a gripe and nearly the same
>: execution times.
 

>: >4. I think that Oracle is more stable than Sybase. We have both and have
>: >more problems with the Sybase system than our Oracle.
>: I agree.
 

>: 5. Sybase seems to be much easier to install and set-up than Oracle.
 

>: 6. Scalability is significantly better on Oracle than on Sybase. (One
>: of our customers on Oracle is running some very large tables that I
>: know would produce unacceptable results on Sybase even with
>: optimazations for Sybase.
 

>: We are not using any non-portable features of any of these databases
>: which may provide a level playing field but at the same time may
>: play to the weakness in one implementation. (This is said with the
>: understanding that some portable features require non-portable
>: set-up within the code for things like SQLCA and SQLDA.....)
 

>: There is also the question of database philosophy. Sybase is built
>: with the intention of client/server and I think that in an "all on one
>: box" situation may suffer because of this. Oracle on the other hand
>: was designed with the "all on one box" philosophy and then had
>: the client/server piece added on. This may mean that Oracle is
>: optimised for the "all on one box" scenario but Sybase may beat it
>: in the client/server mode. Just something to consider.
 

>: Your mileage may vary.
>: >Hope this helps.
>: Hope this helps also.

>: Bill

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Gordon Hooker MACS PCP                                     ,--_|\
25 Clarke Street, Ripley, Queensland, 4306, Australia     /      \ 
gordonh_at_acslink.net.au                                    \_.--._/
mobile: 018883835 phone: 61-7-2889716                           V
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It is far better to remain silent and appear a fool, than to open ones mouth and remove all doubt... Received on Tue Sep 12 1995 - 00:00:00 CEST

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