Re: a comparison of different databases

Franco Scarselli <franco_at_dsi.ing.unifi.it> wrote:

>I need a SQL server to manage data. The candidates are the Oracle SQL
>server, the Sybase SQL and the Microsoft SQL server. I would know cons
>of your DBMS and/or references to where I can find information about
>this issue.
>I have to consider the followings are facts:
 

>1) The association is not big, so I think that the number of PC
>clients will never be larger than 20-30.

Use Watcom SQL Anywhere Perfect for small databases/users  

>2) Simplicity to manage the database is an important issue. The
>association has not specialized people except for
>me and I am not sure that it will want spend too money for other people
>in the future.

Watcom SQL Anywhere is real easy to use

>4) Branch offices are small and will require only one or two Pcs.
>However, I cannot connect them by a dedicated phone line (too
>expensive). It would be useful a simple mechanism to replicate data and
>to syncronize the databases every night by a communtated phone call.

Watcom SQL Anyhwhere was designed for replication and such.

>I have already collected some information on the question. I want to
>illustrate my opinion and my doubts till now. I hope this helps anybody
>who has similar problems. I will be also very grateful to anybody who
>will comment.
 

>Microsoft SQL seems to be cheap and at the same time it should work well
>in an enviroment completely based on Microsoft operative systems.
>Microsoft SQL does not have row locking, but for some years I will not
>need it, because we have few client PCs. In the mean time, Microsoft
>will provide to resolve the problem (I hope). Microsoft SQL runs only on
>NT server, however NT is likely to replace DOS and WINDOS and to became
>very widespread so that the fact could not be a major drawback. A
>question is: is Microsoft effectively interested in to push SQL, to
>spend money to encrease functionalities of the server or will I have an
>old SQL server in few years ?

Don't use MS SQL unless the client forces you. That is the only reason I am using it. I am not a MS basher I love NT! And MS has gone from 6.0 to 6.5 in 6 months. Hope they keep improving it there are still plenty of rough edges. We thought using the entire MS back office would be the best Idea however. For example MS OBDC does not even follow MS's ODBC guidelines and is less compatible then other vendors ODBC. The Declaritive RI is f***ing stupid. No cascading deletes no cascading updates (you must write triggers SQL Anyware supports these without any triggers). If you have a forgien key/primary key constraint you can not impliment the triggers for cascading update/deletes since MicroF***ingStupidSoft SQL evaluates the constraint BEFORE the trigger is allowed to run. The solution is to use Stored Procedures great idea MS instead of DELETE from TABLE1 where x = 10 I need to execute a stored procedure! Why use SQL if I am only going to be calling procedures.

>Oracle enterprise server is far more expensive. However, Oracle
>Workgroup server is competitive, even if it lacks of data replication.
>Further, I know that Oracle enterprise has a lot of more features, but
>what about Workgroup server with respect to Microsoft and Sybase
>servers? Further, a WEB server would be useful for me and the Oracle
>WEB server is very expensive. On the other hand Oracle products are more
>scalable. Further, Oracle is the leader of the market, it is very
>interested in spend money to mantain its position. This should be an
>assurance for the future.
 

>Sybase offers two products: Sybase SQL server and Anywhere SQL server.
>The former is similar to Microsoft SQL server because they are both the
>result of the development of the old Sybase SQL server. However, there
>is Unix version for Sybase SQL. Anywhere come from Whatcom SQL and is a
>very simple DBMS which has the advantage of beeing able to run with very
>few memory and to support Windows 95, Windows 3.1 .... Pheraphs in my
>case, I could use Anywhere in branch offices and Sybase SQL in main
>office. Sybase products are cheap, expecially Anywhere. Of corse they
>lack of some feature with respect to Oracle, but what about Sybase SQL
>server with respect to Microsoft SQL server?

I wish I could use SQL Anywhere but I cant. Download the demo version from the sysbase/watcom web site.

Troy Sorzano
Information Packaging Unlimited

Troy Sorzano

Information Packaging Unlimited Received on Fri Jul 05 1996 - 00:00:00 CEST