Re: Sybase v/s Oracle

Jason Salem wrote:
>
> I would tend to agree here. MS-SQL Server is a good
> workgroup/transactional RDBMS. If you go over 100-150 users, have a lot
> of batch/reporting and can't have a separate server for reporting alone,
> or have a VLDB, then I'd recommend Oracle for it's better handling of
> the following: locks - in MS-SQL readers block writers (as in sybase)
> which brings about the recomendation for a separate report box.
> Transaction/redo logs - MS-SQL has one monolithic logfile that, if it
> fills, halts the DB until such a time as it is dumped to null. Oracle
> goes round-robin between as many logs as you please, moving old ones to
> an archival location (if you are in archivelog mode). Granted, you can
> get around the way MS_SQL handles this, but it's extra overhead that in
> a large system would tend to enhance the chances of a blowup, IMO.
> Lastly, corruption - I have not directly seen MS-SQL corrupt, but have
> seen several posts, and our main corporate ofice experienced a MS-SQL
> corruption fairly recently. I have only seen Oracle corrupt once as an
> internal problem, and one drive badspot that was truly a unix problem.
> Going on this, it seems to me in a rough qualitative sense that Oracle
> is more resistant to corruption. Perhaps this is due to the fact that
> the server will down if it hits any sort of moderately serious error,
> whereas MS-SQL seems to just sort of log it and go on. I'd rather
> explain downtime than clean corruption, but that's just me.
> HTH and wasn't _too_ much ranting <g>

I don't know about exact pricing of the two systems, but I believe that Oracle Workgroup Server for Windows NT is priced to compete with other databases like Microsoft SQL Server for smaller sites like the one you described (20-25 users). And on NT servers, I have heard Oracle's performance is good.

I also don't know anything technical about Microsoft SQL Server or Sybase, but if it is true that SQL Server does not scale up as well as Oracle, your transition to a larger system may go more smoothly if you go with Oracle now for the smaller scale application. Oracle is well-known for its scalibility. And remember, applications that start out small and become popular, always grow rapidly and scalibility can become an important issue.

Just my opinion.

Regards,
Brian

-- 
Brian M. Biggs                             mailto:bbiggs_at_cincom.com
Cincom Systems, Inc.                       voice: (513) 677-7661
http://www.cincom.com/