Re: (0)RDBMS for free text indexing

I worked with Sybase SDS for free text search based on Verity Search97 engine. Actualy, we started as beta-testers last fall and now this project is in production. Sybase's solution is simple (in design and to implement), reliable (it's based on 3 tested and matured products: ASE, OmniConnect (as part of ASE) and Verity Search97), performed extremely well and open for customizations (complete Verity feature set is available). I am not sure what level of integration Informix, Oracle and IBM provide with their solutions, but Sybase gives clear framework what to expect from their SDS. Verity search engine is in no way integrated with the ASE's query optimizer, for example.

 If you have more questions you can reach me at my email: grigoryMAS_at_NOWHEREworldnet.att.net
please remove MAS and NOWHERE from email address

Grigory

In article <6ohkog$rfh$1_at_toralf.uib.no>,   "Bjug Boyum" <bjug.boyum_at_nsd.uib.no> wrote:
> Hi,
> We are considering several rdbms alternatives for a database with mixed
> structured and free-text data (an infosystem for documentation of research
> in Norwegian universities and colleges). Our legacy data resides in a dos
> dbms (Advanced Revelation). We have currently redesigned it to a relational
> schema, and have implemented it on ms-sqlserver (which is the rdbms we
> currently are using for other databases). The text fields are mostly
> research project descriptions, result summaries, publication references and
> the like. We are looking for a system with built-in text indexing
> capabilities, for making this kind of information searchable via the web and
> in our user applications. Most of the major RDBMSes provide text indexing
> today, but we haven't seen any good independent evaluation of the products
> regarding this kind of functionality. So, I would like to hear if anyone has
> opinions or real-life experiences with text indexing in the following
> systems:
>
> Oracle 8.0 (with context cartridge)
> Sybase ASE 11.5 (with Verity snap-in)
> Informix 9.1x (verity, fulcrum datablade betas, excalibur text datablade)
> IBM db2 5.0
> (others?)
>
> I generally like oracle and informix for their OO features (particularily
> arrays/multivalued fields, which we have had in Arev for over a decade, and
> used extensibly in our applications). However, Informix 9.1 has no
> replication facilities (whitch we really need), and do not support ObjectIDs
> and references (which we really want). As for Oracle, their prices are a bit
> over the edge for us, and I also have an (irrational?) impression that
> oracle is more proprietary and difficult to administer than the others. I
> generally dislike the idea of running an oracle server in a relatively
> small-scale facility like ours. I really like sybase for its simplicity (and
> familiarity to ms-sql which i allready know), but have doubts about their
> 'snap-in' solutions. I'm also unaware of any plans they might have for
> implementing SQL3. The same goes for IBM, and for both sybase and IBM, the
> severe constraints on row size is also a major turn-off.
>
> Comments anyone? The current online versions of our R&D databases can be
> seen at http://www.nsd.uib.no/english/research/ (warning: they suck!).
>
> TIA,
> Bjug Boyum
>
> __________________________
> Bjug Boyum
> Norwegian social science data services
> http://www.nsd.uib.no/english
>
>

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