Re: Total Cost of Ownership

From: Dawn M. Wolthuis <dwolt_at_tincat-group.com>
Date: Mon, 12 Apr 2004 10:30:41 -0500
Message-ID: <c5ecng$khv$1@news.netins.net>

"Laconic2" <laconic2_at_comcast.net> wrote in message news:192dnaBpHOqHruTdRVn-jg_at_comcast.com...
> How about this:
>
> The purpose of a database is to preserve the value and the availability of
> the data it contains.

We have had several discussions about an abstract definition of a database. Looking at my verbose definition now, I would trim it back, but I would still want it to be less abstract than what you propose. If we are talking about products, such as MS SQL Server or IBM UniVerse, then what is the common purpose (other than dollars)? I think you have some part of it, but I think that it is also tied into the development of software applications that use the data in some way. So, there is not just the end-end-user of the database software, but also end-users. In the case of a lot of the database software, there are end-end-end-users, application software developers who are end-end-users, and dba's as end-users.

Should we take another stab at it or do you think you have it nailed in the purpose statement above? --dawn Received on Mon Apr 12 2004 - 10:30:41 CDT