Re: Oracle acquiring Sleepycat

SleepyCat was never intended as a back end for MySQL. Even if it were, the basic functionality is available as the BerkeleyDB which is distributed free with many Linux distributions.

SleepyCat is available through the GPL license, but BekeleyDB is BSD license.

Oracle has most likley purchased SleepyCat as a means of diversifying their product offering. Eventually competition from other databases will drastically lower the price that Oracle can charge for their products, and they will need other products to sell.

That's why they bought PeopleSoft.

Purchasing InnoDB was just a smart move. to get access to the MySQL enterprise users list. They don't have to squeeze MySQL to make money, MySQL can hire programmers and duplicate InnoDB if they have to, and they have plenty of time before their license to sell InnoDB runs out.

• AndrewZ

Bill Karwin wrote:
> "dhruv" <dhruvbird_at_gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1140002485.199445.73560_at_g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> > However, isn't BDB on a BSD style license???? So, once the MySql
> > ppl.(or anyone for that matter) have their hands on a copy of the code,
> > they may do anything with it right????
>
> Perhaps, but there's nothing stopping Oracle/Sleepycat (Sleepacle? Oracat?)
> from releasing future updates under a different license. And if the
> enhancements in those updates are compelling to users (for instance, if they
> resolve a security vulnerability), then the old software is worthless.
>
> Regards,
> Bill K.
Received on Sun Feb 19 2006 - 19:09:27 CST