Re: Which is better, Oracle or Sybase?

I have used both Oracle and Sybase extensively as a DBA and developer. In general, Sybase is easier to manage and typical development is simpler. However, Oracle is faster, more stable and more feature rich. I have run into a number of complex operations that were easy to implement in Oracle that were much harder to do in Sybase. As far as performance, Oracle is faster than Sybase because it can be tuned more readily for specific types of applications. Oracle's model of physical devices as opposed to logical devices in Sybase is better.

Costs are where you might see a significant difference. You will need a much more intelligent DBA for Oracle than for Sybase. Oracle will cost more for development. Oracle's most significant cost advantage is in its scalability. If you have a high volume site you will probably need fewer machines using Oracle than Sybase. If cost is not an issue, Oracle is the best choice without question.

I am partial to Oracle becuase it is so much more flexible than Sybase. PL/SQL is a more sophisticated language than Transact/SQL. I have done things within the Oracle database that required a smart client for Sybase.

If you use Oracle, I would recommend 8i.

Christopher Weiss
Professional Services Division
Compuware Corporation

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Andrew Singer <als48_at_pantheon.yale.edu> wrote in message news:Pine.GSO.4.10.9906291337510.17231-100000_at_mercury.cis.yale.edu...
> Hey, I'm a Yalie interning for Trade Show News Network. I've been
> assigned to determine which database my company should choose: Oracle or
> Sybase. If anyone has any tips or advice, I will gladly forward you
> information about TSNN, which is at www.tsnn.com, fyi, to help you
> determine what kind of a company we are, how many hits we receive, etc.
>
> Thank you so much!!!
>
> -Andy
>
> ___________________________________________
> Andrew Singer
> 300 W 108 St, Apt 1A
> NY, NY 10025
> (212)864-3515
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>
Received on Wed Jun 30 1999 - 11:39:20 CDT