Re: Oracle licence question

From: Serge Rielau <srielau_at_ca.ibm.com>
Date: Sun, 26 Feb 2006 07:12:50 -0500
Message-ID: <46dka3FaiosqU1@individual.net>

HansF wrote:
> On Sat, 25 Feb 2006 22:25:02 +0000, Tony Rogerson wrote:
>
>

>>What you mean - they use portable SQL as definied by the ANSI SQL standard, 
>>something Oracle doesn't do very well! Come on guys, catch up!! Talk about 
>>MS locking people in - LOL!

>
>
> I am specifically saying that vendor lockin is a good thing. Accept what
> is being offered and go with it. Then, in 3 years time, when replacing
> the system, look at what is the right tool at that time.
Hans,

Hang on..., have you seen many shops that actually switch an app after those three years (from or to Oracle, doesn't matter)? The moment the application logic (which includes procedures) has committed to the misc. features of a given product migration costs skyrocket. Typically this leads to an interesting rift between those in control of the money and the DBAs.
The DBAs want to stay with their product (which they know) and the CFO wants to move but can't afford it.
In short applications are only migrated (or ported) when the executives get seriously pissed at the vendor or the customer hits a technological brick wall.
ISVs are in a slightly different set of troubles. They have an interest to support multiple DBMS vendors since there are sufficient numbers of customers who make app decisions based on the underlying DBMS. So ISVs are either more keen on not exploiting extensions to the standard (which is different from proprietary features) or they are willing to pit down the porting cost (and subsequent dual maintenance).

It's actually quite a game between customers and vendors to negotiate around that bluff (it often is nothing more but) to switch platforms if the licensing isn't renewed in a favorable way to the customer.

Those apps which are being migrated exploit few app level features. At teh same time we "SQL professionals" bicker about the Java hordes we have to ask ourselves if we aren't contributing to the problem....

Cheers
Serge

-- 
Serge Rielau
DB2 Solutions Development
IBM Toronto Lab

Received on Sun Feb 26 2006 - 06:12:50 CST