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Conference ulysse::rdb_vms_competition

Title:DEC Rdb against the World
Moderator:HERON::GODFRIND
Created:Fri Jun 12 1987
Last Modified:Thu Feb 23 1995
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1348
Total number of notes:5438

111.0. "MUMPS...Competitive INFO Required" by TROU02::SPACKMAN () Thu Mar 31 1988 20:30

    I have just received a request for some competitive information
    on Digital Standard Mumps. We have a situation in Western Canada
    where a proposal is being made for Digital Standard Mumps and an
    application from DISTAR. The application is for the medical industry.
    The competition is primarily from vendors bidding Oracle based
    solutions and they are apparently spreading some dirt regarding MUMPS.
    
    Can anyone make some comparisons between the two? Is this even a
    fair comparison? I have no information on DSM at all. 
    
    Thanks ... Janet Spackman @TRO
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111.1VNADC6::GEROLDThis note is rated 'PG-13'Fri Apr 01 1988 11:0117
I'm just in the process of replacing 2 PDP's running MUMPS at a customer site.
It has absolutely no concurrency control, no security , no data integrity
(e.g. you can place text in a numeric field and do mathematics with it ) BUT
IT IS INCREDIBLY FAST. This is because the equatation db_system=opeating_system
holds true.

I think with all the security and integrity stuff being popular, I would have
a hard time selling it today( no integration at all )

Note, however, that I have no idea what is happening with MUMPS on VMS.
What I heard is, that it is much slower than on the PDP but that could be
rumours as well.

Do you have to go with mumps ?

Gerold
111.2For more MUMPS, see ...SRFSUP::MCCARTHYLarry McCarthy, LAOFri Apr 01 1988 18:3111
  For more info on MUMPS , both VAX and PDP-11 based, see the following
VAXNotes conferences: 

  DIGITAL Standard MUMPS (PDP-11) VAXWRK::DSM
  DSM (VAX/VMS)			VAXWRK::VAXDSM

  (Source: ANCHOR""::NET$LIBRARY:EASYNOTES.LIS;206 dated 25-Mar-1988)

  Regards,
  Larry.
111.3DSM = Lotsa $BANZAI::BERENSONRdb/VMS - Number ONE on VAXMon Apr 04 1988 20:5911
Digital has recently won two large ($100s of millions) government
contracts using MUMPS on VAX .  Within the medical community, it seems
like MUMPS is an asset, not a liability as most people would believe.

Do not dismiss MUMPS solely because it isn't mainstream.  If the
customer is not in the medical community, you'll probably have a hard
time selling them.  On the other hand, if the application software
itself is the best on the market, maybe the sell won't be so hard.

In the end, if the customer demands a full-fledged, SQL-oriented
database system, then sell them VAX Rdb/VMS.
111.4Commercial MUMPS lovers a while back...BANZAI::HIGGSFestooned with DMLsTue Apr 05 1988 18:0431
Quite a few years ago one of the London offices (Ealing ?) was very much into
MUMPS for commercial applications (even financial stuff).  At that time, most
sales in the commercial area on PDP-11s were RSTS/E and (for the brave) RSX-11M.
I remember that the people in this particular office were convinced that 
MUMPS-11 was the best thing since sliced bread, and they claimed they could make
it run rings around RSTS/E, for example.  This on a system whose only language
was truly interpretive ! 

I believe that there was also an independent software house in the UK that was
highly MUMPS-oriented (Hoskins, I think ?)

I once learned enough about MUMPS-11 to teach a course on it (and have since 
forgotten it all again).  It was amazing what you could do with it.  I had
serious reservations about the maintainability of the code, however.  Doubtless
there are people around who could start religious discussions over things like
that. 

MUMPS-11 is an operating system, a language, and a disk structure that is quite
database oriented (although not in any 'traditional' sense);  VAX DSM runs on
top of VMS (and RMS, too, if memory serves). Its performance when compared
with MUMPS-11, given the horsepower of the machines involved, was not as
impressive, I heard.  (although I bow to anyone who can be more authoritive
on the subject).

MUMPS is also one of the languages that has an ANSI standard !

MUMPS is not a system that I would recommend unless you have some very specific
applications that blend well with it, or (more likely) unless the customer
demands it (which might be the case in the medical area, but is unlikely
elsewhere).  Support would certainly be an issue, since MUMPS expertise is
not a common commodity.
111.5NON MEDICAL DSM REFERENCE SITEDUB01::GOODMANTue Apr 05 1988 19:1612
    The Irish National Telephone Directory Enquiries System runs as a
    DSM Application on PDP 11s.
    
    The National PTT (Telecom Eireann) is presently considering a major
    proposal to convert to VAXes. We tried to interest them in Rdb but
    they wish to stick with DSM - they love it !
                       
    If you get stuck for a non medical reference site, I could contact
    Telecom Eireann on your behalf.
    
    		Brendan Goodman
    
111.670 terminals in VAX8530 using VAX/DSMOSKV01::KATOHOSKV01::KATOHWed Apr 06 1988 05:0824
In Japan we recommend VAX/DSM for the customer who need quite high performance.
So we use VAX/DSM for OLTP system.
But like previous note, VAX/DSM Doesn't have run ubit journal, concurrency 
control, and other Management system.

This January, we use 2 VAX 8530s to 'Habikino' hospital.
Terminals are approximately 70 for each CPU.
The applications are accounting, and other hospital application.
Performace is quite well.

Another case we use VAX8800 to the trading company.
Terminal are approximately 70.
They use MUX server and DEC MUX-II for remote communication.
And also communicate to IBM using SNA gateway.

I support DSM-11, VAX/DSM, and Rdb/VMS. So I know each product.

If you need more information, Please send me a mail.

		My mail address (oskv01::katoh)

Regard,
					Hiromu Katoh/SWS/Osaka/Japan

111.7Info on the netDSM::CRAIGNice computers don't go down :-)Thu Feb 22 1990 03:2113
    A "white paper" about MUMPS and VAX DSM has been published and is
    available on the net at: DSM::SYS$PUBLIC:DSM_INFO.* (.txt, .ln03 and
    .ps formats).
    
    Just to correct the previous note, VAX DSM V5.0 introduced before-image
    journaling, enhanced its existing after-image journaling capabilties
    and and has always had concurrency control (via the MUMPS LOCK
    command).
    						Bob Craig
    
    DSM Product Group
    MRO2-3/E5, dtn: 297-6490