|
I don't have a list, as such, but have a few questions that should
be asked if Oracle is the competition.
1) Availability. What does Oracle provide to ensure high availability?
Online- backup? with multi device ready/write? with incremental
backup.
2) Administration. Does the database need to be taken off line for
space reclamation or other functions?
3) How much does a run time liscense cost for multiple machines?
Is the runtime option a subset of the complete package or must the
entire software set be reinstalled (both disk libraries and memory
usage).
4) If it is important, include a question on interoperability. Oracle
does not have a program that corresponds to VIDA.
If/when you get a list together, please post it in the notes file?
Jamey
|
| Performance. -- You know, a real test with actual users (something
Oracle hasn't tried). And is performance a part of the DBMS or is
it an added-cost option? For instance, is row-level locking standard
or a multi-thousand dollar option?
Breadth of tools - SMARTSTAR, PowerHouse, TODAY, FOCUS, InTouch,
GemBase, DataTalker, Rally, Teamdata, Datatrieve, CorVision.
Five-year software cost comparison -- Bring out that lack of Oracle
run-time and that marvelous 22.5% of LIST PRICE maintenance and
support cost.
Completeness -- How much extra will pre-compilers cost, how about
DECnet access, how about remote database access (I see Pro*...,DECnet
protocol, and SQL*NET in this customer's future).
Commitment -- The customer has already committed to Digital for
VAX hardware. Is he willing to go through that process again to
commit to another vendor for something as critical as a database?
Interoperability -- Be careful with it right now. Oracle does have
a conversion box for Oracle to DB2 interaction. But we can read
IDMS/R, VSAM, IMS, and soon DB2 (program-announced). PC access is
available now from third parties and will be better with the advent
of SQL Services.
Software Dependence -- Being totally dependent on a software platform
is just as confining as being dependent on hardware...and much more
expensive. Only 3GLs and ANSI SQL are truly hardware independent.
That combination is also software dependent.
---- Michael Booth
|
| Re: .0
>they asked us for a list of DBMS decision
>criteria that we use internally. It occurred to me that we probably
>don't need such a list, since we already know the best product.
Try talking to the DSTAR (DIS Strategies, Technologies, and Architecture)
organization. "This group is primarily responsible for presenting,
training, and consulting on the Technical Architecture to both internal
organizations and customers." Henry Theberge is Technical Architecture
Manager within DSTAR. His group does, I believe, have such a list
of criteria for DBMS. (At one point the product which best matched
was ORACLE, so it was used internally for at least one application.
This is far from true now, "since we already know the best product.";-})
Henry's presentation on DIA, Distributed Information Architecture,
is extremely good and positions well the future directions of Digital
in this area. If he forwards such a list have him (or you should)
post it here for all those who follow...
Regards,
-ian
|
| continuing .3
Another document, "Information Systems Technical Architecture Concepts",
chapter 6 describes the criteria for Data Resource Management (10
pages). Summary:
"Data Dictionaries and the various tools to help to manage business data
are critical elements of a Technical Architecture. This chapter
describes some of these components and recommends the areas where
standards are critical."
This red covered volume, 100 pages in length, has NO part number,
no author, no date of publication, no "For internal use only" disclaimer
but I believe it is from DIS.
-ian
|