Conference ulysse::rdb_vms_competition

245.0. "RDBMS Selection Criteria?" by SNOC01::ANDERSONK (DESINE at ground zero) Thu Nov 10 1988 13:19

    We're in a situation where a couple of new VAX/VMS customers were
    allowed by salespeople to buy Oracle (lets not go into THAT!, but
    it was before I arrived in this town).  Now that they have been
    doing some prototyping of applications, and even running a few
    production applications, they're feeling a little unhappy with
    performance, the amount of work a DBA has to do just to keep things
    running, support (someone said that there are 2 Oracle people in
    this city, but I dont know if it is true), documentation and
    restrictions on AIJ etc..
    
    So, one of these is out to do a review of what database they should
    be using (and we ALL know the answer don't we?).  They are writing
    up some selection/evaluation criteria for choosing and information
    management system consisting of a RDBMS, 4GLs for quick, powerful
    applications development, reportwriting, and some 3GL work.  Themes
    include ANSI SQL, Pascal, 4GLs, integrity, AIJ's, videotext....
    
    The customer is a federal govt body, which already has a basic ALL-IN-1
    setup running.
    
    I will receive a full list of their selection criteria, ranked
    (mandatory, very desirable, desirable), in a few days (actually
    someone else will get it - I will be outa town on leave!).
    
    What follows is a rewrite of the draft outline of the selection
    criteria that they will use to compare Oracle and Rdb.  If you have any
    comments about things not included here that might help Rdb or hinder
    Oracle, then please let me or Jeff Parker (SNOV17::PARKER) know, or
    post it here.  We are organising PIDs on various things (hopefully
    Ian Smith can stop here for one day on one of his Great Circle trips
    :-))
    
    I hope people can use this as a resource to get their potential
    customers to consider an appropriate range of issues when looking
    at a RDBMS, 4GL or whatever.
    
    Thanks

1.  Availability and Integrity
  i	 High online availability
  ii	 Quick and Automatic Recovery of transactions
  iii	 Integrity 
  iv	 Error detection, diagnostics and rectification
  v	 Online monitoring
  vi	 Backups and Recovery
  vii	 Definition changes
  viii	 After-Image Journalling
  ix	 Rollforward
  x	 Networking
  xi	 VAXclusters
  xii	 Symmetric Multi-Processing
  xiii	 Workstations
  xiv	 Two Phase Commit
  xv	 Domain Integrity
  xvi	 Referential Integrity
  xvii	 Decentralised data
  
2.  Performance
  i.	 Concurrent users
  ii	 Query intensive
  iii	 Update intensive
  iv	 TP environment
  v	 Networked environment
  vi	 Optimiser Strategies
  vii	 Dynamic or Static data-driven Optimiser
  viii	 Precompiled vs Dynamic vs Callable vs 4GL
  ix	 Data types
  x	 Data structures
  xi	 Size constraints
  xii	 Standard benchmark results
  xiii	 Impact of Data Dictionary
  xiv	 Space Reclaimation
  xv	 Cascading Updates/deletes
  xvi	 Clustering Techniques
  xv	 Index types and techniques
  xvi	 Locking implementation
  xvii	 Deadlock detection and resolution
  xviii	 Locking Optimisations
  xix	 Extent of physical and logical data independence
  xx	 Options for physical placement of data/indexes
  xxi	 Physical reloads required for performance changes
  xxii	 Vaxcluster environment
  xxiii	 Impact of increasing numbers of users
  xxiv	 Impact of After-Image Journalling
  xxv	 Buffer, page management techniques, and locking
  xxvi	 Amount of effort required by DBA vs performance improvements
  xxvii	 Development performance vs performance of developed 
         applications
  
3.  Production and DBA Support
  i.	 Extent and Quality of DBA functionality automatically 
         performed by RDBMS
  ii	 Extent and Quality of DBA documentation
  iii	 Extent and Quality of DBA performance monitoring and tuning 
         tools
  iv	 Extent to which users can maintain own databases and 
         applications
  v	 Functions requiring DBA access to maintain database and 
         applications
  vi	 Backup - describe steps involved in online backup and 
         recovery
  vii	 Impact of DBA requirements on prototyping procedures and 
         productivity
  viii	 Standard maintenance procedures across development, test and 
         production environments
  ix	 Integration of RDBMS backup and restore within operating 
         system, including file system, disk and tape storage
  x	 Integration of RDBMS security within operating system, rather 
         than merely separate system. 
  xi	 Integration of RDBMS with data dictionary
  xii	 Integration of 3GL and 4GLs with RDBMS and Data dictionary
  xiii	 Online maintenace facilities and online help
  xiv	 Audit recording and review
  xv	 Degree-2 or degree-3 consistency
  xvi	 Performance monitoring, recording, and summarising tools
  xvii	 Performance parameters managed by RDBMS
  xviii	 Performance parameters requiring DBA assistance
  xix	 Database expandability
  xx	 Database resource overheads
  xxi	 Multiple databases overheads
  xxii	 Availability of free space
  xxiii	 Effect of RDBMS upgrades upon existing applications
  xxiv	 Performance debugging aids in RDBMS, 3GL and 4GLs
  
4.  Development - complexity and productivity
  i	 Range and integration of 3GL CASE tools for development, 
         testing, including report writing.
  ii	 Range and integration of 4GL CASE tools for development, 
         testing, including report writing.
  iii	 Quality and ease-of-use of application CASE tools, including 
         screen formatting and generation.
  iv	 Productivity of application facilities, describing 
         interactive and non-interactive work
  v	 Integration of design, development, test and production 
         environments (eg. Data dictionary function across all 
         environments; no need to rewrite applications moving from one 
         environment to another).
  vi	 Common user interfaces for tools and functions.
  vii	 Common user interfaces and functionality within VAXclusters 
         and networks.
  viii	 Data dictionary capabilities or restrictions, including 
         management of data definitions, constraints, and business 
         rules, independently of applications. 
  ix	 Data dictionary integration with applications, 3GLs, 4GLs, 
         VAXclusters and networks.
  x	 Souce code and executable code management products and 
         strategies
  xi	 Editors, procedural and other
  xii	 3GL support and integration with RDBMS
  xiii	 Host language interface - impact on data definitions, use of 
         variables, structure of code, precompiler performance, code 
         optimisation
  xiv	 Debugging and test environments, including functionality and 
         usability
  xv	 Links to other software (text, word processing, spreadsheets, 
         videotext, etc)
  xvi	 RDBMS produced application documentation
  
5.  Environment and Connectivity
  i	 Compatibility with current hardware and software environment
  ii	 Direction of future hardware and software environment
  iii	 Compatibilities with current environment, and functionality, 
         and performance
  iv	 Upgrade risks, costs and effort
  v	 Database extensibility
  vi	 shareable data dictionary
  vii	 VAXCluster restrictions, functionality and performance
  viii	 Network restrictions, functionality and performance
  ix	 Integrity, recovery and impacts within environment
  x	 PC platform functionality and requirements
  xi	 Distributed processing, including integrity, recovery and 
         performance
  xii	 Integration with Office facilities (eg printing, data to 
         document links)
  
6.  Documentation and Support
  i	 Extent and quality of initial and continuing documentation 
         for all life cycle environments - particularly quality of 
         technical information
  ii	 Documentation of known bugs/errors, handling error reporting
  iii	 Online documentation
  iv	 Availability, extent and quality of local vendor support, 
         including training
  v	 Availability of local skilled contract personnel with 
         experience of RDBMS
  
7.  Lifetime
  i	 On-going research and development in RDBMS, and integrated 
         environment and other products
  ii	 Architecture and strategies that support the RDBMS and 
         integration within the environment
  iii	 Maintenance and upgrade planning, costs and risks
  iv	 Business directions of vendors and degree of match with 
         customer
  v	 Committed programs and/or directions by vendors
  vi	 Business history of vendors
  
8.  Cost
  i	 Initial establishment costs
  ii	 Ongoing maintenance, telephone and other vendor support costs
  iii	 Upgrade costs, under maintenance cost or separate charge
  iv	 Personnel training and skill development costs, both 
         initially and ongoing
  v	 Strength of user groups, for support and vendor feedback
  
9.  Other
  i	 Conversion effort and cost, if required
  ii	 Vendors to document extensions to, or deviations from ANSI 
         SQL and other relevant standards
  iii	 Vendors to describe RDBMS architecture (eg database engine, 
         interface architecture)
  iv	 Ease of use (eg Query By Example)
  v	 Application design support tools, including data modelling, 
         conversion to SQL DDL and loading to data dictionary

    I have a rough document that answers most of the selection criteria,
    by using a short paragraph or two for each and then referring to
    a section or chapter in the Rdb or CDD documentation.
    
    I will apply some polish, add more sections and post a reply here
    when I'm done. If anyone would like a copy, then let me know.
    It wont be in a hurry (like days), rather more like a week or three!
    
    Keith

    See 377.0