Re: SQL Server 2005 vs Oracle

On Wed, 05 Apr 2006 21:22:09 GMT, Paul wrote:

Anyone know where I can find some good resources to help us choose between
SQL and Oracle ( Progress Openedge as well ) . Any comments on what you
would choose ?? We are creating a new Warehouse Management System which wil
manage our very large inventory.

Anyway comments suggestions welcome

Hi Paul,

The two major considerations are: what platform are you (or your staff)
already familiar with, and what features do you need.

Moving to a new platform is costly. You lose lots of productivity
attending courses or studying books. Then, you'll be less productive
while getting acquainted and using your new knowledge for real for the
first time. And you'll inevitably lose time cleaning up after using a
syntax that turns out to be disastrous in the new platform. If you're
familiar with either Oracle or SQL Server, stick with what you know!

Features: The platforms have a lot in common, but both also offer some
unique features. Visit MS' and Oracle's sites: both companies are very
good at pointing out the features their competitors lack. If any feature
that is critical or very important for your application is in one of the
products only, choose that product.

Price should be last on your list. Not because price is unimportant, but
because the other issues are even more important. You'll have to do your
own research, but here are some things that I have heard numerous times:
- Licensing cost for MS SQL Server is cheaper than for a comparable
Oracle setup. Of course, you do save on OS licensing costs if you
run Oracle on Linux.
- Oracle is more efficient. You have to spend less on hardware to get
the same performance.
- Oracle databases are harder to manage. A single DBA can easily manage
five or more SQL Servers, but you need at least three DBA's to manage
a single Oracle instance.
(I can't quote any URL for any of those, though - they might but they
might be urban legends just as well. I encourage you to check the facts
and find either confirmation or denial of what I read)

And if price can't help you decide either, you'll just have to flip a
coin, I guess. Or consider where you feel more at home - at a platform
that sees it's advocates roaming the newsgroups of the competition in
order to win some souls, or at a platform that has a strong community pf
users who'll try to find out what's best for you? <WINK>

You'll have noticed that my comments are fairly broad. I can't give more
details, though, as I have no experience with Oracle. Everything I know
about Oracle is hearsay. This precludes me from posting an in-depth
comparison of Oracle vs MS SQL Server.

--
Hugo Kornelis, SQL Server MVP
.

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