Re: DB2/400 comparisons with other relational databases (specifically Oracle and SQL Server)

On Friday 28 September 2001 01:54 am, Server Dave wrote:
> Chris,
> I dont want to enter into a Holy war,I will look around and provide links
> (non microsoft).

You know how "Holy wars" about stuff like this get started? It comes from
people posting their opinions as fact. Like when I say, "There is no question
that the AS/400 is a better, faster, lower cost platform than any other
available today."  My neighbor who is looking for a web browser (not a
server) might disagree.

So, when you posted your "start a Holy War" post, Joe Pluta fired off with a
very good response. He asked you for specifics. You have not responded to any
of his requests. In other words, your opinion isn't really based on a set of
facts that can be quantified for discussion.

You "like" or "feel good" about your choice and the platform that you wish to
recommend. That is fine. I like the things I recommend. But when you make
statements asserting relative value (ie. "product A is better than product
B") you should be actually basing that on some tangible facts that others
might also be able to judge.

If you said, "SQL2k has a lower cost of ownership than Oracle when being used
to handle a 1 to 5 gig database being accessed by under 100 users." and had
some figures or experience to back that up, then there isn't any kind of
"Holy War" created. Instead, we are all just better informed. By the way, I
made that up because I have no idea which of them costs more in any
circumstance.

You posted two links. The first hasn't responed yet and the second doesn't
give any sort of figures on scalability, it's an article on how to set up
rules to partition your data base over multiple servers in order to be
scalable. To me, it seemed to prove the opposite of your claim (ie. that SQL
Server 2k was scalable).  I quote, "However, applying this technique to a
database that contains read/write data is no trivial task."

> At the end of the day,I would not recommend DB2/400 over SQL2000 to a client
> that has no AS/400 bagage and is deciding on a new system.

Then you might very well be doing your client great wrong. If you took an
honest look at Joe's post and realized that you don't have answers to all
those questions that might give you and idea you are making a decision
without all the information. Joe asked and you just don't know. The problem
is that when your client asks, you won't admit you don't know and just go
ahead and recommend something.

Who knows, you might get lucky and be right sometimes.

> Go and ask the guy who wrote that famous big duke press book-DB2/400 and I
> bet
> he would tell you the same.

You "bet he would?" Crap, Dave, you are here using this guy as a source and
you don't know his name, the name of his book, or have any quote to support
your claim?

Well, I bet that scientist guy with the funny hair would disagree! Yeah, and
so would that guy who wrote those other books! ;-)

>  Dave

--
Chris Rehm
javadisciple@earthlink.net

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart...
...Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other
commandment greater than these. Mark 12:30-31