Re: [PLUG] Can Open Source Replace Oracle?

[greg@turnstep.com]

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> Read more about my open records battles here:
> 
> http://www.hallwatch.org/rtkasuits/news/1049727665133

==> This site requires that you enable cookies in your browser. 

*Requiring* cookies to access the site seems a bit extreme. :(


> 1. Doing so would overburden the City's Internet connection.

The city exists to serve the people. If the bandwidth becomes an 
issue (and I seriously doubt it will), then the city should upgrade 
their connection. That's like arguing that new roads could overburden 
the city's traffic, so they should not be built.


> 2. Their license with Oracle Corporation restricted them to 50 named
> users (i.e., not simultaneous users, but the same 50 people).

Sounds like a very poor licensing decision.


> Would PostgreSQL or other Open Source database not be up to the job? 
> In your opinion, what hardware configuration does this application require?

PostgreSQL would definitely be up to the job. It is hard to answer the 
hardware question without more facts about the database, but it should 
not take much. Certainly whatever box is running Oracle should be more 
than enough. PostgreSQL has no limit on the number of users, and comes 
with a very friendly license (free of cost, open-source, and no restrictions 
whatsoever on use). Support for PostgreSQL can be purchased from many companies. 
Even after buying such support, the money saved from not using Oracle would 
be quite substantial. More than enough to upgrade an Internet connection, 
for example.


> What can the City do to get around them and how much would it cost?

Very difficult to determine without more information, but the major cost 
would be programming to convert from Oracle to PostgreSQL. There should 
be plenty of local talent available to do that. A minor cost would be 
buying commercial support for PostgreSQL for "peace of mind." This would 
not be used very often, from my experience: PostgreSQL is a very solid 
product with a great, supportive community available on the Internet to 
solve almost any problem that arises.

- --
Greg Sabino Mullane greg@turnstep.com
PGP Key: 0x14964AC8 200304091213
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