Re: Which ETL tool to choose

Hi there,
Oracle has a new tool now which is called Oracle Warehouse Builder. It is a very nice tool that generates PL/SQL for 8.1.6 database. It use PL/SQL that is just introduced in 8.1.6 with special features for datawarehousing. To my knowledge, it is the only tool on the market now that uses these special features of 8.1.6 (parallel DML, append insert, dimension hierarchy, materialised views, summary management, etc...)

Ask Oracle for a demo or proof of concept.

Regards Peter

Erik Meel <erik.meel_at_atlascopco.be> wrote in message news:8e99p7$5s0$1_at_newnews1.news.nl.uu.net...
> Hi,
>
> we're looking for an ETL tool to setup and maintain a Datawarehouse on an
> Oracle 8i Database platform.
> Currently we have 2 possible partner solutions:
> - Informatica with a product called PowerMart and PowerCenter
> - Information Builders with the SmartMart suite.
>
> Both products are very capable to maintain a Datawarehouse but they have a
> big difference in price. Informatica's solution is 2 to 3 times expenser
> than Information Builders solution.
> We've asked Informatica why they are so expensive compared to Information
> Builders and this is their answer:
>
> start quotation:
> ---------------
> I worked at IBI and CopyManager is primarily a very simple tool that
> extracts from any IBI (thru EDA/SQL) supported source and can write to any
> EDA/SQL supported write driver (RDBMS, VSAM, IMS....etc).
> Weakness':
> · no real metadata other than file layouts (master file descriptions) &
> there isn't any integration between the IBI products to manage these file
> layouts
> · no GUI capability to import file layouts for COBOL or flat files (crude
> FOCUS language character-based utilities that can analyze lots of
> non-relational sources but each source type is a different analyzer
> product!)
> · there are no built in transformations or functions
> · no graphical representation of the data flow, just a simple generated
 SQL
> statement thru point & click
> · code-based, anything remotely complex will need to be written in either
> MODIFY which is IBI's legacy update language (the new language is
> MAINTAIN) or FOCUS
> · no MX or TX capabilities whatsoever....not even between their own
> products!
> · they cannot write to two targets in a single pass of the data
> · the GUI doesn't even begin to comprehend LOOKUP transformations, let
 alone
> the ability to lookup against a source, target or completely unrelated
 RDBMS
> · can only support INSERT unless code is written etc etc etc
>
> IBI will try to position themselves as the complete end-to-end solution
 with
> the middleware infrastructure (EDA - which is a very strong product), ETL
> using Copy Manager/Copy Server (part of EDA), a front-end FOCUS Six (which
> is awful in a 3-tier client/server environment) or WebFOCUS (which is
 pretty
> good), Fusion as a multi-dimensional db (which is basically FOCUS - the
 db -
> with external index support). They were trying to get some 3rd party
> arrangement with metadata and potentially data mining software firms but
 I'm
> not sure if that will ever materialize if it hasn't already. I can't
> believe it would mature beyond the announcement stage other than being
 able
> to say that yes they do metadata and data mining. Integration into their
> current tool set is out of the question.
> They will also try to create all kinds of FUD about how long they have
 been
> around (supported primarily thru MIPS upgrades and mainframe residuals)
 and
> how difficult it is to coordinate between a multi-vendor solution.
 However,
> their internal structure is so fragmented that all of the IBI products
 have
> a different look and feel.
> Basically, if you can put together a nice demo with ERWin, a little more
> complex than the usual PowerMart demo (include a LOOKUP and an UPDATE
> strategy & maybe write to two Targets at least), and a Brio or Business
> Objects front-end, you should be able to make the prospects eyes light up.
> Especially if they've been IBI customers for awhile and haven't seen whats
> out there in the world.
>
> end quotation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
 --
> --
>
> Is there anybody who can confirm this or proof the opposite.
>
> please send e-mail to erik.meel_at_atlascopco.be
>
> thanks in advance,
> Erik Meel
> Atlas Copco Airpower
> Belgium
>
>
Received on Sat Apr 29 2000 - 00:00:00 CDT