Re: Differences in key database design and architecture

From: Mladen Gogala <gogala.mladen_at_gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2024 21:15:36 -0500
Message-ID: <3ed8b65598a66b8b427b7e859b9a0d6bfb1a5e5c.camel_at_gmail.com>



On Tue, 2024-01-16 at 13:24 -0500, richard goulet wrote:
> Last I looked, which has been some time ago, PostgresSQL only ran on
> Windows and Linux. And there are a lot more limitations that Oracle
> has mastered that PostgreSQL has not yet started on. So although I do
> agree that Redwood Shores has some hard times coming due to cost
> differences, but that time is looking pretty far in the future as
> long as functionality, performance, and larger data set improvements
> continue.
>
Oh no, Postgres runs on AIX  and various BSD distributions. https://community.ibm.com/community/user/power/discussion/postgresql-is-now-available-for-aix-from-aix-toolbox

It also runs on Solaris:
https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E19680-01/html/821-1534/ciajejfa.html

However, Solaris is not as popular as it used to be. The field of proprietary Unix OS-es has shrunk significantly since the year 2000. Gone are HP-UX, DG-UX, Irix and Dynix. AIX is all that is left. Linux is the one OS to rule them all, one OS to Google them and in the darkness bind them.
And yes, Oracle has clustering while Postgres does not. However, clustering itself may be an obsolete technology. With the advent of NUMA, large IBM and HPE machines which present a single system image while keeping the modularity and
fault tolerance may be more practical than clusters. Those machines are quite expensive, because they need large amount of fully associative RAM as an address book of a sort, but they are also way faster than clusters.
I can't predict the future, I don't know what impact will the advent of Postgres and its derivatives have on the Oracle RDBMS.  All that I care for is to work 4 more years, until my 67th year of age, when I plan on claiming my social security benefits and riding into the sunset. And Oracle is still my bread and butter. I don't think that there will be any change until 2028. As for Postgres, I stopped worrying and learned to love it. For instance, Oracle cannot do this:

scott=> explain
select /*+ IndexScan(emp) */ ename from emp where mgr is null; QUERY PLAN



Index Scan using i_emp_mgr on emp (cost=0.14..8.15 rows=1 width=14) Index Cond: (mgr IS NULL)

Peace on Earth!
 

-- 
Mladen Gogala
Database SME
https://dbwhisperer.wordpress.com


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Received on Thu Jan 18 2024 - 03:15:36 CET

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