Re: Oracle on Windows platforms

On 10 Oct 2001 05:17:10 -0700, postbus_at_sybrandb.demon.nl (Sybrand Bakker) wrote:

>Dino Hsu <dino1.nospam_at_ms1.hinet.net> wrote in message news:<3ek7stot7jn0fk8uefrg43vpd35279bn2e_at_4ax.com>...
>> Dear all,
>>
>> Is there a complete list about the applicability of Oracle on Windows
>> platforms, including the up-coming Windows XP?
>>
>> Oracle Type NT SVR-PE SVR-SE SVR-EE client
>> Windows 95 WS N Y N N Y
>> Windows 98 WS N Y N N Y
>> Windows 98 SE WS N Y N N Y
>> Windows ME WS N Y N N Y
>> Windows NT WS WS Y Y Y Y Y
>> Windows NT SVR SVR Y N Y Y Y
>> Windows 2K pro WS Y Y Y Y Y
>> Windows 2K SVR SVR Y N Y Y Y
>> Windows 2K AS SVR Y N Y Y Y
>> Windows 2K DC SVR Y N Y Y Y
>> Windows XP home WS Y Y Y Y Y
>> Windows XP office WS Y Y Y Y Y
>> Windows XP 64 WS Y Y Y Y Y
>>
>> The above is only my "best guess", there may be mistakes. My guess is
>> based on the following understanding or assumptions:
>> 1.Windows platforms can be categorized into workstations and servers,
>> as well as by whether NT is applied.
>> 2.Oracle server SE (standard edition) & EE (enterprise edition): they
>> seem to be installable on both Windows servers and NT platforms.
>> 3.Oracle server PE (personal edition): they are installable on non-NT
>> platforms, but not sure about NT workstations.
>> 4.The Windows XP which is to be published on Oct. 25th are all
>> workstations (home, office, 64-bit), the server counterpart, Microsoft
>> .net servers will be pulbished on June 2002. I don't have information
>> about .net servers, please include them, if possible.
>> 5.Oracle clients: installable on all Windows platforms.
>> 6.Oracle 8, 8i, or 9i: Oracle versions are not distinguished in the
>> table, there may be subtle differences accross versions.
>>
>> Hope someone who knows this can correct my mistakes or make a new
>> complete list to replace this tentative one. Thanks in advance.
>>
>> Dino
>
>Three remarks:
>No Oracle product has been certified against WinMe, nor to WinXP.
>Oracle 8 has been desupported, also windows 95 has been desupported.
>The lowest release certified against win2k is 8.1.6, so I don't think
>there are *subtle* differences.
>Thirdly, and more important and sorry to say so:
>Oracle maintains a certification matrix at Metalink, so your work is
>redundant and very likely out of date soon.
>
>Regards,
>
>Sybrand Bakker
>Senior Oracle DBA

Firstly thanks for the reply, but my point is not focusing on 'support/desupport' or 'certified or not', but to get some 'insight' about the supported Windows platforms, including used-to-be-supported and soon-to-be-supported ones, in the hope that the 'support rationale' could be induced instead of memorizing a lot of discrete 'facts'. This is like the difference between data and information, or between information and knowlege. Remember we are human beings, not computers, we need to show some 'insight' to 'outperform' computers. I can find 'product life cycles' in metalink, but not sure about 'insight', which I expect to see some.

Secondly, Windows 95 is one of the most successful Windows platforms introduced by Microsoft, it got almost 100% upgrade from previous platforms, no later platforms have come even close. At present, Windows 95 is still 25%, Windows 98 + 98 SE 50%, and Windows ME + Windows 2K PRO 25%, in terms of installation ratios. Microsoft bets 1 billion dollars on marketing Windows XP, in order to win back the success of Windows 95. Therefore, Windows 95 and Windows XP are definitely not unimportant platforms. You are especially welcome if you got information about .net servers. (rumors or gossips are fine, better than none)

Thirdly, 'Desupported' doesn't mean 'has never been supported', neither does 'not certified yet' mean 'will never be certified'. These are just product life cycles, they are 'related' but not 'relavant' to my question. For example, Oracle 8.0.5 has been desupported, but it doesn't mean there are no Oracle 8.0.5 databases in the world. On the contrary, there are many. I believe Oracle 8.0.5 databases will still be around for a couple of years. Note that the support/desupport issue meets Oracle's policies or benefits, but it is not necessarily aligned with the customers' policies or benefits, in other words, they may not upgrade immediately (no need to touch stable applications, and make them unstable again) until absolutely necessary (to get enhanced functions in later versions, etc.).

Therefore, Windows 95 has been desupported, they are nevertheless a 'supported' platform in my question. Windows XP is not yet certified, but it certain will, probably except for home edition. Because Windows ME is not supported, as pointed out by Sybrand, and Windows XP home edition serves the same position as Windows ME.

You comments will be still very appreicated.

Dino Received on Wed Oct 10 2001 - 09:25:39 CDT