Re: Advantages of Oracle on Windows over Unix

gazzag wrote:

> Inspired by this thread here,
> http://groups.google.co.uk/group/comp.databases.oracle.server/browse_frm/thread/b2d4a2766d1d5580/6c1b5c532b044c34?hl=en#6c1b5c532b044c34,
> and for a bit of fun, would anyone care to extol the virtues of Oracle
> on Windows over it running on a *nix platform?  >;)
>
> -g

Tough question, which is sure to provoke all kinds of insightful comments on both sides of the fence.

I administer Oracle on Windows. Why, other than the fact that it works?
* For IT staff members that cover many disciplines, operating Oracle on
Windows is easier than doing the same on Linux and Unix, since the server looks much like all the other servers in the rack, is vulnerable to many of the same attack vectors as other servers in the rack, and can be administered using the same tools and commands as the other servers in the rack.
* Ctrl - Alt - Delete does not reboot the server, while on Linux, by
default, this action causes an immediate reboot. For someone working in a mixed operating system environment, who is unaware how to change the default behavior, this can be a costly and/or time consuming lesson.
* Oracle related log files and existence of backups can be checked from
IT staff members' Windows computers with little effort.
* Typically, a lower cost entry point, although total cost of ownership
can be debated.
* Use of threads rather than processes, meaning one executable running
on the server for the Oracle instance. This could be argued positive or negative.
* Server hardware can be single sourced from Dell (or some other
vendor) - if your company has an exclusive contract for computers through a vendor, this can help reduce total cost of ownership.
* Provides the capability of running Oracle and SQLServer on the same
computer. I would not recommend this, but it is possible for those non-platform independent applications.
* A GUI is always present - there is no performance penalty for
starting up the GUI, but then there is no way to disable the GUI to improve performance.
* Support for asynchronous IO out of the box.

• Same virus scanner software used to protect the others servers in the IT rack can be used to protect the database server. This allows a single management console for the virus scanning software.
• Windows administrators have the opportunity to experience bugs introduced by Oracle patches before the bugs are experienced by users on other platforms. Microsoft's Windows Update site has helped promote the concept of active, immediate patching for Windows administrators. Case in point: take a look at bug ID 5752147 on Metalink that affects Oracle 10.2.0.3 on Red Hat Linux. The same bug was reported to Oracle on November 24, 2006 on the Windows platform (bug IDs 5680308, 5741417, 5708361, 5761998). I submitted an SR to Oracle related to the same problem on November 28, 2006, which was closed without resolution.

There are at least an equal number of reasons why one should use a Linux/Unix platform rather than Windows. Is it worth the effort to bash one platform or the other?

Charles Hooper
PC Support Specialist
K&M Machine-Fabricating, Inc. Received on Wed Jan 17 2007 - 12:23:34 CST