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What is Holding SAP-DB Back?

Posted by Cliff on from the yet-another-RDBMS-question dept.

Derek Neighbors queries: "The current story about MySQL 4.0 has erupted into a Postgres vs. MySQL debate. We at GNU Enterprise, who have used about all Free and Propietary databases, would like to know why exactly people arent using SAP-DB? It clearly is on par with Oracle, is GPL and frankly has an awesome support team in SAP AG. There was a PG vs SAP-DB recently. Someone else mentioned that you can get CDROMs for free. So again the question is 'What exactly is hindering a wider acceptance of SAP-DB in Free/Open Software projects?'"

3 of 436 comments (clear)

  1. Ease of Setup and Use are the most critical... by DigitalCH · · Score: 5, Interesting

    One thing that bothers the hell out of me is that no DB out there is easier to setup and use than MS SQL server...

    In my job I have used literally every DB out there and none of them are easier to setup than Microsoft. It also the easiet to use from the application side. With oracle and other db's you need to know all kinds of listener and config info about where you dbase is. With MS and a few others you just need the servername and dbname and it works. Thats how things should be.

    I am quite happy with the way MySQL is coming along.. they finally have a decent admin interface and the other feature they have needed for years... now if installation and usage were just a bit easier they could really compete.

  2. Why we (I) don't use it... by Thackeri · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The company I work for uses alot of open source software in it's development - both in terms off server side (linux, apache, etc) and for the application side (Tomcat, JServ, etc).

    We don't use SAP-DB because:

    1. Our clients break down into 2 camps - those who want cost-effective solutions (so we go down the open source route of Tomcat/MYSQL) and those who want brand-labelled solutions (so we use JRun/Oracle etc).
    2. We need to limit our support base. Having gained skills in maintaining MYSQL, Oracle and [shudder] MS SQL Server adding another DB to that side makes life harder for us in the short to medium term.
    3. Until this article I (and most of the developers here) hadn't heard of SAP-DB!

    I dare say that if we had a pressing business case to learn the extra skill (i.e. we required some of it's fetures on a project that hadn't got the Oracle budget) then we'd consider it.

    Then again there are other Dbs that would also cut it in that case too.

    MYSQL has a big name in terms of Open Source software and that alone may prevent people from switching from it in favour of a less well known 'brand'.

    --
    Better the pride that resides in a Citizen of the world, than the pride that divides when a colourful rag is unfurled
  3. Re:Why doesn't SAP use it? by sg_oneill · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Theres an interesting parallel to that one. In Australia, there is the Fosters brand , which only tourists drink, as it's generally accepted to be shiet. There is also the much loved 'crown' brand.
    Recently the glassie at my local bar told me that they where the same beer. I didn't believe him, so he did a test. He poured me a crownie and a fosters, and got me to blind compare them. I could not tell the difference. The moral here is that taste is *socially constructed*. That is in non sociology talk, we base our likes and perceptions on the social environment that we are exposed to. It's a wierd thing.

    --
    Excuse the Unicode crap in my posts. That's an apostrophe, and slashdot is busted.