Re: Long term database archival

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Dann Corbit wrote:
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: pgsql-general-owner(at)postgresql(dot)org [mailto:pgsql-general-
>> owner(at)postgresql(dot)org] On Behalf Of Ron Johnson
>> Sent: Thursday, July 06, 2006 5:26 PM
>> To: Postgres general mailing list
>> Subject: Re: [GENERAL] Long term database archival
>>
>>
>> Agent M wrote:
>>> Will postgresql be a viable database in 20 years? Will SQL be used
>>> anywhere in 20 years? Are you sure 20 years is your ideal backup
>> duration?
>>
>> SQL was used 20 years ago, why not 20 years from now?
>>
>> I can't see needing data from 10 years ago, but you never know.
>> Thank $DEITY for microfilm; otherwise, we'd not know a whole lot
>> about what happened 150 years ago.
>
> The company I work for does lots of business with OpenVMS systems
> running RMS, Rdb, and DBMS and IBM Mainframes running VSAM, IMS, etc.
> along with many other 'ancient' database systems.
>
> We have customers with Rdb version 4.x (around 15 years old, IIRC) and
> RMS and VSAM formats from the 1980s.

Wow, that *is* ancient. Rdb 4.2 was 1993, though. "Only" 13 years.

Snicker.

> Suppose, for instance, that you run a sawmill. The software for your
> sawmill was written in 1985. In 1991, you did a hardware upgrade to a
> VAX 4100, but did not upgrade your Rdb version (since it was debugged
> and performed adequately).
>
> Your software can completely keep up with the demands of the sawmill.
> It even runs payroll. The workers got tired of the RS232 terminals and
> so you did a client server upgrade using PCs as terminals in 1999, but
> kept your VAX 4100 minicomputer running Rdb with no changes. You
> upgraded from Xentis to Crystal Reports in 2003, but using OLEDB drivers
> means you did not have to touch anything on your server.
>
> Sound far-fetched? It's not uncommon in the least. Furthermore, a
> million dollar upgrade to a shiny new system and software might not
> increase productivity at all.
>
> It's the data that contains all the value. The hardware becomes
> obsolete when it can no longer keep up with business needs.

DEC surely did build VAX h/w to last. Much higher quality than the
cheapo industry standard stuff they use now. And, IMO, VAX/VMS was
a heck of a lot more stable written in Bliss and Macro than
Alpha/VMS ported to C.

I'd be worried, though, about the disk drives, so would push for
migration to Charon-VAX running on an x86 server.

- --
Ron Johnson, Jr.
Jefferson LA USA

Is "common sense" really valid?
For example, it is "common sense" to white-power racists that
whites are superior to blacks, and that those with brown skins
are mud people.
However, that "common sense" is obviously wrong.
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