Re: PostgreSQL x Oracle

The world rejoiced as gandalf(at)sum(dot)desktop(dot)com(dot)br (Marcelo Pereira) wrote:
> I have been using PostgreSQL to do everything I need, but people always
> ask me ``why PostgreSQL''.
>
> I use to tell that PostgreSQL is powerfull, but when they ask me to
> compare PostgreSQL with Oracle I get myself in troubles.
>
> I don't use Oracle!
>
> What does Oracle have that Postgresql doesn't have? Why does people
> continue thinking that Oracle is better than PostgreSQL?
>
> How can I compare it??

Some things Oracle has that PostgreSQL doesn't include:

- Thoroughly tested schemes for database replication and
"hot-swappable" fallover so that you can switch servers virtually
instantly if a primary server 'dies.'

- Hordes of engineers that can be flown out at an hour's notice if you
run into a severe problem.

- A multiplicity of highly configurable table attributes allowing you
to spend all your time trying to decide how to configure any given
table.

Sometimes this configurability is helpful, as abstruse choices can
sometimes be very worthwhile. Other times it may not be...

- The ability to associate tables and indexes with "tablespaces" that
allow the ability to spend all your time (well, the time left after
fiddling with table attributes) figuring out how to optimally split
application tables across filesystems and physical disks.

- All sorts of custom plug-ins that they have constructed for
specialized applications.

- The benefits of Oracle's additional applications (ERP and such) and
application server software (Java and such).

None of these are likely to be added to PostgreSQL right soon.

The way to "push/sell" PostgreSQL involves /not/ going after those
sorts of "enterprise applications" where organizations are using these
aspects of Oracle.

The places where PostgreSQL ought to be an easier "sell" are in the
context of what might be called "departmental applications," where
24x365.24 uptime is /not/ vital, where databases may be just a few GB
in size, and where the fact that PostgreSQL is easily installable via
"rpm -i postgresql-server_7.3_i386.rpm" instead of the arcane
incantations of Oracle.

(Oh, my, I did an seemingly successful install of Oracle 8 on Linux,
on Friday; it is anything but obvious that you need incantations like
"export LD_ASSUME_KERNEL=2.2.5" to get it to /pretend/ to work... It
then doesn't work...)
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