[snip] There are a number of good relational databases that play on multiple platforms, none are free! You may not pay a license fee for some, but you will pay in other ways. From personal experience, consider the true multi-platform aspect and what it is worth to you. Then consider the cost of migration, both technical and administrative. And don't forget the cost of converting the data.
I totally agree with that even if it is a large part of the argument M$ use to frighten people away from Linux. My counter-agrument would be that you only go through that pain once and then you're free (as in liberated). M$ come back at you time and time again. And each time it hurts.
I did a large conversion from MS-SQL to DB/2. The database was spread over mainframes, Windows, Unix and Linux platforms. It worked well when done, and still does today. The conversion took three people a year and almost two months by 24 hours per day to migrate the data.
I was thinking of a slightly smaller migration task like a single NT/W2000 server with MS-SQL to Fedora/PostgreSQL.
A large commercial database is good if you what the reliability, support and availability of trained professionals to convert and maintain the system. My SQL is good and I've used it for some jobs, however I've had a number of problems that trace back to its origins. I've also used Oracle, Tamino and some pretty custom stuff. Each has its place. I do like Tamino for its native XML abilities, Oracle for its scalability and DB/2 for its robust implementations and inter-operability with mainframes. Not one is easy.
Each DB has its strengths and weaknesses but to keep reasonably on-topic wrt to this thread and ML, what advice would you offer to someone migrating a MS-SQL DB with stored procedures, views, RI, transactions et al to a DB shipped with Fedora?
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Paul Thomas
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