Need Comments: DOS LAN vs UNIX database
Path: emory!wupost!cs.utexas.edu!milano!cactus.org!schafer From: schafer@cactus.org (Raymond C. Schafer) Newsgroups: comp.databases,comp.databases.informix Message-ID: <9509@cactus.org> Date: 27 Sep 91 00:54:58 GMT Organization: Capital Area Central Texas UNIX Society, Austin, Tx I know little about UNIX and DOS internals, and have been asked by my superiors to evaluate some proposals on an information system for the City/County Health Department. We have three proposals: One is a dial in service located far away and provides a mainframe computer as a service to various clinics and Hospitals. I think all of those involved in the decision are against this proposal. Another is a proposal which has us running 35 PC's and a couple of 386 "servers" (620Meg Hard drives and as much ram as DOS can handle for each one) connected via ARCNET running Novell netware 386. The software is COBAL based. (non SQL) The vendor wants us to run the software on each PC and not on the server. They say it won't work on the server. I think that the database files will be on the server, but accessed over the Novell network from each PC. Blank fields are compressed in this system so that file sizing is guesswork at best. The third is a Motorola 1.2Gig dual RISC processor UNIX based server with 35 terminals. The software is proprietary utilizing SQL for the database queries. I have a lot of experience with UNIX based databases and some with DOS bases databases. I know that the DOS bases stuff gives me frequent memory allocation errors (I am running Informix SQL on an 8088 processor clone with 640K RAM, and DOS 3.3). I have *never* got these errors on any of the UNIX machines I worked on. (ATT based on a 3b1 and 3b2). I think that the UNIX based system is better because of the memory problems with DOS, not to mention the security problems with Novell. But I need someone with technical knowledge to explain to me in detail why this is true or why it is not. I would like to hear from anyone on the net who has experience with DOS and UNIX based databases - I am talking large files - 100,000+ records in some. Specifically I need your comments: 1. Does the UNIX system offer advantages over the DOS/ARCNET/Novell system? If so exactly what? (as detailed and as technical as possible please.) 2. Is there a disadvantage running a UNIX based system on a Novell network? Can it be done? 3. Does anyone out there have experience running Novell and TCP/IP on the same cables and the same Unix based server? If so does it present any problems? (Yes I am thinking of trying to connect to Internet eventually.) 4. Any other comments gladly welcome. Reply to this message or call me at (817) 750-5471. Thanks. In advance..... a whole lot!!!!!!! Ray Schafer -- Ray Schafer schafer@cactus.org CACTUS ..!cs.utexas.edu!cactus.org!schafer