Re: IDS 7 on Solaris vs. Linux

OK, here's a comment. One thing you can count on with Solaris is that it is rock solid, and Informix on Solaris is too. I have found the same to be true, with limits, with Linux and Informix -- works the same, everything plays nicely with everything else (that's Linux 2.6.7 and Informix 7.30.UC5 -- and, yes, I know that 7.30.UC5 is "old"). I port ESQL/C between both and I do not experience any problems doing that. The "limits," though are a slightly different matter. You can hang terabytes of on-line storage on a Solaris farm and you can efficiently deal with multiple data bases with hundreds of millions of rows in individual tables -- those 18-24 SPARC processors and the operating system's capabilities make that feasible. So far -- and only so far -- you can't really do that with Linux (and you never will with a PC-based platform). It would not surprise me one bit when IBM and others drop those kind of capabilities on the market "real soon now" (where have I heard that one before?), although perhaps not for Informix (that may or may not have a future and I, for one, will sorely miss it when it goes). I tend to treat my Linux systems the same as I do my Suns -- put it down, plug it in, install the OS and get to work. Most of the complaining I hear about Linux has to do with sound cards not working, maybe video cards not working, and, well, who really gives a hoot if you can't watch movies on your computer -- if the X-Window system works (and KDE and other window managers do) and the applications you need work, well, what else do you want? I happen to use Slackware because it's "the most like System V" and that's what I want -- solid, dependable, easy to administer, easy to back up, easy to live with (and, my most important rule, no calls at three in the morning). I only do updates when there is a real good reason to do them -- I don't give a damn about cosmetics -- and I've found that Slackware is just about as dependable as Solaris is in that regard (even using package management for installing and upgrading, that's nice). I suppose it depends -- what have you got, what are you trying to do? Sitting in a weather research station recording data from instruments and uploading it to a central point is a whole lot different than, say, doing a hundred thousand transactions every five minutes. One thing you more or less know when you're using Informix is that there's not going to be any fancy-schmancy GUI interface for it -- if you want that, you have to go somewhere else to get it (and all the overhead to support it). It would be nice if it was easier (not easy, just easier) to build PHP for Informix (boy, would I like a Perform-like form generator or ACE-like report generator for PHP!), but that's really got nothing to do with Solaris and Linux, so enough of that digression. Solaris works, it's scalable and it's supported with "instant" response. Linux works, it's not so scalable (yet!) and getting support for the OS..., well, there's a tremendous opportunity for somebody. IBM's announcement of $100 million for Linux ought to tell you something about the future of Linux, but, right now, today, depending on what you're trying to do, you may be better off with Solaris. You may also be better off with Linux if you're willing to grow with it and do a little work now and again. I will build a Solaris-Intel box and give it a run just to see, but if it doesn't come with Sun's excellent C compiler and development tools (I'm not all that happy with GCC), well... Cripes, this turned into a screed! Spurgeon, John P wrote: >Thanks for clarifying, Martin. I should have been more specific. I'm >interested in thoughts about IDS for Solaris on IA vs. Linux. Comments >on this point? > >John > >-----Original Message----- >On Thursday, February 17, 2005 11:58 PM, Martin Fuerderer wrote: > >Hi, > >due to recent news (outside of this newgroup / IIUG list) I just want to >make sure that all readers understand, that the writers of any answers >(so far) to this thread mean Solaris on SPARC when they just say >"Solaris". (I.e. it is NOT about Solaris on Intel.) > >Thanks in Advance, >Martin >-- >Martin Fuerderer >IBM Informix Development Munich, Germany >Information Management > >sending to informix-list > >