Re: Need Comments: DOS LAN vs UNIX database

Path: emory!wupost!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!hobbes.physics.uiowa.edu!news.iastate.edu!exnet.iastate.edu!i1neal From: i1neal@exnet.iastate.edu (Neal Rauhauser -- ) Newsgroups: comp.databases,comp.databases.informix Message-ID: <1991Sep27.150023.28788@news.iastate.edu> Date: 27 Sep 91 15:00:23 GMT References: <9509@cactus.org> Sender: news@news.iastate.edu (USENET News System) Reply-To: i1neal@exnet.iastate.edu (Neal Rauhauser -- ) Organization: Iowa State University Extension >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. Downsizing - doog for you! >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. Novelle servers don't run DOS, they run Novelle == wholly unrelated OS that provides a DOS or Mac file system. You need to talk a bit more to the vendor about how Novelle works - the datafiles on the server is how life is supposed to be. When they say that the software will run on the attached PCs and not the server, this is _probably_ what you want. (I manage a 4 node lantasic network with a Clipper application, the data is on the server, and when someone wants to access it, they run a program which is _stored_ on the server - this program is transmitted by the lan and executed on their PC). NOTE: Arcnet is my _LAST_ choice for a system of that size - get ethernet - costs more, but worth it if you ever have to integrate to a "real" ie Unix system > >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.) 6 of one, 1/2 dozen of the other. If you need nothing but the one database application, this is good ... and we all enjoy unix so much more than DOS :-) > 2. Is there a disadvantage running a UNIX based system on a > Novell network? Can it be done? This is a very big question. A Novelle server won't run a moto 88k specific application, but you can integrate Novelle-Unix systems with SQL software (have your unix and dos lan) - I've never actually dealt with one, but know someone who has implemented such a beasty. > 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.) YES YES YES Not a problem, as long as you DON'T USE ARCNET. Definitely hold out for ethernet if you go the PC route - ISU has a great many PCs on novelle with internet access. Write back if you have any questions. Neal -- Neal i1neal@exnet.iastate.edu "A poor fool indeed is he who adopts a manner of thinking (meant) for others!" - Donatien-Alphonse-Francois de Sade