Re: Current Informix vs. Oracle Data

Peter Ross wrote: >In my experience the migration to Oracle of a fairly large application >(1,343,045 lines of 4GL code) and all the database has been fast and >smooth. I used querix for this migration. Ah, well I watched someone undertake a very similar migration myself (roughly the same size and the same tools) and it was an MCF. There was indeed very little code changing required, however, it wasn't really quite so smooth. It hit the fan when they went into production and found out the differences in optimisation strategies and the like. And just because Informix-4GL and Querix can compile to C, doesn't mean they run the same... :-) Furthermore, what happens if you're used to RDS? You have to learn about really rigorous code. That in itself can cause a *lot* of trouble. I'm not saying that people who use RDS "loopholes" are right, but that can cause a major effort. >> Plus you have some expertise. Which will all be chucked down the toilet. > >Not your 4GL expertise or for that matter your SQL. Sorry, not too clear: I meant the expertise in DBAing Informix and in writing 4GL that runs well (because it runs as expected against an Informix database.) And there _are_ some (small and subtle) differences in the SQL. Not a train smash, though... >> There are also some interesting differences in Oracle, such as no serial >> datatype. There is a workaround, but you have to manually recode each >> serial field. So all your programmers will need retraining, your support >> staff, any existing DBAs. There will be a massive code change exercise. >> Believe me. > >True but you don't have to do anything with regards to serial types if you >use querix, it is all done for you. In fact we only had to make changes in >about 1 % of our code and not all the line, but for example replacing >MATCHES in an SQL statement to LIKE. As I said, the effort for the site I saw was not in getting the stuff recompiled. >No comments about the rest, some like pepsi and son Coca-Cola. True enough. And I'm not really making any statement against anybody, not even Oracle, other than it's misleading to tell someone a database migration will cost them nothing because the software is being given to them for free. ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

Obnoxio The Clown wrote: > Peter Ross wrote: > > >In my experience the migration to Oracle of a fairly large application > >(1,343,045 lines of 4GL code) and all the database has been fast and > >smooth. I used querix for this migration. > > Ah, well I watched someone undertake a very similar migration myself > (roughly the same size and the same tools) and it was an MCF. There was > indeed very little code changing required, however, it wasn't really > quite so smooth. Did you just watch or you tried it yourself. I know that querix picked up a few programming mistakes in our code that was never picked up by informix compilers (one of them had given us problems from time to time without knowing why), Quaqlity of code is important, though you may disagree. > > > It hit the fan when they went into production and found out the > differences in optimisation strategies and the like. And just because > Informix-4GL and Querix can compile to C, doesn't mean they run the > same... :-) My experience is different. > > > Furthermore, what happens if you're used to RDS? You have to learn about > really rigorous code. That in itself can cause a *lot* of trouble. I'm > not saying that people who use RDS "loopholes" are right, but that can > cause a major effort. My experience tells me if you have written your code in RDS you will have a hard job compiling it with informix 4gl/c compiler. They seem to be two different products. > > > >> Plus you have some expertise. Which will all be chucked down the > toilet. > > > >Not your 4GL expertise or for that matter your SQL. > > Sorry, not too clear: I meant the expertise in DBAing Informix and in > writing 4GL that runs well (because it runs as expected against an > Informix database.) And there _are_ some (small and subtle) differences > in the SQL. Not a train smash, though... > > >> There are also some interesting differences in Oracle, such as no > serial > >> datatype. There is a workaround, but you have to manually recode each > >> serial field. So all your programmers will need retraining, your > support > >> staff, any existing DBAs. There will be a massive code change > exercise. > >> Believe me. > > > >True but you don't have to do anything with regards to serial types if > you > >use querix, it is all done for you. In fact we only had to make > changes in > >about 1 % of our code and not all the line, but for example replacing > >MATCHES in an SQL statement to LIKE. > > As I said, the effort for the site I saw was not in getting the stuff > recompiled. > > >No comments about the rest, some like pepsi and son Coca-Cola. > > True enough. And I'm not really making any statement against anybody, > not even Oracle, other than it's misleading to tell someone a database > migration will cost them nothing because the software is being given to > them for free. > > ______________________________________________________ > Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com