Re: Windows NT 3.51 Server migration to Windows NT 4.0 Beta 2 and INFORMIX Products
Mike Segel wrote: > > Tim Schaefer wrote: > > > Question: Which product is best suited for a web site? > > > My exposure to INFORMIXs' web site gives good information about the > > On-Line 7.1 for NT, and the Workgroup Server. I like what has been > > published, but more up-to-date information would be really helpful. > > > > Can these products run under Windows NT 4.0 Beta 2? > > > No, > > You see, if you chose a *real* OS, you could. So much for the "Dynamic Scalable Architecture". :-) I agree it isn't much of an Operating System, but it IS a part of the computer world, and it ain't going away. Novell? NT killed it. > The problem is that > the Informix Engine is *registered* for NT 3.5 so if you try to install > it on an NT 4.0 Beta 2, or Beta 1, it wont work. > > I know, cause I already tried it ;-) > Thanks for the hot tip. It's too late, I went ahead and put 4.0 on the box this week-end. I like it. The install is half-baked but an experienced person can make it work. The registry entries probably are the problem, so this could be a trivial problem. But if it isn't, then I either go back to 3.51 or a later evaluation of INFORMIX products, and on with "other" data base products--at least for now. I have a Solaris system I'll be bringing up as well, and will have to let it host INFORMIX...sigh... > You will have to put 3.5 in a separate space if you want to have > a dual boot machine. > No dual boot, but a reformat of the hard drive is always a possibility. I like it hogging the whole disk, and system. :-) > [SNIP] > > If you want professional performance, get professional hardware. By YOUR standards? This little machine runs quite well thank-you. And believe it or not there are whole businesses running on PCs. My gawd! Heretic! And what say ye to NT clustering? I made a hard choice between some really cool dive equipment and this NT box, which could turn into some other OS should the need arise. Understanding the TRUE scalability of DSA begins at home. :-) But seriously, if the product is scalable, I will soon find out. And I do believe NT is here to stay. > Yeah, I know you're on a budget and have to work within it, > so if I were you, I'd spend my money on a good router and > fire wall. > Everybody is on a budget, and mine scales quite nicely, thank-you. The concept of scalability means that what works at one level of simple complexity works at another level of increased complexity. One Pentium 133Mhz PC, with 32MB RAM, and 2 GB SCSI-2 hard drive is a LOT of horsepower, and not too trivial. If that represents the simple, and someone tells me they have a product that scales, then I expect it to work. As far as a firewall, yes, this is a good idea. An old 486 I have will probably be turned into a Linux server, and used as a firewall. The 486 machine runs like an old dog with NT, but with Linux there's lots of energy left over. Isn't the true nature of computing heading towards distributed processing? (Yes, there's also talk of heading back to centralized processing with diskless windows boxes, terminals rearing their ugly heads once again.) There's also a constant need for small-scale systems, not just the big corporate servers. Many big corporations are using NT right along with the UNIX boxes. > Based on passed experience with Microsoft, aka the evil > empire, I wouldn't trust them until NT version 16 which should > be out by 2005 if they are on the same track. > Uh, well, as far as one company owning an operating system, it's really a moot point with me. UNIX went through some of this kind of stuff, and we'll be seeing other OSes coming along. If Microsoft is some kind of evil empire, I need proof. And haven't you ever thought that maybe data base engines are operating systems? Isn't the idea of a raw partition simply saying "OK, the INFORMIX OS will take over here and manage this portion of the disk." ? Yes, a bit simplistic, but we do depend on a data base engine to manage that partition, even though the host OS does play a part. I also have to stay up on the latest stuff to be able to contribute to my sustainability. The business world operates at many different levels of complexity, and to say the small end is no less professional, or viable is to miss the point of the current revolution in computing. What was once considered silly is now mainstream. If the UNIX vendor community at large would take a few lessons from Microsoft, they would be competing better. Sun is doing it, and having great success with it. And now Informix too... > Just a few words of wisdom from your Uncle Mike ;-) Yeah well <burp> a few of my own too. :-) -- \\\\|// (6 6) ==============================---o00--(_)--00o---============================ Tim Schaefer tschaefe@encore.com tschaefe@shadow.net www.shadow.net/~tschaefe ============================================================================= ASCII APPLET shamelessplug RUNNING... USA CITIZENS: If you vote for Harry Browne, Libertarian, as our next US President, he will abolish the IRS and pardon income tax evaders. Look at your withholdings from last year and see if this isn't enough to vote for. http://www.lp.org Liberty! http://www.cato.org =============================================================================