Re: TPC-A and -B Benchmarks

Bob Baskett writes: |> even if oracle publishes a tpc-c result - can we trust it after the |> recent tpc-b fiasco? oracle apparently wrote a "special" version of |> the dbms to score high on this test (not a new concept, oracle just |> got caught at it). I would venture to say "yes, we can trust it." The whole jist behind the C was to design a benchmark that could not utilize any "specials" such as discrete transactions. While it may save for some transactions, it would hurt for others (the C has several different types of transactions, including real time updates, batch, a few types of queries, etc.) For this reason, the C should eventually become THE comparison for dbms's. Of course, the major problem with such a benchmark is that it is difficult and expensive to run. The requirements for adherence to the spec are very stringent, and tend to require a fair amount of expertise and hardware to run successfully. **Attention - "politically" motivated statements to follow** Given Oracle's high numbers on TPC-A's, I expect them to hold off on running TPC-C's for as long as possible, taking the tack that the A's are the "best" measurement going. It seems pretty clear that they will not be able to achieve the large "lead" in the C's that they did with A's, so it makes business sense for them to trumpet what they have for as long as the industry buys that tack. Dave Disclaimer: These opinions are not those of Informix Software, Inc. ************************************************************************** "I look back with some satisfaction on what an idiot I was when I was 25, but when I do that, I'm assuming I'm no longer an idiot." - Andy Rooney