Oracle is clinging to the top spot in the multibillion-dollar database software market, despite mounting pressure from IBM and Microsoft, according to preliminary 2002 market share numbers released Monday. - M. LaMonica, cnet.com, March 2003

DBMS Architectures A history of DBMS architectures: (Section 9.2) Mainframe DBMSs Personal DBMSs Client/Server DBMSs Centralized databases mainframe computers with terminals Personal databases PCs/workstations e.g., Microsoft Access, Paradox, FoxPro, Personal Oracle Client/Server databases clients/servers/networks e.g., Oracle, SQL Server, …

Mainframe DBMSs DBMS DB terminal terminal mainframe terminal All the old database systems are architected like this. For the most part, they are of historical interest only. The students may not understand the concept of terminals, they may never have seen a “dumb” terminal. mainframe terminal

Personal DBMSs DB1 DB3 DB2 DBMS Interface1 DB Engine1 DBMS Interface3 workstation DBMS Interface3 Personal databases are local and don’t communicate with other DBMSs. Recall that we said that one of the DB trends was to “smaller and smaller databases”. DB Engine3 DBMS Interface2 DB3 workstation DB Engine2 DB2 workstation

Microsoft Access/Jet Access is designed as a personal DBMS: It has a useful interface but a limited engine. It doesn’t support enterprise applications. Access Interface1 Jet Engine1 Jet DB1 workstation Access could be put on a server, but the clients frequently required to download the entire database over the network to do any work. This can work, but is very costly and slow. Access also doesn’t support transaction processing.

Client/Server DBMSs DBMS Server DB Network DBMS client1 DBMS client2 workstation DBMS Server Network DBMS client2 DB workstation server DBMS client3 workstation

Microsoft SQL Server MS SQL Server is designed for client/server applications. workstation SQL Server client Here the server can handle multiple users, takes care to download as little as possible to the clients, and supports transaction processing. workstation MS Access interface SQL Server DB server workstation VB Appli- cation

Microsoft SQL Server Desktop Engine (MSDE) MSDE is SQL Server compatible. It is distributed with MS applications. Here the server can handle multiple users, takes care to download as little as possible to the clients, and supports transaction processing. workstation MS Access interface MSDE DB server workstation VB Appli- cation

A Comparison X 1 < 2G x < 5 - Client/Server Interface What’s the Big Idea A Comparison Client/Server Interface Transaction support Users Database size Access/Jet X 1 < 2G MSDE x < 5 SQL Server - Choosing the right system architecture is often a key IS decision. The number of users and the size of the database aren’t really limited with MSDE and SQL Server. Access/Jet can still be the right choice for smaller applications or older hardware – it does have a smaller footprint.

Comparing Oracle and SQL Server Cheaper Easier to install Faster on Microsoft platforms Oracle 9i Multi-platform support More powerful 3rd generation language More performance tuning This is harder to address, but it’s clear that these two guys don’t like each other that much. They’re similar in that they came from nowhere – real American success stories. Gates dropped out of Harvard to found a software company, Ellison started will less than $2000 and founded Oracle. Larry Ellison quotes/jokes: What’s the difference between Larry Ellison and God? God doesn’t think that he’s Larry Ellison. “It's Microsoft versus mankind, with Microsoft having only a slight lead.” “Bill Gates wants people to think he's Edison, when he's really Rockefeller. Referring to Gates as the smartest man in America isn't right... wealth isn't the same thing as intelligence.” Ellison openly admits to having paid trash people to turn over Microsoft’s trash. Number of CPUs Oracle9i Standard Edition SQL Server 2000 Standard Edition 1 $15,000 $4,999 32 $480,000 $159,968 From http://www.databasejournal.com/features/mssql/article.php/10894_2170201_2 (22jul2003) Images from Microsoft and Oracle, July, 2003