Is postgreSql really suitable?

Is postgreSql really suitable for this use?

We haven't used postgreSql before. We are beginning to redevelop an existing simple, interactive multi-user desktop application and want to consider postgreSql as the database. We sell some versions inexpensively, and the environment is generally nontechnical. Our final product must be EASY and TROUBLE-FREE in every respect. The system is used by office administrators, and we prefer that they should not need any help from any technical people to install it, or to handle routine day-to-day activities. Nearly all such environments are Windows networks, so we have no real choice of OS. So my questions...

How easy is it to install postgreSql and Cygwin in the end-user environment? And to what extent can we pre-plan and automate it? And how hard is that?

How easy is it to setup and configure to operate on a specific machine? That is, what has to happen after the basic software installation? Can we provide a pre-built empty database? What's involved in getting the pgsql server to start, say after a server reboot?

How much disk space is used for postgreSql and Cygwin (everything but the data)? I saw one post that mentioned some 30MB just for Cygwin by itself.

How really reliable is Cygwin? I saw one post where the user complained about unreliability, called it "not commercial quality".

What if the user needs to move the database (say I.T. gave them a new server)? How hard is that? i.e., how much support time will it cost us? I sincerely hope capable end-user staff could do it.

If the database gets moved, what's the impact on client programs on other Windows workstations? (Currently anticipating Java client using JDBC.) Just use an external configuration file giving the database name and other parameters needed in JDBC?

How much database maintenance is needed in routine ongoing use? For example, MS Access requires periodic running of jetpack to compact and reindex. Other DB's recommend occasionally dumping the whole DB and reloading, just to rebuild and reindex. Can we install pgsql and just let it run for years untouched?

Thanks in advance to all you experienced users who have already done all this stuff and can tell me what I'm getting into.

John.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
John E. Michelsen, Partner
Infopro, Inc.
2625 Butterfield Road, Suite 224-S
Oak Brook IL 60523
Phone: 630-571-4636
e-mail: john(at)sysmaker(dot)com
Web: www.sysmaker.com
Member of Chicago Software Assn. www.csa.org
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\