Re: Re: [ADMIN] Oracle and Postgresql Play Nice Together on Same Computer?

On Thu, 20 Jan 2005 simon(at)2ndquadrant(dot)com wrote:

>
> Troyston Campano <troygeekdatabase(at)gmail(dot)com> wrote on 20.01.2005,
> 06:03:28:
>> I am an Oracle DBA and I want do a Postgresql 'proof of concept' at the
>> large corporation where I work to test the benefits of using Postgresql in
>> our environment. I want to install Postgresql onto a "production" server
>> that currently runs Oracle. Are there any problems with running Postgresql
>> and Oracle on the same machine? I mean, I've heard that the way Sybase and
>> DB2 UDB are architected to handle memory hurts Sybase when DB2 UDB is
>> installed on the same machine as the Sybase Server (something about UDB
>> eating up all the memory and not giving it back to Sybase).
>>
>>
>>
>> Are there any issues running Postgresql and Oracle on the same
>> machine.anything special to know about memory, disk layout, and things like
>> that? I just want to make sure the two engines play together on this same
>> server. I had a hard time finding information about this via google.
>>
>
> There should be no issues running both on the same machine. Running both
> together at the same time isn't a good way of doing a benchmark
> though...
>
> I would question your intent slightly. Should it be a relative
> comparison? Or should it be an assessment of what PostgreSQL is capable
> of and whether that fits a sufficient number of your needs to make it
> worth adopting?
>
> There are many ways to structure a decision as to whether PostgreSQL is
> suitable for your (business?) needs. Which structure you choose is
> likely to prejudice your decision, one way or the other. i.e. if
> capital acquisition costs are the decising factor, then PostgreSQL
> would always win.

I may add that using the right tool for the right task should be
a priority. It's easy to underestimate the cost of continuosly
adapting your needs to the tool and not the opposite.

About Oracle I keep hearing success or horror stories. About PostgreSQL
mostly success stories, some unsuccess stories ("it's good but we switched
back to MS SQL" ), _very_ few horror stories. Last horror story was
about "data worth having but not backupping", a category existing only
in some manager's mind (and _deserving_ a horror story).

Note that I've never heard any unsuccess story about Oracle. I know
some people that would tell one, if only they actually tried PostgreSQL
out - but that's my opinion, not thiers (yet).

IMHO, migrating from Oracle to PostgreSQL usually doesn't expose
all PostgreSQL pros, and will expose some weaknesses or missing features.
Migrating from PostgreSQL to Oracle is what really makes PostgreSQL shine.
Too bad it happens so rarely. :-)

.TM.
--
____/ ____/ /
/ / / Marco Colombo
___/ ___ / / Technical Manager
/ / / ESI s.r.l.
_____/ _____/ _/ Colombo(at)ESI(dot)it