Conference ulysse::rdb_vms_competition

481.0. "Oracle Distributor wants Rdb!" by TRCO01::MCMULLEN () Fri Nov 03 1989 21:59

I attended a meeting with an Oracle distributor, who is also a DEC OEM. 
The OEM will be loosing their rights to distribute Oracle in 13 months. The 
OEM also sells several applications that have been developed with Oracle's 
tools and database. Their goal is to become a database software company 
specializing in tools, utilities and applications. They are looking for a 
new database/tool set and may want to have a tighter relationship with 
Digital.

Before I get to the purpose of this note, let me pass on some interesting 
comments:

i) The only advertisement Digital needs to run is: 

		WHO DO YOU TRUST?
		DIGITAL OR ORACLE

ii) Oracle sells high or real low (ie don't talk to anyone technical). We 
sell them a vision. At most we can only deliver two thirds of that vision.

iii) Digital has 13000+ Rdb licenses! How come I never hear anything about 
Rdb.



Should we be interested? 
------------------------

I would like some feedback on two tools the OEM has. Are they tools that 
customers need/want; and should Digital have tools like these. The OEM is 
also interested in converting their applications to another platform. 
Anyone out there attempted to convert from SQL*FORMS and the Oracle report 
writer to other tools?


Applications to be converted
----------------------------

	Accounts Receivable
        Accounts Payable
        General Ledger
        Inventory Management
        Standard Routing
        Purchase Order 
        Bill of Materials
        Human Resources
        Payroll



Tools
-----

1) Archive - this is an archive utility for any relational database with an 
SQL interface (including Rdb, Ingres, Oracle, Sybase, and Informix) and RMS 
files.  It allows selective (enter SQL statements)
backup  of the data - by grouping data elements, records, or tables. The 
product also has encryption and compression features. The tool works in 
both directions, that is it can be used to restore archived data. It appears to 
have an easy to learn/use menu interface.  The tool also logs information about 
each archival event in the database, thus making it easier to manage and track 
archived data. It can also be set up to run automatically, thus reducing the 
need for operator intervention. They are planning to port this product to UNIX.

Does anyone have customers asking for a tool like this? Would this be a 
tool that we should have listed in our catalogue (software source book or 
price book ...)

2) The second tool is still in prototype phase, but appears to more 
promising. They are developing a tool that will allow customers who have a 
large investment in code/applications that use RMS, to access the data in a 
relational database without changing a line of code. Their tool will trap 
RMS calls at the VMS level and will re-direct the request to the relational 
database manager. If the call should not be re-directed, it will be sent 
through the normal RMS routines. All database errors will be trapped and 
converted to the appropriate/best fit RMS status code.

Any thoughts? I often run into accounts who would like to move to 
relational technology but say they have too big of an investment in their 
RMS code. They don't want data in both RMS and Rdb. A tool like this would 
proliferate a lot of un-normalised databases and may not be the best 
performer, but it could provide an account a quick and dirty way to go 
relational.


The OEM is looking to port over to Rdb. They are also looking at other 
datbases in the market. They would like some help from Digital in porting, 
sales and marketing.


This note has been posted in the RDB30 notesfile and the RDB_COMPETITION 
notesfile.

    
    
    Ken McMullen