Our client has a Novell Netware 5 network and wants to use a SQL server.
They wanted to use InterBase however it appears that InterBase is not
available for Netware 5.

The client has about 75 users and will probably not have more than 25
simultaneous users on the database. They need a database product that
will not require a lot of time or skills to maintain. The person who
takes care of the network will probably also have to take care of
database administration duties.

Does anyone have a suggestion for the databse server since we cannot use
Interbase with Netware 5?

You can install a Linux server then buy and install an Interbase server on
it. The linux machine work only as DB server, all other services runs in
Netware server.

Interbase 4.2.2 is the latest version on Netware and is only certified with
version 4.11 with at least SP4 runnig in single proccessor machine. May be
this version runs on version 5 of Netware. Ask a demo from your nearest
Inprise distributor.

The options in netware you have are (those whom I known):

Oracle: to expensive (at least here) and to hard to administer
Pervasive SQL: I just dropping it since new version is ODBC based and not so
easy to maintain.

Oracle!

Stilian

Oracle needs a lot of time and skilled DBA !

I guess I should plug Sql Server. It will run over IPX  (or TCP/IP) if they
want. Just drop an NT box on the network and continue to use the current
Novell Network for everything else.

If you want a database product that doesn't require a lot of time or skills to
maintain then you might as well ask for the 'Telepathic Interface' while you're
at it. However, I believe that then new GUI that comes with SQL 7.0 doesn't
require an expert (if you can do nwadmin, you can do sql 7). A decent app could
easily cover all aspects of table maintenance, backup/restore, etc. so a dedicated
person isn't required. Then again, you can do this with Interbase & Oracle as well.

I also have the impression from reading your email that you are thinking of placing the
sql app on the Novell server? Regardless of what you choose, put it on a separate box.

My two cents...

Craig Baugh

...and Interbase doesn't???

Putting an expensive NT server to serve only <= 25 concurrent users ?

Does not. There is no table spaces, rollback area, packages, server
instances, etc.
The main tasks of Interbase DBA are:

-> uses creation and privileges
-> backup and restore
-> eventually, expand database to more files when hit 2 or 4 Gb (depending
on selected platform).

At programmer level, PL/SQL is very powerfull and Oracle haves a lot more
built-in functions than Interbase, but Oracle server and client installation
and configuration isn't simple and requieres a lot of time to known witch
version of components will work with others.

Interbase is really very simple in installation in both sides and almost
zero configuration.

As I said Im dropping Pervasive SQL but before choise IB I request demo
from Oracle representative and IB representative too. The IB installation
and starting take no more than 5 minutes and cd comes with only 20 Mb, then
I start my test inmediatly. For Oracle's technicians installation and start
database takes more 2 hours and cd comes with more than 250 Mb ! Then get
some trouble connecting to Oracle via BDE... Then get trouble connecting via
ODBC...

On the other hand I don't known if the fees for user for Oracle in your
country are so high as in my country. The cost for 20 users of IB here is
+/- 2,500.00. Cost for the same number in Oracle: $12,000.00 !!! I can buy
almost (or more for the volume) than 100 users of IB with the cost of Oracle
!!!

I give to both products a chance, but IB is a clear winner.

Sybase Adaptive Server Anywhere (a/k/a SQL Anywhere) requires little
maintenance, runs on Netware, and can support 25 users.

  Richard

 There is  the nice Oracle Enterprise Manger or TOAD that configure
these with ease in a nice GUI way (better than MS SQL7).  

Use DOA http://www.allroundautomations.nl/doa.html

The BDE and Oracle do not like each other very much, but DOA fixes that
in a fast elegant way.

Oracle 7/8 Server goes for $1300 with 5 user licenses and another 20
cost about $1500, and if you use DOA you will not need the D 5 C/S
($2200), unless you need DCOM, CORBA, MIDAS etc.

In your case though IB makes more sense.

Stilian

Hi Stilian

I know that Oracle is good one but too complex (even if there is a good GUI
utility) to be managed by someone who will manage a LAN and may be has more
important obligations in the company (like sales, accounting, etc) than LAN
and RDBMS administration.

On the other hand some tiume ago (may be more than a year) I saw Oracle
prices at the US and are just similar to those you are telling me. I don't
known why are so high here. And yes, Oracle and BDE aren't friends. As a
matter of fact, I'm developing with FreeIBComponents (bypassing BDE). May be
I will try Oracle with DOA and do some benchmarking.

I wonder if there is some actualized (and independient) comparison between
MS SQL (ug!), Oracle, Interbase, Informix, DB2 (I hear some good ones about
it) and Sybase.

Regards.