[SATLUG] Databases -- Not Linux Related

[Mike]

At 06:21 PM 9/4/2002 -0500, you wrote:
>If the database is relatively small and is not business critical, these are
>the key words, there is not much justification
>to go with overkill like Oracle or DB2.  That would be like driving an
>18-wheeler on your 5 mile commute to work each day.

I should have been clearer with my statement.  My database will not be 
small at all (1.5 - 2 TB) and it will be business critical.  The table and 
index structure will be relatively simple, but there will be gazillions of 
records.

Here's a more refined question.  The list price of Oracle before any 
discounts is $40K per processor.  I looked at the list price of DB2 before 
any discounts -- $20K per processor.  Do the math.  There is a $40K 
difference between Oracle and DB2 for a two-processor server.  I know I 
will need a good database in order to handle this volume of data, and we 
are prepared to spend money, but $80K was much more than what we 
expected.  $40K is a more acceptable number, but I don't know what the 
differences are between the two databases.  In short, how does Oracle 
compare to DB2?  What are the gotchas of DB2?

Mike

P.S.  My commute to work each day is 2.5 miles.  :-)