Re: PGXLOG variable worthwhile? - Mailing list pgsql-hackers

Peter Eisentraut wrote:
> 
> Justin Clift writes:
> 
> > WinNT/2k/XP costs a few hundred dollars.
> >
> > MS SQL Server costs a few thousand dollars.
> 
> The places that run Windows can be categorized into three camps:
<snip>

How about this?

The places that run Windows can be categorised a number of different
ways, depending on what you're looking for.

1) Places that have in-house staff that can do or learn everything.

Many of these places are really small, some are not.  PostgreSQL fits
well here, Windows or not, as these people are prepared to learn how to
use it best.


2) Companies that hire external IT services.

Often the software implemented here will be dependent on outside sources
of advice such as consultants, executives who take an interest in IT
mags, etc.

Look at Windows NT on the server in the first place.  Microsoft
leveraged the marketplace through making itself available then promoting
the heck out of itself into the IT press, industry mags, etc.

These places will be receptive to PostgreSQL as our reputation further
becomes known and they can see where PostgreSQL will be useful to them. 
PostgreSQL on Win NT/2K/XP will definitely be of use to a sizable number
of these businesses.


3) Companies who depend on multiple external sources of IT support. 
i.e. One reasonable sized enterprise here in Australia has over 450
*development* companies presently working on applications for their
environment.  Because of the scope of standardisation needed, they
standardised on WinNT many years ago.  It still works for them.  They
don't even have SP6 installed on their desktops as it breaks too many of
the desktop applications.  etc.

These people are not clueless.  They make strategic decisions when
they're necessary, and it all comes down to flexibility, reliability,
and cost.

For some things they run Unix, or Windows, or Novell, or OS/390, or any
number of other stuff.

Because of the years of experience some of their support companies have
with WinNT, it works reliably enough for them.  They don't have the
"need to reboot once per week" thing with their servers.

These guys will become receptive to PostgreSQL too, and it will be in
our favour to be able to demonstrate very good performance across all
platforms that we can, not just our own *personally preferred*
platforms.

By giving them options when it doesn't take a *whole bunch of effort* to
do so, we open up ways for PostgreSQL to be used that we haven't even
thought of before.  We all know this already. 

It wouldn't really surprise me greatly if at some point this proved
beneficial to a non-Windows platform for some reason too.

:-)

Regards and best wishes,

Justin Clift

> So where is the market?
> 
> --
> Peter Eisentraut   peter_e@gmx.net

-- 
"My grandfather once told me that there are two kinds of people: those
who work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the
first group; there was less competition there."  - Indira Gandhi