Re: Column stores - Mailing list pgsql-advocacy

This response is going to veer off into commercial areas not directly
related to PostgreSQL.  I hope noone minds.  Let me know privately if you
do.

On Fri, 1 Feb 2008, Luke Lonergan wrote:

> On 2/1/08 11:41 AM, "Seth Grimes" <grimes@altaplana.com> wrote:
>
>> No, not all column stores are MPP.  I believe that Brighthouse from
>> Infobright isn't although the company is looking into it.
>
> They're not one that I'd say is "all the rage" - two reasons: MySQL
> doesn't work for DW queries and more importantly doing a different
> storage engine doesn't solve the DW performance and scale problems.

No, but they're a counterexample to your incorrect statement that all
column stores are also MPP.

Doing a different storage engine targets current MySQL users who would
prefer to expand the scope of what they (try to) do with MySQL before they
switch DBMSes or bring in a second DBMS.  That approach makes sense in
many cases.

> WRT "all the rage" - you'd have to point to more than press releases
> about technology to make that case.  We've beaten the "all the rage"
> companies in every POC so far and I haven't seen or heard of significant
> reference installations.

No I don't.  "Rages" are about image, not about substance.  "Rages" die
away when the substance doesn't match the image.

I'd like to hear about additional, significant Greenplum reference
installations.  The only one I've seen, not for want of asking, is
Frontier Airlines, and when I looked at it a year ago, the application was
limited to fare optimiation or something like that with a small number of
users.  Perhaps you can send me information about others.  I see PR from a
year ago on Greenplum's site for a deal with Smart Communications in the
Philippines.  How has that worked out for instance?

The only announcements I see posted to Greenplum's site are about industry
deals and the like.  Gartner says that Greenplum "has been quietly adding
clients ... for about two years."  So how about describing some?

>> Compression and a columnar storage are separate things that can go
>> hand-in-hand.  Does Greenplum have both or just compression?
>
> See above :-)

Since you belittle column stores, I take it the answer is No, just
compression.  By reputation you're a fine technologist, Luke, but would it
hurt to just answer the question?

                     Seth



--
Seth Grimes   Alta Plana Corp, analytical computing & data management
               Intelligent Enterprise magazine (CMP), Contributing Editor
grimes@altaplana.com       http://altaplana.com    301-270-0795