Thread: Greetings, Thinking about converting

On Sun, Jun 10, 2001 at 06:32:58PM -0600, some SMTP stream spewed forth:
> Hi, I have a database with the 2 principal tables using 716,819 rows and 43,157,442 rows each one, related each one,
Ihave some triggers and stored procedures and views having a frontend made in Visual Basic using ODBC and ADO to
connectto the database, Im considering to move from Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 to PostgreSQL because this stuff its
gettingbig and getting slower, Im backing up must of things but I would like to know if I can get some improvement
changingfrom Win NT 4.0-MSSQL to Linux-Postgresql. 
>
> What do you all think ? Should I change ?

Yes.

gh

On Sun, Jun 10, 2001 at 07:31:10PM -0600, some SMTP stream spewed forth:
> > I suggest you check out FreeBSD: www.freebsd.org.
> > If you have no experience with either FreeBSD or some Linux variant, I
> > would say switch to FreeBSD, otherwise use whatever you are comfortable
> > with other than Windows. PostgreSQL will run under Windows, but you
> > should get better overall performance using Linux and much better
> > performance using FreeBSD. Of course, if you need crappy hardware
> > support, Linux is a hardware slut; but if you are working on a server
> > farm or a serious, heavily loaded server, you would be better using
> > high-end hardware in a FreeBSD box if not using Sun equipment and
> > software which is probably not in your budget.
>
> By now im using a ProliantLM350 with a SmartArray 431 and 4 SCSI non-hotswap
> ultra3 disks, 20gb each one, 1gb memory , 2 933mhz procesors,
> I have had experience with Linux.

You should be fine on Linux. I normally would strongly *not* say to use
Linux over FreeBSD, but as I said, -current (like a beta, only better)
has been in sad state lately, and I do not know what later releases are
going to look like. It should still be better than Linux, but you
shouldn't have to learn something new if everything sucks anyway.

(Of course, the fine hackers behind PostgreSQL ensure that it runs well on
just about anything, so performance should not be an issue.)


gh

> >
> > Basically, all of the operating systems have been going to hell lately
> > (FreeBSD included, I don't know what the developers are smoking, but damn...),
> > so you should be fine on anything, even Windows.
>
> :/ ? too sad...
> >
> > It is unfortunate that everything has to suck so badly.
> Yes...
> > Cheers.
> > gh

> You should be fine on Linux. I normally would strongly *not* say to use
> Linux over FreeBSD, but as I said, -current (like a beta, only better)
> has been in sad state lately, and I do not know what later releases are
> going to look like. It should still be better than Linux, but you
> shouldn't have to learn something new if everything sucks anyway.
>

Ill be fine on FreeBSD either, I guess.

> (Of course, the fine hackers behind PostgreSQL ensure that it runs well on
> just about anything, so performance should not be an issue.)

Opinion that you dont share as I see.. but, OS and hardware appart, what
about the MSSQL vs MySQL vs PostgreSQL discussion. what you think ?

Speed is what I am lookin for


----- Original Message -----
From: "GH" <grasshacker@over-yonder.net>
To: "Miguel Angel Heredia" <tux@netwebco.com>
Cc: <pgsql-general@postgresql.org>
Sent: Sunday, June 10, 2001 6:36 PM
Subject: Re: [GENERAL] Greetings, Thinking about converting


> On Sun, Jun 10, 2001 at 07:31:10PM -0600, some SMTP stream spewed forth:
> > > I suggest you check out FreeBSD: www.freebsd.org.
> > > If you have no experience with either FreeBSD or some Linux variant, I
> > > would say switch to FreeBSD, otherwise use whatever you are
comfortable
> > > with other than Windows. PostgreSQL will run under Windows, but you
> > > should get better overall performance using Linux and much better
> > > performance using FreeBSD. Of course, if you need crappy hardware
> > > support, Linux is a hardware slut; but if you are working on a server
> > > farm or a serious, heavily loaded server, you would be better using
> > > high-end hardware in a FreeBSD box if not using Sun equipment and
> > > software which is probably not in your budget.
> >
> > By now im using a ProliantLM350 with a SmartArray 431 and 4 SCSI
non-hotswap
> > ultra3 disks, 20gb each one, 1gb memory , 2 933mhz procesors,
> > I have had experience with Linux.
>
> You should be fine on Linux. I normally would strongly *not* say to use
> Linux over FreeBSD, but as I said, -current (like a beta, only better)
> has been in sad state lately, and I do not know what later releases are
> going to look like. It should still be better than Linux, but you
> shouldn't have to learn something new if everything sucks anyway.
>
> (Of course, the fine hackers behind PostgreSQL ensure that it runs well on
> just about anything, so performance should not be an issue.)
>
>
> gh
>
> > >
> > > Basically, all of the operating systems have been going to hell lately
> > > (FreeBSD included, I don't know what the developers are smoking, but
damn...),
> > > so you should be fine on anything, even Windows.
> >
> > :/ ? too sad...
> > >
> > > It is unfortunate that everything has to suck so badly.
> > Yes...
> > > Cheers.
> > > gh
>

> Opinion that you dont share as I see.. but, OS and hardware appart, what
> about the MSSQL vs MySQL vs PostgreSQL discussion. what you think ?

General consensus is that MySQL is the fastest for simple selects. If you
have a decent number of (more than 2 or 3) concurrent users,
PostgreSQL will serve you better because a site with significant
traffic will benefit from transactions and strong data integrity.

If you care about your data, use PostgreSQL.

I would use PostgreSQL anyway, just because it is overall "better" (which
is a *very* subjective measure) and it /feels/ better. Furthermore, a
stronger DBMS is more likely to serve your needs in the future.

> Speed is what I am lookin for

In what type of situation are you planning to use this setup?


gh

(Not a very strong argument, but MSSQL /is/ made by Microsoft, afterall...)