Interbase Vs Sybase ???
Henry Fieglein
: Could someone please help me with the following questions ?
: * what is interbase?
: * what are advantages and disadvantages?
: * what are the differenences between interbase and SYBASE?
: * Is it worth converting from interbase to SYBASE?
: * what are the main areas of concern in converting?
: Cal
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: | cal...@comspec.pc.my |
: |Comspec Consulting Services, Malaysia|
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Can you please post replies?
Henry Fieglein
MAXM Systems Corporation
Seth Grimes
>: Could someone please help me with the following questions ?
>: * what is interbase?
>: * what are advantages and disadvantages?
>: * what are the differenences between interbase and SYBASE?
>: * Is it worth converting from interbase to SYBASE?
>: * what are the main areas of concern in converting?
Interbase is Borland's server RDBMS. It runs on Unix, VMS, and will soon
run on Windows NT and as an NLM if it doesn't already.
It's a good engine with excellent Blob support. It also includes an array
datatype that is based on Blobs. Interbase can also link in user 3GL code
as user-defined functions, which is an excellent capability.
Disadvantages are lack of integrated tools -- although you can buy them from
third parties -- and small market penetration.
Interbase uses a versioning architecture instead of conventional locking;
this is superior for certain types of processing environments and is shared,
to my knowledge, only by Montage. Trigger support is superior to Sybase's
and (finally) equalled by Oracle.
The main concern in converting would be translating Interbase's transaction
language, GDML, to SQL. Until version 4, you had to use GDML and not an
SQL-based language for certain operations. Of course, with Sybase until
System 10 you had to program 3GL applications using DB-Lib: there was no
embedded query language at all.
Seth
Stand Dorcey
I performed a detailed comparison of Interbase and Sybase
3 years ago. Interbase best suited our application and
environment, although Sybase was evalated a very good
product. I implemented a prototype of a difficult
problem using both Sybase and Interbase. This is my
only practical experience with Sybase (plus 1 week of
training). Hopefully, this information is helpful.
What is Interbase?
A relational database management system design by the same
guy who did DEC's rdb. It started as a small startup, was
purchased by Aston-Tate which subsequently was bought by
Borland. Of course, the local interbase sales folks told us
the main reason for Borland's purchase of Aston-Tate was to
get Interbase (yeah, right).
Advantages:
-offers a wealth of advanced features - triggers, user defined
functions (3gl functions linked into the server), event alerters
(external notification of a database event), BLOBs, Array field
types. A unique multi-generational architecture (implements a
versioning-based optimistic locking technique) which really does
improve performance over standard locking based techniques in
many applications. Relatively low resource consumption, relatively
intelligent query optimizer. Built in 2-phase commit (actually works!
actually requires no special coding!) Transparency between heterogenous
platforms (ie. backup database on an HP, restore on VAX = NO PROBLEM,
server runs on HP, client on SUN = NO PROBLEM). On-line backup
capabilities. Very fast crash recovery.
A few years ago, Sybase and Interbase were the only game in town
when it came to these features (triggers especially). I guess the
interoperability probably is not such a big deal anymore as open
systems get more and more support. I guess maybe these features
may no longer be evaluated as "advanced", but rather expected.
Disadvantages:
-Not a "household" name. Not many 3rd party tools. Little in
the way of performance tuning (although, 3 years ago, it rivaled
Sybase for the application which I was testing it). Sometimes
seems to be under-funded. I'm told a version 4 is in "beta" which
offers significant improvements in both performance and functionality
for Interbase (stored procedures main new feature), but this would
be the first major new functionality offered in the 3 years that I
have been using the product.
-If one tries to use Interbase as they previously used Oracle or
Sybase, they may get frustrated (learned this from consultants
which we hired with prior rdbms experience, but not Interbase).
The "multi-generational" architecture is different and takes some
getting used to. Once understood, it is very powerful and
superior in many applications (IMHO :).
Difference between Sybase and Interbase:
Sybase is bigger and used more throughout the industry. 3 years
ago Sybase seemed to be better at supporting many users (ie. > 40) and
OLTP type transactions (ie. highly contentious short writes).
Sybase has more tools available.
Interbase is a smaller player. 3 years ago, Interbase was far superior
in terms of long, mostly read transactions. Interbase has not changed
much, I don't know about Sybase.
Is it worth converting?
Converting for the sake of converting? I don't think so. Converting
because you need more 3rd party tools? Probably. Converting because
Sybase is "bigger"? Maybe, although Borland does seem to be investing
quite a bit in Interbase so I don't see it going away anytime soon.
Converting because you rely on outside contractors to do a lot of
work? Yes. Interbase consultants are hard to find. Sybase not so
difficult.
Main areas of converting?
Sybase's Transact-SQL is slightly different than Interbase's more
"pure" SQL. However, Interbase achieved relative SQL purity by
placing its non-standard features into its own proprietary language
GDML which is not like SQL (it is very much superior to SQL IMHO :)
Therefore, if your Interbase application uses non-SQL standard
features, then these need to be re-written in SQL. That is, if your
implementation uses triggers, Blobs, Arrays, 2-phase commit or event
alerters, then you may have difficulty moving them to Sybase (triggers
and blobs might not be too bad - the other features, I believe, are
unique to Interbase).
Stan
My opinions...