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From: "lham...@mountainsidesoftware.com" <lham...@mountainsidesoftware.com>
To: mvd...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Fri, April 26, 2013 3:14:34 PM
Subject: [mvdbms] mvBase Transaction Logging or Transactions with boundaries
We currently use mvBase as our database of choice. While transaction logging gives our customers some protection from catastrophic system failure, we would like to see Begin Transaction, Commit and Rollback added for true transaction processing. We have approached TigerLogic in the past with no success. Before I re-open that conversation, I wanted to try an assess whether there is enough interest in the developer community (not just us) to pursue it further. The alternative is to abandon our favorite database in favor of D3 or another multi-value derivative.
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Dan Ell
I of course am biased, but jBASE transaction journaling takes about 10 minutes to set up and transaction logging is included. We also offer a full MV Suite for conversion from mvBASE. I of course would recommend Linux, but it will work as well or better than any of the multi-value databases on Windows as well.
Dan Ell
Tony Gravagno
mvBase is an old platform, carried forward by GA and then PS/RD/TL. At the core it hasn't been enhanced much beyond its ADDS foundations. Most mvBase apps are existing and in the field, and most developers aren't inclined to make huge changes like transaction bracketing. There just isn't enough bang for the buck. It's tough to convince sites that have been running this platform happily for decades that they need something new to make sure it continues to work well for them. So on one hand, I don't think you're going to get much traction from the user/developer community on this initiative.
On the other hand, TigerLogic has been moving mvBase forward along with D3 for over a decade. I'm pleasantly surprised they didn't deprecate it, urging sites to migrate to D3. I think they would have lost that gambit, because as we've seen there are other companies eager to provide migrations. So mvBase has been getting respectable enhancements now through v3 for connectivity, web development, etc.
If I were you I would begin the process of evaluating other platforms for those clients who are going to be willing to pay for your new features. You can take this in two phases - first port the code to get 1-for-1 functionality, then start enhancing the new DBMS code with the features you value. Use coding techniques which allow you to use the same code set in both platforms so that you don't have two versions. (My code is exactly the same for at least six different platforms.)
As to which platform?
QM is fine software and I encourage everyone to take it for a spin. But for your purposes I believe the shift would be too great. jBase is also fine software but the shift is even greater than that of QM. You want an evolutionary update, not a revolutionary change just to get back to where you are now. The same goes for U2, Reality, Caché, and Revelation. There's just too much of an "impedance mismatch". For other applications I would have a different opinion - and I have advocated all of these other platforms at one point or another in various scenarios.
D3 and mvBase come from similar roots. D3 came from R83 and then AP. mvBase came from R83 to ADDS. D3 and mvBase have a number of differences but they are in enhancements made beyond the platform, not fundamental differences in the platform as with the others. With D3 you can also make the transition gradually with the same vendor/partner, and the same engineering and support teams. The documentation looks the same now, and like I said, there are now many features in common which allow you to continue using the friendly and familiar mvBase with some of the same features in D3. You'll also be able to expand to Linux if that's in your business plan - which seems to be a selling point for the competition but really you have the same option here. If at some point TL does enhance mvBase with transaction bracketing, you can encourage them to follow the same coding conventions as in D3, allowing you to use the same code base for both platforms.
No doubt, D3 is different and there is a learning curve. But as someone who sells and supports these platforms and uses them every day (and I use the others quite frequently as well), I'm suggesting that if you do adopt another platform to get the features you want, D3 presents the least amount of pain with the most benefits.
I also suggest you post your query to the TigerLogic forum where you have a slightly different audience than here - probably more mvBase developers and VARs.
HTH
Tony Gravagno
Nebula Research and Development
TG@ remove.pleaseNebula-RnD.com
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