BO Database Engines

3 minute read

Differences between Database Engines

For different types of requirements, SQL Anywhere, Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle are totally different products. In using more than two databases there may be a cost/management issue. If the people overseeing the maintenance of databases have the knowledge of maintaining different databases, there is no problem in having two, or three different database engines. If, however, they are not - then the best option is to set up so that there is only one and use the one in which the maintenance team have the most knowledge in. This will save time and cost come to disaster/recovery and normal day-to-day maintenance/support.

Differences between these three database engines have been mentioned below.

SAP SQL Anywhere

Pros

  • It queries large set of data and has a speedy run time.
  • With the rate at which data is going with Internet of All things, SQL Anywhere cuts across database applications outside of traditional data centers in which department data’s are stored.
  • The amazing thing about SQL Anywhere is the relational standard it maintains as a structured language that works across any DB. Yes, you might need to adopt some changes within the environment DB you are working; however, its important to know SQL itself to help archive data goals.

Cons

  • SQL Anywhere does not have any In-memory capabilities.
  • More functional functionalities should be added to the object explore when working with a table to transform data/manipulate data.

Recommendation

  • It is well suited if an organization does not currently have a DB they are running. They can procure and run with SQL Anywhere. It is not suited if an organization currently runs a licensed DB such as MS, Oracle etc. except if they want to sync the DB’s to have a more robust data center.

Microsoft SQL Server

Pros

  • If configured correctly with the proper hardware, SQL Server can be incredibly powerful, delivering millions of data points in the blink of an eye
  • If you’re just starting with relational databases, you would probably be fine with opting for an open source solution. However, if you need a solution that can handle an enormous number of requests and return results with considerable speed, SQL is worth researching to see if it fits your needs.
  • Managing database using SQL Server Management studio provides very good flexibility.

Cons

  • The latest implementation of SSIS does not work as well as the previous versions when it comes to importing datasets from Access or Excel files. Rather than using the datatypes in those source files, it tried to figure out the datatypes by looking at the first few columns. This is the drawback.
  • It would be good if SQL Server came equipped code checking. We currently use SQL Enlight to ensure that our code meets certain standards.

Recommendation

SQL Server is better equipped for larger companies due to licensing and maintenance cost. Smaller companies or individuals are probably better suited to use MySQL since it’s free. However, the support Microsoft gives for SQL server has to be weighed, it’s one of the reasons we are willing to pay the extra costs.

Oracle

Pros

  • Robustness, the way it handles relational databases as well as other services required for a fault-tolerant database environment.
  • Consistency, the reliability of the fact that data is being consistently stored in each transaction.
  • Ease of configuration.
  • Integration with third-party applications.

Cons

  • It is pretty expensive, it makes more sense to buy this product if you have a lot of transactions per second.
  • Integration with Microsoft technologies is not as good as Microsoft SQL servers.
  • There have been times where updating the database has resulted in some functionality (i.e. keywords, tuning methods, etc.) to be deprecated which has required to rewrite code.

Recommendation

Oracle Database is very efficient and stable. If you have the money to spend and care a lot about security and availability, then Oracle Database can be a great option. If you’re a start-up or don’t want to pay anything, there are multiple free alternatives like Postgres and MySQL. Oracle also integrates nicely with many other applications and services, so it might be a good solution depending on your particular platform.