Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Entity–attribute–value model wikipedia , lookup
Commitment ordering wikipedia , lookup
Global serializability wikipedia , lookup
Microsoft Access wikipedia , lookup
Serializability wikipedia , lookup
Versant Object Database wikipedia , lookup
Relational model wikipedia , lookup
Concurrency control wikipedia , lookup
Database model wikipedia , lookup
Assess Oracle’s Role in the Enterprise Database Strategy Introduction “If all application vendors supported both Oracle and SQL Server, we would try to simplify our lives by eliminating one, probably Oracle. But we cannot eliminate SQL either, because the opposite is also true; there are applications that we have that don't provide Oracle as an option. So it turns out that we have to keep multiple platforms." -- Info-Tech Client This research is designed for: CIOs or IT directors. Data center managers. Shops with Oracle databases. Shops that are considering Oracle. This research will help you: This research is not designed for: Save grief by having a strategy that mitigates the top databaserelated challenges. Database administrators (DBAs). Those looking for the technical details of database management. Info-Tech Research Group Save money by reducing licensing costs. Save time by minimizing complexity and increasing automation. 2 Understand • Oracle is used by the majority of businesses for their critical enterprise apps. It is also a relatively expensive database platform. • Determine Oracle’s fit with your organization, and if it is necessary to keep paying for it. Use an inventory to document app dependencies and other factors that limit changes to the database ecosystem. • Cautiously consider virtualization and cloud database options. Decide • Make a final decision on what to do with Oracle: ditch it, downgrade it, or deal with it. Use Info-Tech’s Oracle Necessity Assessment Tool to help in your decision. • Calculate TCO by fully understanding the myriad licensing options and features that Oracle offers. Use Info-Tech’s Oracle TCO Tool to help calculate and document potential costs… they may surprise you. • Compare with other database options and tie up loose ends to decide on a database solution that is optimal for the business. Strategize Executive Summary • Certain database practices are more successful than others; know which activities the happiest Oracle customers engage in. • Know the top database challenges identified by Info-Tech clients. • Develop a strategy that simplifies the database collection to its leanest and meanest, then optimizes it to mitigate and meet the top challenges. Info-Tech Research Group 3 Oracle users don’t just use Oracle; develop a strategy that involves the whole messy database collection The enterprise database is not a heterogeneous environment, but most IT leaders wish it was. • Databases are not “greenfield”; nobody wakes up and decides to go buy a database. • 93% of Oracle users also own at least one other database platform. Yet, cross-platform database management was identified as the largest databaserelated challenge. • Simplify. Reevaluate Oracle’s fit in your business’s database collection. If Oracle stays, review licensing to identify savings in cost and management hassle. • Calculate. Use this set to determine exact costs. The results are often surprising. Info-Tech Research Group • Come out of this solution set with fewer database platforms, fewer operating systems, and/or fewer servers. Then formulate a plan to deal with the top database-related challenges. 4 Understand where Oracle fits in; it might not be with you Oracle Database Strategy Roadmap Understand Decide Strategize I • Figure out if Oracle Database is the right fit for your organization. • Gather application and infrastructure needs to understand the limits of database reconfiguration. • Dump Oracle if it doesn’t fit. If it does, develop strategies that maximize efficiency and minimize cost. 5 Determine Oracle’s fit with your organization’s size & complexity Large organizations, or those with complex database requirements, will benefit most from Oracle over other database options. • An Info-Tech survey found that large organizations are more satisfied with Oracle (performance, availability, management complexity, security, and backup) than small organizations. • Despite paying more for Oracle, large organizations are most satisfied with what they pay for it. • Satisfaction with Oracle itself was linked with satisfaction with its price. Organizations that pay too much for Oracle are also unhappy with its features. • Some of Oracle’s features, whether built-in or available as paid add-ons, are only necessary in a complex database ecosystem where performance would suffer without them. If features go unused, the premium paid for Oracle is wasted money. Info-Tech Recommends: If your database needs are simple, Oracle may not be the right fit for you. Consider a consolidation plan that cuts costs by cutting down on Oracle licenses, or migrating away from Oracle entirely. Info-Tech Research Group 6 Determine Oracle’s fit with your organization’s database purposes Oracle is the preferred database platform for critical enterprise applications and reporting, but SQL Server is not far behind. • Oracle DB and SQL Server are the top two database platforms used by Info-Tech clients. • Oracle is preferred for enterprise apps, warehousing, and BI. It is also used far more for online transaction processing. • SQL is, however, still common among most use cases. • For critical apps, Oracle has a slight advantage, but SQL is a viable alternative for many businesses. Info-Tech Research Group 7 Review app dependencies to determine the limits on your ability to make database platform changes Application limitations can leave IT’s hands tied • Today, many apps come pre-packaged with their own database management and support. • This limitation can force IT to add new databases that come tagging along with new apps. • Such ties can also prevent consolidation if a critical app (whether developed internally or from a third party) only supports one database. You may be stuck with that database until the app is no longer needed or updated to support the consolidation target. • Work around app limits to identify where changes for the better can be made. Case Study: Oracle as a Black Box The business: MCCG Inc.; provides software solutions for insurance companies. They manage the Oracle databases. Their customers’ hands are tied; they have no choice but to use the DB that comes with the solutions. Info-Tech Research Group This limitation is also a benefit. There is no choice in database platforms, but it is not a big deal because management and tuning are handled by the software provided. Flexibility is traded for simplicity. “We abstract most of the Oracle administration away from the client. It's essentially a black box for them. We maintain it. Now, a few of our companies have IT shops, so we integrate with them as much as possible, but in general, we have one code base that we then deploy across our 30 clients.” – Steve Goris, VP of Research & Development 8 Use the Database Inventory Tool to inventory apps & hardware, and identify where there is freedom to cut Regular assessment of apps & hardware can identify opportunities to cut down on database licenses or consolidate platforms. • The Database Inventory Tool is a workbook to help you keep track of apps & hardware. • Why inventory? An Info-Tech survey found that regular inventorying was strongly related with Oracle success. • Follow the included instructions to record data that will inform database decisions, and identify opportunities for cutting down on database platforms or operating systems and reduce TCO. Info-Tech Recommends: Info-Tech’s solution set, Manage Software Assets Efficiently, may also be useful for keeping track of applications. Info-Tech Research Group 9 Beware of other factors that stand in the way of database re-platforming Even if the decision to move off of Oracle is made, it might be derailed by the people and situations that compel you to “remain with Larry.” Corporate Standardization • Especially in large companies, a desire for consistency between departments and locations can force the choice of database platform—even if it is not always the optimal one. Skill Sets Unplanned Downtime • If IT staff are already familiar with a platform, switching to another one can be expensive and difficult. Oracle, especially, can require specialized skills; moving off of it may be seen as wasting talent. Ego Unplanned Downtime • People can get attached to IT choices. Oracle’s advanced features may also attract people who want to use them, whether needed or not; it is difficult to resist the allure of “nerd cred.” • Non-technical issues can also work the other way (see quote, right). Info-Tech Research Group “Unfortunately, in a larger company, the job of the CIO is about politics , budget, whatever personal agenda they have and bragging rights among his peers. A new CIO has to make his boss think he's the right man for the job by doing something impulsive (e.g. get a new database, re-engineer something that's been working extremely well for the last 100 years) without consulting anyone. So, they are going to put the entire IT department through hell the next few years with user complaints and firefighting (because stuff that was working, all of a sudden stopped working).” -- Sherman Chen, IT Director, Health Legal Service 10 Don’t forget the operating system; it matters for performance & management complexity • Oracle is internally developed on Linux then ported to UNIX and Windows. The resulting OS deployment flexibility allows Oracle to find a home in nearly any enterprise. • Therefore, if the majority of your server architecture is Windows, then adopting Oracle on that OS leverages existing management tools and processes, resulting in improved TCO. • However, the majority of businesses run on UNIX: • And a case can be made for Linux too: “Even in an MS environment, if I were to put up an Oracle database, I would rather put it on a Linux box than on an MS box, knowing that I can have better performance and uptime on a Linux box . Not to mention all the restarts one has to do on a weekly basis because of memory leaks and weekly critical/security update from MS.” -- Sherman Chen, IT Director, Health Legal Service Info-Tech Recommends: Take advantage of Oracle’s flexibility. Run it on the OS that is the least hassle for your organization, and use the Database Inventory Tool to find opportunities for simplifying the OS situation. Info-Tech Research Group 11 Info-Tech Helps Professionals To: Sign up for free trial membership to get practical Solutions for your IT challenges “Info-Tech helps me to be proactive instead of reactive - a cardinal rule in stable and leading edge IT environment.” - ARCS Commercial Mortgage Co., LP