[comp.databases] How to pick a DBMS

riddle@woton.UUCP (09/18/87)

My boss has just informed me that I am on a committee which is supposed to
select a DBMS for use in all of our hospitals around the country.  Since I
will have a lot of learning to do if I am going to help make an intelligent
decision, I thought I would start by asking for some advice.  I am interested
in the following:

(1)  In general, how would you go about evaluating a DBMS?  Is there a good
published guide to the subject? 

(2)  What do you think about the following criteria which have been handed to
the committee by higher-ups?  (I confess that I don't even know what all the
buzzwords mean!  Yet.)

    -- Common data dictionary.  Provides standardization of language and data
       elements.  Must be flexible and have ability to be changed. 
    
    -- Query language / ad hoc report writer / statistics / forms
    
    -- Prototyping
    
    -- Fourth generation language. 
       -- cross multiple mainframes
       -- program generator
       -- development processing
       -- linkage to lower level languages
       -- compiler (hardware specific)
       -- interface out/in with standard file techniques for file transfer
          (e.g. Lotus, dBase II/III/+, R Base V, Informix, SQL, etc.)
    
    -- Total compatibility across hardware.  [They don't say this, but they
       want it to at least work in Vax/VMS and Unix System V environments.]
    
    -- Friendly/flexible user input interface (MacIntosh type)
    
    -- Graphics/images/animation as a data element
    
    -- Full network support / distributed processing
    
    -- Fast < 3 second screen-to-screen response
    
    -- Security levels (to be data element level)
    
    -- Shadowing capabilities
    
    -- Interface with statistical package

(3)  What are the pros and cons of the following candidates?

	Focus		IBM-SQL		IDS-2		Informix
	Ingres		Mantis		Nomad		Oracle

As usual, please post responses of widespread general interest to the net;
please send more specific comments directly to me and I will summarize.
Thank you.

--- Prentiss Riddle ("Aprendiz de todo, maestro de nada.")
--- Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Shriners Burns Institute.
--- riddle@woton.UUCP  {ihnp4,harvard}!ut-sally!im4u!woton!riddle

mjr@well.UUCP (09/21/87)

DBMS evaluation is both a MANAGEMENT and a TECHNICAL subject.  One must
know about the applications and/or range of applications being considered,
the programming talent available to the organization, prior experience
of the development group, nature of the applications (DP vs. MIS/DS or
hybrid's, etc.).  There is much to consider.  An excellent starting
reference in my book is James Martin's "Managing the Data Base
Environment" Prentice-Hall 1983.  I am doing a workshop on this
very subject in Feb. in S.F., and have some 20 pages of notes so
far I would be glad to discuss if you desire.  Sometimes the mail
link between the well and the outside is not the most reliable, but
I will try if I can help!