Databases and Database Tools

In the Beginning

My focus in the computer area is and has been organizing and structuring information in databases. I've been involved with this type of applications this since the mid 80's and things has evolved a great deal since then. In the beginning I was working with "small" computers, then called "minicomputers" that had a couple of 5Mb replaceable disks and a couple of hundreds of Kb of memory. The development was as quick then as it is now and bigger and more complex software were developed.
I started working with a database from a company called Henco, They have used ideas (system R) from IBM and called their software Henco's INFO and INFO-Text. One factor that was and is important is that the structuring of data and information is done in an way that is easy to understand and grasp. Table and rows, very simple!

Selling SQL

There were a constant struggle to convince people that relational databases was useful and could be made fast enough to be used in professional and demanding applications. There were a long time when the debate about the standard of the database language was high, and if databases should be SQL-based or something else. The discussion was intense of how and if the relational database ever could be used in demanding applications or serious transactional systems where also hot during almost 10 years.
Databases has developed a long way from that and SQL has been the defacto standard language for relational databases the last 20 years now and even though there are Object oriented / Non-Relational databases that are gaining acceptance, and will replace today's systems in the future, relational databases and SQL will be used for a long time yet.

What Database?

There are a number of SQL RDBMS's available from different vendors like: Oracle, IBM (Informix), Microsoft, Sybase, Progress etc. And the fundamental theoretical design it is based on, is theoretical work done in the 70's, mostly done by IBM.

If your requirements is for a datastorge, "just a relational database", and your feature requirement list is short, you could use one of the Open source databases. It depends on your development strategy, and factors like, what other software you are using, how active and engaged you and your team are, or want to be, in setting up your own knowledge-base and local support for the software you chosen, and what level of control that you want of your software?

Look for a software solution that suits your business needs best and that does what you want it to do.

The choice of a software vendor and a software solution will make you spend a large part of your money and time with that "partner" so you better make a choice that you want to live with for a long time.

I am influenced by the long period I have worked for Oracle, it is a great company with a lot of good people and products. And oracle has the most advanced and full featured database around, years ahead of many other products when it comes to functionality and versatility.