[Zope] (OT) Re: [Zope] sybase - hmmm

[Bill Anderson]

Andrew Kenneth Milton wrote:
> 
> +----[ Dr. Ross Lazarus ]---------------------------------------------
> | I know that zope runs on everything else, but how do we reconcile the
> | DC/Sybase partnership announced late last year
> 
> [ snip... ]
> 
> | We're becoming a sybase/zope/linux dependent outfit; to whom should I
> | email my concerns - or is it time to move to another SQL backend?
> 
> They picked the wrong free UNIX platform. Linux has a whole lot of
> machines installed, but, not too many of them would be deployed in an
> Enterprise environment, where people would be happy to pay money for
> licenses.

Whilst I would ordinarily agree with some ofthis, in the case of Sybase, I have to disagree. I work primarily at a
company called Hewlett Packard, not exactly a small company. We have service contracts with Sybase on NT and HP-UX
(suprise). After over six months of trying to get sybase to work with us on getting the appropriate libraries to us to
compile the SybaseDA on HP-UX, and then being told it must be faulty programming on the part of whomever developed the
adapter, we gave up.

This experience has left a real bad taste in my mouth regarding sybase.

The good side of the coin, is that we dumped Sybase for the, and moved to straight ZODB. :)


The claim that Linux is not deployed in Enterprise environments is uninformed at best. The most recent announcement came
from Google, which claims 4000+ Linux servers. Clearly an enterpise environment. 
( http://www.internetwk.com/lead/lead060100.htm )

HP is migrating many, many Enterprise Servers from NT and even HPUX to Linux boxes, in addition to porting Linux to
their hardware (PA-RISC), and their tools to Linux. I am personally aware of over 600 machines deployed in that
particular enterprise, and the number literally grows weekly.

And, of course, there is IBM.

> An OS heavily promoted by one specific individual who doesn't really believe
> in commercial software doesn't seem like the ultimate platform to aim
> high-priced internet application software at.

While I don't mean any offense, your characterization here is both unwarranted and unfounded. ESR and Linus (not sure
exactly whom you refer to) both believe in commercial software just fine. 

In addition, if you look at the largest promoters of Linux, you will not find any one individual. Rather, you will find
an array of companies, of all sizes; from ISP's to ol' Big Blue. IBM, for example, is in the process of porting most
everything they have to Linux. And they do it for commercial reasons.

 
> I think you'll find that Sybase the DB will still be released for Linux,
> just not their Internet Application Suite, which is a different kettle
> of fish.

IIRC, this is accurate.


--
Do not meddle in the affairs of sysadmins, for they are easy to annoy,
and have the root password.