Open Source Databases Won't Fly

"Though
my heart is with open source, my mind suggests that it is unlikely..."

It is with a mixture of anticipation, trepidation, and even a hope of being
proved wrong, that I write this article. Database technology, especially
relational database technology, with its full regalia of query and transaction
processing smarts, is a key to setting free the full potential of information
systems. Having indicated these mandatory cliched phrases, it is nonetheless
accurate to say that information storage, retrieval and management is the most
important aspect of the information revolution that we are living through.
However, the details–and recall where the devil is–are not easily grasped,
implemented or deployed.

Now certainly, you will not disagree that commercial databases have been
wildly successful and time-tested. And in doing so, various problems have been
recognized and solved or resolved (eg consider data independence). While open
source systems are far newer and lithe, one still encounters problems in using
them; eventually, they too will come to be similar in spirit to the commercial
efforts: old wine in new bottles, or vice versa? And then there is the issue of
installed base of legacy systems.

Significant is my lament as regards the lack of rigor in coding and
programming. While there are relatively few well-accepted coding standards, at
least the importance of issues such as careful documentation, checking for the
logic in the programs written, maintenance of the versions, all contribute to
errors.

Now, let’s discuss something I do know. And so, let us quickly deal with
the typical reasons why open source databases are regarded as being inadequate,
and with which I agree. The first is the issue of relatively weak query
processing support in such systems. Second, there is the larger issue of
transaction processing support. And transactions are admittedly more complex
than even query processing.

Even open source proponents believe commercial database systems will prevail.
I share the view that open source databases will co-exist with their commercial
counterparts. To assess the likelihood, consider the points that are said to
serve as the accelerators for open source systems...

First, systems that need to be reliable, scalable, and stable (i.e., that
would be every system from my perspective!), are expected to be amenable to open
source development. A second factor is that the applications be such that
verifying their correctness is difficult. The third is that in cases where
"control" over the software, presumably to manage and modify it, is
needed, open source systems are suitable.

A fourth factor suggests that where the common computing and communications
infrastructure is supported by software, open source systems will prevail.

Fifth, and finally, areas in which key methods are well known will fare
better with open source development. And if the reader is still paying
attention, he will realize that my argument has been that database technology is
quite otherwise.

Time for some reconciliation. Having said all of the above, let me also
mention that I believe open source database systems will serve to provide the
means to run pilot projects, teach people, as well as for relatively small
projects. They will be wonderful in these cases, where one would not want to use
a heavyweight commercial system: where a flyswatter would work well, a cannon
would be disastrous Besides, it would be vastly cheaper–it always boils down
to the money, I am afraid. And now, I must find myself a bomb shelter…

Prof Nandit Soparkar is a faculty member at the University of Michigan. His
research includes transaction processing, datamining and analyses technology and
logic-enhanced memory