NetFlash: The open source database trend

The notion of basing critical business work on an open source database might have been unthinkable just a couple years ago. But things are changing rapidly.

One of the biggest improvements will occur next month when MySQL ships its open source database with clustering support. Basically the product will let users cluster the MySQL database across various hardware and software platforms, including the Linux, Windows, and Solaris operating platforms and Intel and Sparc hardware. Most observers say this will be one of the breakthroughs that truly make open source databases take off.

As we noted in a recent Special Focus (https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/0315specialfocus.html) there is other evidence these databases are gaining poplar acceptance.  Among them:

* Use of MySQL grew over 30% in 2003, according a database survey by Evans Data Corp. In the same period, use of Microsoft SQL Server and Access grew just 6%.

* PostgreSQL 7.5, due out around June, will run on Win32 platforms for the first time, offer a passel of performance improvements, partition data more efficiently, and may include support for two-phase commit, which is vital for transaction processing.

If you have any experiences you’d like to share about these databases let me know.

Mgmt. matters: Toronto Star minimizes mainframe costs

As the end of 2002 neared, Rick Takashima knew he had to find another way to support the one mainframe in his predominantly Microsoft Windows 2000 and Sun Solaris environment.

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/0316mm2.html?net

IBM targets 40,000 Linux desktops by 2005

IBM hopes to have 40,000 Linux desktop users within the company by year-end, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the computer giant thinks everyone should move to the Linux desktop, an IBM executive said this week at the Open Source Business Conference in San Francisco.

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/0316ibmtarge.html?net

Fix the patch update system

After last summer’s Blaster outbreak – which would have been much shorter-lived if users patched more Windows machines – there’s been considerable debate about why users are slow to apply necessary security patches.

https://www.nwfusion.com/columnists/2004/0315testerschallenge.html?net

Today on Layer 8

Before you blow the foam off your green beer, click on over and check out the following: why the Palm and other tech gadgets owe it all to Star Trek; Dot Com Guy bids adieu to his name; how to get all the NCAA tourney games easily scheduled into your Outlook; play What’s Bill Saying? in our weekly caption contest; all that and more today at your home for the not-just-networking news.

https://www.nwfusion.com/weblogs/layer8/?net