On The Margins

Saturday July 19, 2008

[ Code ] ACM Queue Magazine

Craig Russell (of Sun Microsystems Inc.) has written the lead article of ACM Queue special issue on object relational mapping (ORM): "Bridging the Object-Relational Divide". The opening sentence provides the motivation most succinctly: "Modern applications are built using two very different technologies: object-oriented programming for business logic; and relational databases for data storage."

2008-07-19 21:19:27.0 -- Comments [0] ; Permalink ; Trackback.
databases object-oriented object-relational orm persistence programming software technology

Friday July 11, 2008

[ Technology ] DTrace Envy

A colleague in our PostgreSQL team just pointed me to a "little" note on DTrace, which seems to be ignited by the work that Robert Lor and Jignesh Shah have been doing. (The PG presentation involving the Mac OS and DTrace is Robert's)

2008-07-11 00:03:02.0 -- ; Permalink ; Trackback.
databases dtrace linux open-source programming solaris technology

Wednesday June 18, 2008

[ Technology ] PostgreSQL Surveys

PostgreSQL.org community pages contain some interesting surveys.

2008-06-18 00:22:43.0 -- ; Permalink ; Trackback.
databases postgresql software surveys technology

Sunday June 15, 2008

[ Technology ] A PostgreSQL Monitor

Jignesh Shah has implemented a simple PostgreSQL monitor using Netbeans 6.1, which also has facilities to make packaging and distribution of a Java app much easier.

2008-06-15 22:24:14.0 -- ; Permalink ; Trackback.
databases monitor postgresql

Monday June 02, 2008

[ Technology ] Community Statistics for Netbeans Database Usage

"The database support in NetBeans allows users to connect to a database and view and modify the database structure and data. These graphs show which database servers users connect to most often." Of particular note, besides the large usage of MySQL and Oracle, is the large usage of Java DB (Derby), and the significant PostgreSQL usage.

2008-06-02 13:20:38.0 -- ; Permalink ; Trackback.
databases development java javadb mysql netbeans opensource postgresql programming server software technology tools

Thursday May 22, 2008

[ Networks ] PGCon 2008

After two days of PostgreSQL tutorials, several evenings of gatherings and a hackers' meeting, PGCon 2008 sessions began today.

Yesterday, Yahoo did make an important announcement having to do with their leveraging of PostgreSQL source base to build a system to run the largest database in the world. Reports of Yahoo's work can be found at InformationWeek ("Yahoo Claims Record with Petabyte Database") and ComputerWorld ("Size Matters: Yahoo Claims 2-Petabyte Database is the World's Biggest").

I wrote this while sitting in Andrew Sullivan's session on PostgreSQL project management. During Q&A, people discussed how to manage various feature proposals.

I should probably note here that a couple of weeks before the PGCon, we heard about a major US research institution looking into 64 bit PostgreSQL on Solaris for a large astronomy project.

(Note: Sun Microsystems already sells PostgreSQL support for Solaris. You can also learn more about OpenSolaris and databases for OpenSolaris, here.) 

2008-05-22 08:53:11.0 -- ; Permalink ; Trackback.
databases opensource postgresql

Saturday May 10, 2008

[ Technology ] DTrace Probes for Databases

Robert Lor has listed potential standard DTrace probes for databases and some PostgreSQL-specific probes.

2008-05-10 04:22:10.0 -- ; Permalink ; Trackback.
databases dtrace monitoring performance postgresql probes

Thursday May 08, 2008

[ Sun Microsystems Inc. ] Who Dons the Java DB T-Shirt

Giuseppe Maxia took this picture at JavaOne, 2008, just a couple of days ago. It shows Marten Mickos (MySQL) donning the Java DB T-Shirt and giving a friendly hug to PostgreSQL evangelist Josh Berkus. That's how the story of the three open-source databases from Sun will keep unfolding. Many observers have noted that customers and developers will have great choices to work with: the premier open-source DB for web applications, the premier open-source DB for demanding enterprise and reporting applications, and the premier open-source DB for embedding in Java applications. All from the same company. Sun!

2008-05-08 23:41:34.0 -- ; Permalink ; Trackback.
databases javadb javaone mysql postgresql sun

Monday April 28, 2008

[ Technology ] Java DB 10.4.1

The 10.4.1 version of Java DB, the world's most advanced Java database, has some really cool features -- asynchronous replication, table functions and JMX capabilities.

Sun engineers worked within the Apache/Derby community to develop these features: A great team. A great product. A great community! 

If you're a serious user of Java DB (and/or of Apache Derby) and plan to use this product in your business, you should consider the multi-platform, software support services for Java DB -- Sun's distribution of Apache Derby -- available at some amazing bargain prices at various service plan levels.

Sun provides support service plans for Java DB, which is, for all practical purposes, identical to Apache Derby.

2008-04-28 18:05:26.0 -- Comments [3] ; Permalink ; Trackback.
databases java services software support technology

Friday April 25, 2008

[ Technology ] Tolven Health PostgreSQL Benchmark

Tolven Health has published a benchmarking study with PostgreSQL on Solaris. The purpose of the study was to "to assess the scalability and performance characteristics of the Tolven open source healthcare information technology solution and to provide guidance for customers with regards to hardware requirements for enterprise, state, regional, and country wide deployments."

2008-04-25 16:38:35.0 -- ; Permalink ; Trackback.
databases directory postgresql solaris sun sunfire zfs

Tuesday April 08, 2008

[ Business ] Open Source Databases on the Rise

Christopher Lawton of The Wall Street Journal reports on the rise of the open source databases: The potential benefits in cost and flexibility have not been lost on customers. The market for open-source databases is expected to grow 35% to $270 million this year from $200 million in 2007, according to Gartner Inc. Among the earliest adopters are midsized companies, which don't always need the high-end features of conventional databases, says Carl Olofson, analyst with IDC, a market-research firm. For example, Sun Microsystems Inc. provides supported offerings of MySQL, PostgreSQL and Java DB (Apache / Derby) to its customers. If you're interested in discussion and community around open source database technologies for Solaris, see here.

2008-04-08 19:15:34.0 -- ; Permalink ; Trackback.
business community databases economics opensource software solaris sun systems technology

Wednesday April 02, 2008

[ Technology ] The Conference Around the Corner

For those living in the Silicon Valley and working on software for the Web, one of the best technology conferences of the year will arrive literally around the corner: MySQL Conference & Expo, April 14 to 17, 2008, here in Santa Clara California. 

2008-04-02 00:53:50.0 -- ; Permalink ; Trackback.
community databases software technology

Thursday March 20, 2008

[ Sun Microsystems Inc. ] OSDB Events

The best way to learn about major open source databases (e.g. MySQL, PostgreSQL, etc.) is to attend developer and user conferences. Sun Microsystems sponsors many of these conferences and events. (This April, you can catch Sun folks attending the MySQL conference in Santa Clara, and in May, you can catch them at PGCon in Ottawa.) Finally, if you're interested in Sun technologies and databases, you should become a member of the OpenSolaris Databases Community and start contributing.

2008-03-20 01:06:17.0 -- ; Permalink ; Trackback.
community databases developers opensolaris opensource software solaris sun technology

Thursday February 07, 2008

[ Sun Microsystems Inc. ] Three Open Source Databases in Solaris SXDE 1/08

These three open-source databases, now in OpenSolaris SXDE 1/08, offer all the needed features for most of the applications out there.

"Three databases to run them all"...

... and of course, Sun offers solutions with commercial database vendors, like the Sun and Oracle's Enterprise Grid Solutions.

2008-02-07 22:39:32.0 -- Comments [4] ; Permalink ; Trackback.
apache databases derby mysql open-solaris open-source postgresql sxde

[ Sun Microsystems Inc. ] SXDE 1/08 is Released!

Sun Microsystems has released Solaris Express Developer Edition 1/08, Sun's free OpenSolaris-based distribution targeted at developers.

This release brings together integrated web stack (Apache, MySQL, Ruby, Php, PostgreSQL), NetBeans 6.0, interoperability with Microsoft's CIFS protocol, support for virtual machines via Sun xVM hypervisor, based on  technology developed by the Xen community, Sun HPC ClusterTools based on the Open MPI effort.

There are three ways to acquire Solaris Express Developer Edition 1/08: (1) Free download; (2) Have a free DVD mailed to you (at no cost); (3) Download a VMware SXDE 1/08 virtual machine.

2008-02-07 21:33:40.0 -- ; Permalink ; Trackback.
apache databases microsoft mysql netbeans php postgresql ruby virtualization xen

Tuesday February 05, 2008

[ Technology ] PostgreSQL 8.3 is Released

Josh Berkus has just announced the release of PostgreSQL 8.3. Bjorn Munch has posted a note on the release of the Solaris binaries for PostgreSQL 8.3 on the OpenSolaris database community discussion forum. Munch also has a wiki entry that describes how to build PostgreSQL for youself. (Important note: As should be expected, Sun provides support only for PostgreSQL versions that it itself ships with Solaris. While this should be kept in mind, we also like developers to know how to build and develop PostgreSQL on Solaris. Hence the wiki entry!) This, I believe, is the first time official Solaris binaries of a GA release of PostgreSQL become available also through PostgreSQL.org. About this release, there has been a lot of commentary in the press and in blogsphere. These were forwarded by a colleague. I selected some of the news and blog items below, giving the relevant links:

• PostreSQL 8.3 ups performance, XML support -- Computerworld AU, 2/5

• PostgreSQL 8.3: UUID, XML, ENUMs… -- Orangeis My Favorite Color, 2/4

• PostgreSQL 8.3 Released -- AjaxLine (also appeared on Massimiliano Dessì's blog), 2/4

• PostgreSQL 8.3 Released -- UNIX System Administration, 2/4

• Postgresql 8.3 released -- Profoss News, 2/4

If interested, you should also consult the official PostgreSQL 8.3 release announcement.

Finally, I would also recommend checking out Sun PostgreSQL web site and the OpenSolaris database community for discussion and other topics related to PostgreSQL and databases in general!

Addenda:

"Open Source PostgreSQL 8.3 Better Suited For Web Applications: New features include a full text search tool, improved overall throughput, and ANSI standard SQL/XML support ," InformationWeek, 2/7

2008-02-05 18:13:20.0 -- ; Permalink ; Trackback.
databases open-solaris postgresql programming solaris technology

Wednesday January 30, 2008

[ Technology ] Buying PostgreSQL support got easier

Buying support for PostgreSQL on Solaris has become much easier.

Just click "Buy Now" on the PostgreSQL support page and you'll be on your way.

2008-01-30 17:59:51.0 -- ; Permalink ; Trackback.
databases enterprise opensource postgresql server software sun support technology

[ Technology ] Data History

I took this picture in 2006 near the Sun MPK Cafeteria. I find it historically interesting!

2008-01-30 15:59:07.0 -- ; Permalink ; Trackback.
data databases history software solaris sun technology

Thursday January 24, 2008

[ Technology ] The Friendly Elephant and the Rising Elephine

Amol Chiplunkar describes his experience migrating an application to PostgreSQL. Here's how he describes the server requirements met by PostgreSQL.

Courtesy of Petr Zahradnik

The product has a central server layer that collects data from tens or sometimes hundreds of systems periodically. The collected data needs to be processed and stored in the database for generating reports and graphs. The data retainment policy is to keep on rolling it up so that the data stays over a long duration at a gradually reducing granularity level with time. Which means the freshly collected data should be the most granular while the older data should be summarized over a period of time and purged out as and when required.

In the meantime, Bjorn Munch describes how to build PostgreSQL for Open Solaris ... and Zdenek Kotala presents the "rising elephine" ...

2008-01-24 14:22:44.0 -- ; Permalink ; Trackback.
databases migration open-solaris programming solaris technology

Friday January 18, 2008

[ Sun Microsystems Inc. ] James Gosling, Monty Widenius, David Axmark, and Brian Aker on Sun's Acquisition of MySQL

2008-01-18 13:57:54.0 -- ; Permalink ; Trackback.
databases software sun technology