Get What You Need
Newcastle Herald
Monday April 7, 2003
Q: What is the best database for me to use?
A: Unfortunately, this is a very broad question. There is no specific database product that is easily the best in every way. Really, the best for you depends on your needs and requirements.
If you only wish to make databases for your own use, or for a small team, you may find Microsoft Access good, particularly if you already own Microsoft Office, which includes Access.
However, if you plan to store vast amounts of data, or have many different people work on it, or use it to drive an interactive website, then you will require a beefier server-quality database product.
If running a Windows environment you may like Microsoft's SQL Server . In fact, you can often buy Microsoft's Small Business Server software with a new computer for a comparable price to buying Windows 2000 Server by itself.
Small Business Server includes Windows 2000 Server and SQL Server together, as well as other Microsoft server products. If your company needs to hire someone to administer your database, it is possibly likely you will more easily find people with SQL Server knowledge than for other platforms.
Of course, if you are using a non-Windows environment then neither Access nor SQL Server will be useful. Oracle is an enterprise-level database server that runs on many different systems including UNIX and Linux variants.
IBM also has its own high-end database offering, called DB2.
Price is important. Oracle and DB2 installations, in particular, can be very expensive, based on the number of processors the server has, the number of simultaneous database users and so forth.
As with most any other type of software, free database software can be found on the Internet. A very popular program for Linux users especially is MySQL (www.mysql.com).
All of the above products fit into the category of ``relational databases", which is the most common form of database available. However, depending on your needs, other databases may be suitable.
For instance, Lotus Notes is an example of what is known as a hierarchical database. This is useful for storing collections of unstructured documents, but performs poorly when trying to gather structured information such as reports and statistics.
David Williams is the national IT manager for Advantage Personnel. Send your questions to dwilliams@advantagepersonnel.com.au.
© 2003 Newcastle Herald