1. Oracle is clinging to the top spot in the multibillion-dollar database software market, despite mounting pressure from IBM and Microsoft, according to preliminary 2002 market share numbers released Monday.
- M. LaMonica, cnet.com, March 2003

2. DBMS Architectures A history of DBMS architectures: (Section 9.2)
Mainframe DBMSs
Personal DBMSs
Client/Server DBMSs
Centralized databases
mainframe computers with terminals
Personal databases
PCs/workstations
e.g., Microsoft Access, Paradox, FoxPro, Personal Oracle
Client/Server databases
clients/servers/networks
e.g., Oracle, SQL Server, …

3. Mainframe DBMSs DBMS DB terminal terminal mainframe terminal
All the old database systems are architected like this. For the most part, they are of historical interest only.
The students may not understand the concept of terminals, they may never have seen a “dumb” terminal.
mainframe
terminal

4. Personal DBMSs DB1 DB3 DB2 DBMS Interface1 DB Engine1 DBMS Interface3
workstation
DBMS
Interface3
Personal databases are local and don’t communicate with other DBMSs.
Recall that we said that one of the DB trends was to “smaller and smaller databases”.
DB Engine3
DBMS
Interface2
DB3
workstation
DB Engine2
DB2
workstation

5. Microsoft Access/Jet Access is designed as a personal DBMS:
It has a useful interface but a limited engine.
It doesn’t support enterprise applications.
Access
Interface1
Jet Engine1
Jet DB1
workstation
Access could be put on a server, but the clients frequently required to download the entire database over the network to do any work. This can work, but is very costly and slow. Access also doesn’t support transaction processing.

6. Client/Server DBMSs DBMS Server DB Network DBMS client1 DBMS client2
workstation
DBMS Server
Network
DBMS
client2 DB
workstation
server
DBMS
client3
workstation

7. Microsoft SQL Server
MS SQL Server is designed for client/server applications.
workstation
SQL
Server
client
Here the server can handle multiple users, takes care to download as little as possible to the clients, and supports transaction processing.
workstation MS
Access
interface
SQL Server DB
server
workstation VB
Appli-
cation

8. Microsoft SQL Server Desktop Engine (MSDE)
MSDE is SQL Server compatible.
It is distributed with MS applications.
Here the server can handle multiple users, takes care to download as little as possible to the clients, and supports transaction processing.
workstation MS
Access
interface
MSDE DB
server
workstation VB
Appli-
cation

9. A Comparison X 1 < 2G x < 5 - Client/Server Interface
What’s the
Big Idea
A Comparison
Client/Server
Interface
Transaction support
Users
Database size
Access/Jet X 1
< 2G
MSDE x
< 5
SQL Server -
Choosing the right system architecture is often a key IS decision.
The number of users and the size of the database aren’t really limited with MSDE and SQL Server.
Access/Jet can still be the right choice for smaller applications or older hardware – it does have a smaller footprint.

10. Comparing Oracle and SQL Server
Cheaper
Easier to install
Faster on Microsoft platforms
Oracle 9i
Multi-platform support
More powerful 3rd generation language
More performance tuning
This is harder to address, but it’s clear that these two guys don’t like each other that much. They’re similar in that they came from nowhere – real American success stories. Gates dropped out of Harvard to found a software company, Ellison started will less than $2000 and founded Oracle.
Larry Ellison quotes/jokes:
What’s the difference between Larry Ellison and God? God doesn’t think that he’s Larry Ellison.
“It's Microsoft versus mankind, with Microsoft having only a slight lead.”
“Bill Gates wants people to think he's Edison, when he's really Rockefeller. Referring to Gates as the smartest man in America isn't right... wealth isn't the same thing as intelligence.”
Ellison openly admits to having paid trash people to turn over Microsoft’s trash.
Number of CPUs Oracle9i Standard Edition SQL Server 2000 Standard Edition
$15, $4,999
$480, $159,968
From (22jul2003)
Images from Microsoft and Oracle, July, 2003