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IvorySQL: Open-source Oracle-compatible PostgreSQL

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Re: IvorySQL: Open-source Oracle-compatible PostgreSQL

#21

Post by ngcc_hk »

Alupis wrote: post #20
SoftTalker wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're using an ORM then you're by default using the database fairly generically. I'd ask why you are paying for any commercial DB in that case. Organizations who committed to and paid for Oracle are probably using a lot of the features that are unique to Oracle. Or they have a lot of legacy that is. If IvorySQL can take all their custom plsql packages and ETL batch jobs and run them without changes that's a big w…

> It's not clear to me that it really can do that, though. It would seem exceedingly foolhardy to put all your eggs into, what is essentially a compatibility shim layer/plugin, that may or may not actually be compatible with Oracle or all of Oracle. The company behind it also is an unknown (to me at least) - HiGo[1]. So, IvorySQL is FOSS and free (as in beer) - but what happens if some feature doesn't actually work l…

Database engine might be the last product one can test and trust open source support wise. For individual it is fine. For company and your whole business is there … at least some paid support is important. It can’t be day to day stuff as you will know. It is some unusual combination which when encounter, you have to pass along your program, setting … can’t do it in open forum I suspect.

Re: IvorySQL: Open-source Oracle-compatible PostgreSQL

#23

Post by jamesfinlayson »

Schnitz wrote: post #16
Alupis wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can someone elaborate on what specifically something like this would be used for? I would imagine if you're going through the pain of migrating off Oracle, picking something like IvorySQL is just a half-measure. Why not just make the switch to PostgreSQL (or other) and be done with worrying about compatibility? How long will this project last, and how great will the compatibility actually be - is it a drop-in replace…

Oracle is expensive. Salesforce has been developing something similar internally for years to replace Oracle.

So did Amazon/AWS I think.

Re: IvorySQL: Open-source Oracle-compatible PostgreSQL

#24

Post by rst »

paulryanrogers wrote: post #5
pfix wrote: post #4

I don't get what this is. Is this a postgres fork? An extension? The documentation says it's Version 2 but the docs are rather lacking. Having something providing an "Oracle API" on Postgres would be awesome but not sure if this works like that?

> IvorySQL has imported and enhanced the Orafce extension to add support for numerous Oracle compatibility features including built-in PACKAGES, data types, and conversion functions Sounds and looks like a fork to me. EnterpriseDB used to offer some Oracle compatibility built on Pg, as a fork IIRC. Don't see it on their site any more though. EDIT: Much thanks to replies with links to EDB.

Also, their docs leave me wondering about the level of Oracle compatibility they're claiming. Their page on the subject, https://www.ivorysql.org/docs/compatibillity_features/hierar... , lists a bunch of immediate sore points -- date types and functions, the CONNECT BY query syntax, etc. But there are other things Oracle supports that are not listed, and still potentially serious stumbling blocks -- "fast" (incremental) automatic refresh of materialized views, IGNORE NULLS in window functions, and so forth.

Oddly, I'd take their compatibility claims more seriously if they were more clearly up-front about the limits.

Re: IvorySQL: Open-source Oracle-compatible PostgreSQL

#27

Post by ergonaught »

Alupis wrote: post #12
pfix wrote: post #4

I don't get what this is. Is this a postgres fork? An extension? The documentation says it's Version 2 but the docs are rather lacking. Having something providing an "Oracle API" on Postgres would be awesome but not sure if this works like that?

Can someone elaborate on what specifically something like this would be used for? I would imagine if you're going through the pain of migrating off Oracle, picking something like IvorySQL is just a half-measure. Why not just make the switch to PostgreSQL (or other) and be done with worrying about compatibility? How long will this project last, and how great will the compatibility actually be - is it a drop-in replace…

The last time I did real work with Oracle and MSSQL, I must have created something like 50 megabytes of "SQL" via stored procedures and such for them. The idea of migrating away from those databases to something with compatible syntax and such would have actually been feasible, but otherwise 100% dead on arrival.

If you could "just switch" then you probably shouldn't be using RDBMS at all.

Re: IvorySQL: Open-source Oracle-compatible PostgreSQL

#28

Post by marcosdumay »

Alupis wrote: post #20
SoftTalker wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're using an ORM then you're by default using the database fairly generically. I'd ask why you are paying for any commercial DB in that case. Organizations who committed to and paid for Oracle are probably using a lot of the features that are unique to Oracle. Or they have a lot of legacy that is. If IvorySQL can take all their custom plsql packages and ETL batch jobs and run them without changes that's a big w…

> It's not clear to me that it really can do that, though. It would seem exceedingly foolhardy to put all your eggs into, what is essentially a compatibility shim layer/plugin, that may or may not actually be compatible with Oracle or all of Oracle. The company behind it also is an unknown (to me at least) - HiGo[1]. So, IvorySQL is FOSS and free (as in beer) - but what happens if some feature doesn't actually work l…

If you want to use this, you will port your code, run your tests, fix an issue here or there as needed, and develop for Postgres for now on.

None of those steps is particularly risky. If any of the steps that may fail brings an insurmountable obstacle, you ditch the project and go back to where you started.

> People pay for commercial DB's for a lot of reasons - including having someone to call at 3am when things go bad.

Oh, the old support excuse for proprietary software. The Oracle support is excellent, but good hope getting anybody to help you at 3am. Good luck getting anybody to actually help you in less than 24 hours anyway. None of the big proprietary software distributors offer anything like this. Oracle is way ahead of the competition on that they will even actually help... kind like you get when you hire a local company to support Postgres for you.

Re: IvorySQL: Open-source Oracle-compatible PostgreSQL

#29

Post by knutwannheden »

rst wrote: post #24
paulryanrogers wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> IvorySQL has imported and enhanced the Orafce extension to add support for numerous Oracle compatibility features including built-in PACKAGES, data types, and conversion functions Sounds and looks like a fork to me. EnterpriseDB used to offer some Oracle compatibility built on Pg, as a fork IIRC. Don't see it on their site any more though. EDIT: Much thanks to replies with links to EDB.

Also, their docs leave me wondering about the level of Oracle compatibility they're claiming. Their page on the subject, https://www.ivorysql.org/docs/compatibillity_features/hierar... , lists a bunch of immediate sore points -- date types and functions, the CONNECT BY query syntax, etc. But there are other things Oracle supports that are not listed, and still potentially serious stumbling blocks -- "fast" (increment…

Am I one of the only developers who actually likes the CONNECT BY queries? Often I think they are a very succinct alternative to recursive CTEs.
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