Are You Kidding Larry? 1st In-Memory DB for Cloud?
Larry Ellison's "Oracle Database In-Memory," is the new hyped-up Oracle 12c, which Larry quotes as:
"the first database designed for the cloud."
Here is the problem Larry: no matter how many times faster you may say the In-Memory option for 12c is, even if it is the first database designed for the cloud, or as you call it: 'the Internet', databases are only as fast as the slowest component. So if we take into account the cost associated with reducing inter-data center latency, then who really cares if 12c is designed for "the cloud"? The important factor is real, tested, mission-critical standalone performance!
I am flipping a "switch", and I don't see the speed. Perhaps I am interpreting your indication of "ungodly speeds" wrong. Perhaps when I talk about ALTIBASE's millions of TPS (Transactions Per Second), I am talking about "GODLY SPEEDS" - which is indeed amazingly fast. Ungodly SHOULD read "untested", "unreliable,"or dare I say it, "UNTRUE."
How Larry Sees In-Memory
“I was vehemently against acquisitions. Now let’s buy everything in sight. Well, that’s a slight exaggeration. We are a little more strategic than that. But everything was on sale.” says Larry Ellison
Why is this quote important? Because Oracle has lost focus on inventing, while it is incredible at acquiring technologies. The fact is that Oracle is still figuring out how to use TimesTen while shoving it down enterprises' throats, essentially making guinea pigs out of their loyal customers.
Larry's Take on In-Memory and Cloud - Hypocrisy
1) 2008 on Cloud Computing: “The interesting thing about cloud computing is that we’ve redefined cloud computing to include everything that we already do. ... The computer industry is the only industry that is more fashion-driven than women’s fashion. Maybe I’m an idiot, but I have no idea what anyone is talking about. What is it? It’s complete gibberish. It’s insane. When is this idiocy going to stop?" says Larry Elliison
2) 2010 on SAP's Hasso Plattner's Discussion of In-Memory Databases: "One of the leading experts in the field of databases, Larry Ellison, calls this idea 'wacko, ridiculous, complete nonsense,' and that's on his website," says Plattner
3) 2012 on SAP: "When SAP, and, specifically Hasso Plattner, said they're going to build this in-memory database and compete with Oracle, I said. God, get me the name of that pharmacist, they must be on drugs." says Larry Elllison
4) 2013 at Oracle OpenWorld: "Once we have the column store we can process data at ungodly speeds." says Larry Ellison
My Conclusion:
ALTIBASE has been doing In-Memory and ONLY In-Memory on an enterprise scale for longer than ANYONE.
ALTIBASE is the only company that has thousands of proven, mission-critical use cases for the most discerning customers in the world.
Again, choose product maturity, best-in-class support, and wide-use case applicability. ALTIBASE started In-Memory Databases (RELATIONAL, SQL Standards Full Spec.) in 1991.
Executive Vice President/National Sales Director at Streamline Associates LLC
9yI don't understand why Larry Ellison keeps talking about flipping a switch and then you get ungodly speeds. With Altibase, you don't have to flip anything and get all of the benefit of real-time (godly) speeds without the worries of persistence. Durability can be strict but also completely customizable.
15+ years’ experience in building multi-million dollar technology businesses
9yI want to add the following view of Dan Lahl, a high tech business Analyst: "Oracle's new 12c.1 In memory option also has some limitations and also comes at a cost to the enterprise: Real-time insights are not possible because transactions happen in row store and get transformed and copied into columnar format for faster reporting. There is latency in the data because of the copying and the optimizer has to be pretty smart about where to access and how to analyze data. The performance boost comes at a cost of complexity. Ad-hoc queries run at unpredictable speed because by definition not everything is stored in the in-memory columnar and row caches. To improve query performance, administrators need to manually switch individually tables from disk-based row to columnar in-memory cache format. Multiple copies increases memory usage. Oracle now has 3 in-memory copies: 1 for in-memory row cache, 1 for in-memory columnar cache and one copy of the in-memory columnar cache for high availability. Plus an additional copy is necessary on disk for ACID compliance The in-memory partition and table designations have to be manually manipulated by the DBA on an ongoing basis to optimize performance. More complexity added and not good for the enterprise, but good for the DBA full employment act. High Availability and Fault Tolerance cost 2x the data memory footprint and double the memory nodes - doubling the memory cost for the enterprise."
Associate Consultant Oracle DBA
9yChris, though i appreciate Altibase HDB architecture (and maturity of years on its RND), im feeling it hard to believe how Altibase HDB can keep oracle away from in-memory market. Given the fact that majority of OLTPs are running on oracle (atleast in middle east,NA and N-America), it will be easy for these Co.'s to plug-in the in-memory functinality to their existing already running infra of oracle. Prior to 12c in-memory i was of the view that Altibase even can replace oracle from OLTP market, now i feel oracle made its case stronger not only in OLTP market, but also made people like us keep working/using oracle since it can offer 'everything' with this 12c in-memory..
Telecom Professional
9yChris, your "weakest link" makes perfect sense. Assume the "cloud" runs, by the hazard of network-self-routing-tables -constant-re-optimization into some 2002 Cisco router in Uzbekistan....
Senior Sybase Dev/Ops Engineer
9yWell said! I would love see in memory database competition side by side. I doubt if any big company would ever start development from scratch, hence acquisition galore