Database software for UNIX systems

[Jack Griffith]

In article <2155 at brl-tgr.ARPA>, dbmt at brl-tgr.ARPA (Data Base Management Team ) writes:
> In article <509 at mtxinu.UUCP> ed at mtxinu.UUCP (Ed Gould) writes:
> >>> ...  Ingres also requires mods to the kernel... 
> >>
> >>Actually, Ingres has a locking pseuodo device driver. I do not think that
> >>adding a "device" driver is equivalent to "mods to the kernel" since you
> >>are not changing kernel source code.
> >
> We, at BRL have a lock daemon supplied by RTI.  As far as I know, we are the
> only such installation.  It was developed for us by RTI, at our insistence,
> as a prototype to aviod the kernel mod required by INGRES 2.0.  We have been
> using it successfully since June 1985.  I have been trying to persuade RTI
> to support it as an alternative; but they won't commit themselves.
> 
>     Maybe a little pressure from netland...

Whether or not these are actually "mods to the kernel" is not important 
(the mods in the past where actually very small). What is important is that
it is still required to build a different version of the kernel for Unix 
sites running Ingres EVERY time a new version of Ingres appears.  
This causes many headaches when you are trying to keep consistent versions 
of the kernel about. 

The current arrangement leaves the installation of Ingres to people
who DON'T HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FUNCTIONALITY OF INGRES.
When RTI's technical support says "If you upgrade to the new version 
your problem will be fixed and we cannot give you a bug fix for the out 
of date version" there is not much recourse but to wait for the system
people.

My comment to RTI (and they've heard it from us before) is GET THAT BLASTED
DAEMON WORKING IN ALL UNIX SITES SOON...  At least give us a commitment and
time frame. 

I don't know if Ed Gould knows where from he speaks, but if he does,
the lock daemon seems to be a viable solution.

Note, that this problem is going to be particularly acute this year with
TWO new versions (far enough apart to justify moving to both) of Ingres
on Unix 4.2/4.3.
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		Jack Griffith  jackg at tektronix -  (503) 627-6352 \ 50-454
		Systems Services - Data Base Management, Tektronix Inc.
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