Monday, January 25, 2010 at 4:37PM No more posted the last thought on Oracle and MySQL than I picked this up off my Google Reader scan. Schwartz steps down as Sun CEO. Oracle's takeover coming quickly. Guess we'll find out what they have in mind.
Monday, January 25, 2010 at 4:19PM I posed a question Jan 8 "You all should learn SQL" and got a bunch of interesting responses. Most of the "major" systems and software companies are using Microsoft SQL Server, I would guess. Oracle has been making a play into the manufacturing space...again. (I first heard about SQL and got an intro around 1988 from Oracle, I believe.) Well, Oracle's acquisition of Sun finally received European approval. Sebastian Rupley of GigaOM has a post centered on a memo from Jonathan Schwartz, Sun CEO. Sun acquired the open-source SQL database competitor to Oracle--MySQL. It also developed and released (at least parts) to open source the programming language/platform Java. So, the question is--what will happen to MySQL and Java? Can Oracle put up with open source? What will all the companies that based low cost products (like Inductive Automation whose Steve Hechtman was the source of my question a couple of weeks ago) do? This is a serious question. Oracle's Larry Ellison is not known for benevolance and being a nice guy. The first "owners" of MySQL are trying to get it back.
This is something we'll have to watch carefully.
Gary Mintchell
Saw this report in Infoworld that Ellison likes MySQL and that it fits in with Oracle's strategy of offering multiple databases. Other reports at Infoworld report Oracle's love of Java and intent to improve it, extend it, and keep the community participation. Good news.
Manufacturing Software, databases in Automation Friday, January 8, 2010 at 12:44PM I received an essay from Steve Hechtman, president of Inductive Automation, the other day. He owns a software development company specializing in Software as a Service (SaaS) HMI/SCADA, among other things. I wrote about them after my trip to Northern California last spring. Anyway, his essay expounds the belief that since engineers know how to program PLCs and other controllers, the necessary next step is "programming" in Structured Query Language (SQL). Since so much of what is done today involves information and data, and since data are typically stored in databases, and since many databases are SQL-based, then this is necessary knowledge.
So, this started me thinking while I was running this morning. Should more people learn SQL? Or, do you all already know it? Should I develop articles about it for Automation World? Should we run some Web seminars or something similar?
I learned about databases early in my computer life, then learned what to do at the "dot prompt" (remember DB III?). Learned a little about SQL. I'm far from a database expert, obviously. But this whole idea intrigues me. I never thought about it.
What do you think? Is this "old news?" Or, is it something to be promoted? Let me know.
databases in Automation Thursday, August 27, 2009 at 4:05PM Bunch of accumulated links as I slowly get caught up after a hectic summer.
Keep fit. Obesity shrinks brain size.
Multitasking doesn't cut it.
Is Microsoft releasing a streaming database product that could compete with historians?
Interesting thoughts from Steve Leveen (Levenger) -- we see what we look for.
Still getting a ton of comments on my social marketing post. Check them out. Some comments are moving to the new site at squarespace. Note--I have been very busy with work, travel and soccer. I'm getting cleared now so I can work on my new blog site. I believe that I can get disqus for comments. At any rate there is a better comment engine than this, and I'll try to get it added. One thing at a time ;-)