JP\/14\/Oracle<\/p>\n
Oracle challenges the world
\nwith unbreakable products<\/p>\n
==========================
\nLela E. Madjiah
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nSan Francisco, California
\n---------------------------<\/p>\n
Oracle picked the perfect time when it launched its latest
\ntechnological development, the Unbreakable Oracle9i Internet in
\nearly December. It's a complete, simple Internet application
\ninfrastructure featuring Oracle9i Database (Oracle9i DB),
\nOracle9i Application Server (Oracle9i AS) and Oracle Development
\nTools.<\/p>\n
The theme "Unbreakable" is both catchy and challenging,
\nespecially in a world still astounded by the Sept. 11 terrorist
\nattacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Even Oracle
\nchairman and CEO Larry Ellison admitted in his presentation at
\nOracle OpenWorld 2001 that he was quite stunned by his marketing
\nteam's choice of campaign word.<\/p>\n
"Are you guys crazy?" he had asked, fearing attacks by
\nhackers.<\/p>\n
As if to fulfill his prophecy, the "can't break it challenge"
\nattracts 1,000 attacks per day to Oracle's website. The site is
\nstill running without any interruption of service, though.<\/p>\n
Oracle senior vice president, product and services marketing,
\nJeremy Burton, explained that the theme was chosen to enable
\nbusinesspeople, who make purchasing decisions, know what clusters
\nis.<\/p>\n
"The word 'Unbreakable' is so Oracle. If we had said clusters,
\nno one would understand it," added Mark Jarvis, Oracle senior
\nvice president and chief marketing officer.<\/p>\n
The real application clusters is among the most significant
\nfeatures of the more than 400 new features in Oracle9i DB.
\nClustering allows technology departments to increase application
\nperformance by adding new servers as transaction volumes grow. It
\nalso improves overall application reliability by directing other
\ncomputers in the cluster to take over if one node in the cluster
\nfails.<\/p>\n
"Oracle9i RAC is fault-tolerant, that is why it's
\nunbreakable," Ellison said, adding that its security is fully
\nproven, having been approved by 14 independent security
\nevaluations.<\/p>\n
"You can't break it, you can't break in."<\/p>\n
The Oracle9i DB with RAC is a result of 12 years of
\ndevelopment. Based on Oracle Cache Fusion Architecture, Oracle9i
\nRAC delivers nearly linear scalability and unbreakable
\nreliability for all applications. It provides transparent
\napplication scalability by quickly and efficiently sharing
\nfrequently accessed data across all the computers in the cluster.<\/p>\n
Transparent scalability means Oracle9i RAC behaves exactly
\nlike the Oracle9i Database on a single server. Scalability with
\navailability means all machines in the cluster act as backup for
\nall the other machines in the cluster. The more machines you add
\nto the cluster, the more reliable the system becomes.<\/p>\n
"Oracle9i Real Application Clusters is a breakthrough
\ntechnology. The ability to dramatically scale application without
\nmodification is an invaluable new proposition for customers,"
\nsaid Carl Olofson, IDC program director.<\/p>\n
"High availability is a key factor, with demands for database
\ncenters to operate 24 hours."<\/p>\n
John Zyskowski writes in Federal Computer Network (June 25,
\n2001) that one of the key tests for the new Oracle database will
\nbe the ease with which users can add servers to the cluster.
\nCurrent approaches to clustering typically involve time-consuming
\nefforts, such as reprogramming software and redistributing data
\nacross the cluster, when adding new servers. Oracle claims the
\nprocess with Oracle9i will be far easier.<\/p>\n
"It's going to be a straightforward process," said Orin
\nMerrill, vice president of Science Applications International
\nCorp. Company officials have done a "pretty close technical
\nexamination" of Oracle9i and plan to upgrade the software in the
\nnext three months for a transportation-management application.<\/p>\n
SAIC also sells a traditional license for the same software to
\nthe Energy Department and will recommend that the agency upgrade
\nto Oracle9i, he said as quoted by Zyskowski.<\/p>\n
Oracle9i RAC also offers unlimited performance and is more
\neconomical. Lower cost is a key attraction. Mark Shainman said in
\nan article in Server Infrastructure Strategies (Nov. 14, 2001),
\nthrough 2003-2005, the continued externalization of corporate
\ninformation will cause exponential growth in database management
\nsystem (DBMS) user volumes. Escalating internal access to
\ninformation (e.g. packaged applications, analytic tools, customer
\nrelationship management) will further expand data access avenues.<\/p>\n
"This rapid growth of users is driving demand for cost savings
\nand simplification through the use of capacity-based pricing
\nmodels. By 2004\/2005, 90 percent of customer database licensing
\ndemand will be for cost-efficient, capacity-based licenses. With
\nthe release of Oracle9i Database, Oracle announced a cheaper and
\nsimplified capacity-based pricing model," he writes.<\/p>\n
Oracle will charge customers a per-processor fee for database
\nlicenses, similar to the pricing model used by other database
\nvendors. The core enterprise edition of Oracle9i software costs
\nUS$40,000 per processor, not including optional modules such as
\nclustering. The standard edition, excluding support options such
\nas clustering, will cost $15,000 per processor.<\/p>\n
The previous pricing plan that drew the ire of some customers
\nused a measurement called Universal Power Unit to determine the
\nlicense price. With UPU, the price was related to the number and
\nspeed of the processors in the servers that ran the Oracle
\ndatabase.<\/p>\n
Oracle developed the revised pricing model in response to
\ncustomer pressure and to make it easier to compare it and its
\ncompetitors' prices.<\/p>\n
Comparing Oracle9i to a Mercedes Benz, Ellison said good
\nthings didn't come cheap.<\/p>\n
However, buyers should be careful when comparing costs.<\/p>\n
"Users should not assume that everything they need is part of
\nthat $40,000 (Oracle9i core license). It's not," Mike Schiff, a
\nvice president with the market research firm Current Analysis,
\nsaid as quoted by Zyskowski. "The clustering option, for example,
\ncosts an additional $20,000 per processor. That said, you're
\nprobably still getting good value. The headroom that clusters get
\nyou is significant. And when you come right down to it, you're
\ntrying to get the job done. Price isn't the key factor."<\/p>\n
Burton shared Schiff's view, saying (cheap) price is not on
\neveryone's list.<\/p>\n
"People look for security and reliability," he said.<\/p>\n
"Security will always be at the top of people's minds post-
\nSept. 11," confirmed James Governor, analyst and IT advisor with
\nUK-based Illuminata, Inc.<\/p>\n
Jarvis said there had been a boom in database storage
\nmanagement following the attacks.<\/p>\n
"Remember, information is the enemy of the terrorists."<\/p>\n
The company's decision to make Oracle9i application server its
\nthird line of business has raised eyebrows, for Oracle has been
\ntraditionally a database company. Since its release in October,
\nOracle9i AS has 8,300 new customers and confirms Oracle's place
\nin the application server market.<\/p>\n
Some users might feel frustrated with Oracle's fast move,
\nGovernor said, but Jarvis said Oracle plans to launch new
\ndatabase software every 18 months and new applications every 18
\nmonths to two years.<\/p>\n
Although Oracle claims its software runs on Java-based,
\nstandard-based technology, there is the question of pricing.<\/p>\n
For a country like Indonesia, where Oracle has around 450
\ncustomers, Oracle remains an exclusive brand. Price, for example,
\nis a key factor, given the current economic situation.<\/p>\n
"It's too expensive for most local companies because the kind
\nof databases here don't need such sophisticated software as
\nOracle provides as yet," said IT analyst Priyambodo.<\/p>\n
Priyambodo is also concerned with service support.<\/p>\n
"In ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations), probably
\nonly Singapore is ready for such high technology. Our human
\nresources are not prepared to handle such high technology."<\/p>\n
"The prospects are there, it's a matter of convincing people
\nof the importance of a secure database," he said, adding that
\nOracle could concentrate on factories that need a 24-hour link
\nwith their headquarters for data exchange and monitoring.<\/p>\n
Chris Hummel, vice president for marketing of Oracle Asia
\nPacific Division, admitted the shortage of skilled engineers.<\/p>\n
To fill the gap, Oracle provides education and training in
\nvarious countries, including Indonesia, through cooperation with
\nthe academic world and the government.<\/p>\n
"This academic initiative helps build Internet skills from
\nprimary schools to university level," he said.<\/p>\n
===================================================================
\nThe writer was one of 100 journalists invited to cover the sixth
\nOracle OpenWorld 2001, held by Oracle Corporation, from Dec. 2
\nthrough Dec. 7.
\n-------------------------------------------------------------------<\/p>",
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