Postgres

EnterpriseDB has ported its Oracle-compatible PostgreSQL database to a new platform: Amazon.com's hosted compute cloud.

The company on Tuesday started taking invitations for a beta program for EnterpriseDB Cloud Edition that will launch in March. The final product should be available this summer, according to EnterpriseDB Chief Technology Officer Bob Zurek, who spearheaded the initiative.

Amazon already offers a hosted database, called SimpleDB, but Zurek said that its database is designed for transactions and industrial-strength applications.

The service works with clustering software from Elastra, which means that servers and storage are quickly brought online to meet changes in … Read more

It's hard to take the question seriously, given that Google, Travelocity, etc. care deeply about their businesses, and entrust them to open-source databases. And yet the question still comes up, as it did at eWeek recently.

eWeek asked Kevin Closson, chief software architect for PolyServe-HP, who answered 'Yes,' open-source databases (like MySQL and Postgres) are serious alternatives to Oracle et al, but that it depends on the application:… Read more

There's no phone number on the PostgreSQL.org open-source database Web site. And for EnterpriseDB CEO Andy Astor, whose company makes money from a Postgres-based product, that's been a problem.

On Tuesday, Astor's company launched a site called the EnterpriseDB Postgres Resource Center, which gives interested parties a phone number to call and, Astor hopes, other useful items.

The site's launch coincides with this week's LinuxWorld conference in San Francisco and includes a package of software tools meant to make it easier for business customers to install the open-source database. The site also offers technical … Read more

Charlie Babcock of InformationWeek is reporting results of a Sun survey that finds PostgreSQL to perform just 12% lower than Oracle on similarly-priced hardware. Not bad.

The database, of course, is not "similarly priced." The punchline, therefore, is that customers who pony up seven figures for their Oracle databases may well find that $0.00 can deliver near-equivalent performance. If only CIOs were paid based on the savings they generate while still cranking out hefty IT performance, many IT professionals might find open source databases like PostgreSQL under their Christmas trees.… Read more

I thought it would be a good idea to shift gears a bit to talk with the CEO of an open source startup that has Europe in its veins, especially one with Finland coursing through it. So I caught up with Eero Teerikorpi, CEO of Continuent, which provides database high availability software (for MySQL and PostgreSQL).

I've known Eero for some time (though, in my ignorance, I once asked if Eero is a Greek name. He replied, "No, Matt. I come from the land of open source." Finland, in other words. :-)

Name, position, and company of executive

Eero Teerikorpi, CEO, Continuent.… Read more

I spent an enjoyable morning with Andy Astor at a Bank of America Private Software Company Day (or something like that - Kirk Materne of BofA organized it and did a great job of moderating a panel on which Andy and I participated). As we talked before and during the panel, I came to understand and appreciate Andy's position on what constitutes an open source company. I'm still not sure I agree, but Andy has a good point....

EnterpriseDB initially dubbed itself an open source software company, and took some heat as a result. Andy's response? Clearly delineate the company's licensing policies.… Read more