The latest issue of Policy Truth is pretty clear - we simply cannot be fooled by the hidden costs related to the setup and use of any system, especially the HP Oracle Database Machine. Is it truly an appliance that is packaged, maintained, updated and managed as a single entity? When a single component fails will the support be seamless with a single point of contact? I have a sneaking suspicion that the answer is “no”.

When I think of an appliance what comes to my low-capacity, highly-utilized and somewhat challenged brain is that I plug it into the wall and potentially connect it to another source, like water or a SAN in the case of a data warehouse appliance. It should be as simple as installing a washing machine or even a coffee maker. After the installation is complete I expect to add my ingredients: clothes, coffee or even data. Once complete, I’ll make a few adjustments and push the start button.

That’s simplicity and is exactly how the Netezza appliance works, but caveat emptor when it comes to something that Redwood Shores calls a database machine! The truth is you still need to reconfigure your partitioning, analyze your indexing strategy, build cubes and perform all your physical mappings. Even more then that, you’ll need to move to 11g and we know what a nightmare it is to upgrade from one version of Oracle to another.

You can certainly choose not to take my advice, but as the leader of the DLM, I want to be sure you know the truth and understand what goes into the true TCO of appliances. My life as a technologist has been focused on choosing the right tool for the right job - with the least amount of impact to my business. When it comes to deep analytics and high-performance business intelligence, businesses today must be prepared to respond to the volatility in the economy and maintain a competitive advantage. Tuning is not the answer. The ability to ask any question at any time, without limits, is the answer today’s leading businesses need and TCO is more important today then it has ever been.

You the user are in control so get involved, demand the truth and full disclosure, ask the tough questions and require onsite testing. And if a vendor says “no” to any of your demands simply tell them “when the phone doesn’t ring, you’ll know it’s me”.

Thank you and have a nice day.

- First Liberated