Open source or free alternative to Oracle 11g [closed]

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I work in IT for a large multinational that spends millions of dollars on Oracle solutions.

That got me wondering whether there was is a viable alternative to Oracle for enterprises. Can anyone suggest a free or opensource alternative to something like Oracle 11g

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Postgresql http://www.postgresql.org/

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There's a bunch of things to consider.

Firstly, downgrade from Enterprise Edition to Standard Edition (which is a lot cheaper). If you are using features that require EE (such as encryption, compression) then you aren't going to get much joy from open source. I'm not saying it can't be done, but you'd definitely be looking at paid support, more specialized (and rarer) skillsets and expensive rework to existing applications.

Secondly, server consolidation. Can you take databases sitting on three servers and put them all onto one server ? Maybe make use of virtualization and resource management ?

Thirdly, mix and match. You don't need Oracle to host a content management system. You can have a few simple MySQL databases in some places instead.

Also, remember you have already paid for your current licenses. You are still paying for maintenance/support. You could take the risk and choose NOT to pay for those. That means no patches or upgrade path, but it is worth considering.

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Short answer: Postgresql.

Long answer: It depends on the Oracle feature set that you are using.

My guess is that you are talking lots of databases. Do all the databases have to use the same engine? For the databases that are using all the Oracle bells and whistles then leave them there. For the databases that are more vanilla then look at Postgresql.

If you are looking for a migration strategy then look at EnterpriseDB.com-- their flagship product is Postgresql with an Oracle compatibility layer. You can conceivably slide your Oracle database straight over with no to minimal changes. Once in EnterpriseDB then you can start re-writing the Oracle pieces to Postgresql. Works slick.

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You probably dont want to go from one extreme to the other, most expensive to free. What you should be looking at is something with the same sort of pedigree and big vendor support as Oracle that can be deployed alot cheaper. Take a look at IBM. There two very good alternatives, if its an "all rounder" you need then DB2 is a very credible alternative ( it even understands PLSQL) or if you are really looking at extreme OLTP then the legendary Informix database can often out perform Oracle on much lighter tin and near zero DBA time - Regarded by tekkies as the best, if not the most well publicised, database on the market ( the Informix replication options make RAC look like an also ran). If you are moving off Oracle, IBM will give you a " competitive swop out" price to sweeten the deal :-)

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Have you ever thought there might be good reasons (features, quality, performances) behind the price of a product...free doesn't always mean better (Ok, nor does expensive).

Large companies anyway often need large reliable dbs, widely used and heavily documented, always improved, etc... more than saving some money.