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[Shouta]

Forgive me if I sound like I don't know what the hell I'm talking about because I really don't.

Anyway, my uncle asked me to look into setuping a SQL server/database deal for his business (or something I think). I wasn't exactly sure where to start so I googled up the usual Microsoft spiel. After doing some looking into it and talking to him, he was wondering if he could get it for down for Linux. So my question is, is there anything that does the functions of MS' SQL server in Linux and how much would the entire thing cost in the end?

This certainly isn't in my normal knowledge field so I'm kind of lost on how to go about this so some help would be much appreciated.

 

[explodet]

MySQL is a widely used database program for Linux, there's plenty of documentation for it on the web. Is your uncle's business web based, or will it be used in other ways?

 

[Pochacco]

By "SQL database", he probably means any type of relational database - where results are obtained/stored through queries written in SQL (which is a non-procedural programming language).

I'm not really sure how one would go about setting something like that up.
All the major vendors, of course, have Linux versions. The cost and complexity of setting something like that up depends on his needs.
There are also open source (i.e. free) db managers like MySQL that you might wanna look into.

 

[keiichi]

I'd recommend either PostgreSQL or MySQL.

http://www.postgresql.org
http://www.mysql.com/

 

[Hitokage]

If your [uncle] needs an actual db and not just something to get a small job done, do not use MySQL.

 

[Shouta]

Well, I poked him about what he wanted to do with it and got some answers for him.

First off, he wants some to be able to access the server from another country (Vietnam actually) so I guess the issue of access across the web is one of the things he needs to know. The other thing he wanted me to look into was compatibility with other SQL software. Aside from someone else accessing the server information from another country, he'll have users queuing the database for information (I believe tracking information for shipping I think.).

It's uncle, not dad. =P

 

[tetsuoxb]

Hitokage is right, to a certain extent.

Previous versions of MySQL were complete ass, and were good a powering small to moderate database applications but not much else. However, the latest version of MySQL to be released features quite a few rewrites to fix what was wrong with previous builds. It might be worth checking out.

The bigger question is: If your uncle asked you (who apparently does not know much about databases) to do this project for him - does he really need it? By this I mean, does he want an SQL database for his business because he sees SQL on the internet all the time and thinks, well I need it too? Is the application so limited (I.e. one box, not web integrated via PHP) that it could be accomplished in Access?

My suspicion is that he doesnt need SQL, and if he actually did, he would be paying someone with knowledge to integrate it.

 

[Hitokage]

Yeah, I was thinking along those lines too... if he actually needed a real db, why would he be asking you?

 

[Shouta]

He's asking me to look it up for him at the moment, not to maintain it (at least at the moment anyway). I've said in the past that I can learn this stuff if need be. I have quite a knack for picking stuff up pretty quickly when I get down to it but that's beside the point.

And I figured this would pique your interest Hito, I was hoping to lure you out of the hole in Godai's room =P.

 

[tetsuoxb]

So he just wants a DB to track shipping information?

Since you do not know what you are doing, I recommend two things:

A MySQL database with two data fields - order number, tracking number.
A PHP/DHTML interface that would accept order number as input and generate links to tracking pages with the tracking number as output.

Any further integration of something like customer information, and creating order history would eventually require linking two seperate databases under MySQL (unless you plan from the beginning and keep two seperate databases with a similar datafield like customer number) would probably be above your ability without a week or two of research and planning.

 

[Shouta]

After more yakking with him, I've got a better idea of what he wants.

A) He wants me to create the computer to host the server on it as well as pick out the software to use (ideally, not terribly expensive I guess).

B) They have the domain name registered and etc but need to go about registering a specific IP address to access the database or something in that regard. I'm not exactly sure what he was asking but I figure URL -> IP -> accessing the server or something. @_@

C) He wants me to help maintain it after setup. Down the line, it'll be for keeping up to date with tracking information. He pointed out a site that had something similar (this one, http://www.vantage-logistics.com.vn under cargo tracking).

I'm not sure what I got myself into -_-.

 

[tetsuoxb]

a hell of a lot of work.

your uncle basically wants you to do what a consultant would charge several thousand dollars to do.

There is no layer of simplicity in his plan, no idea of what it will cost, etc. It is completely unrealisitc for him to expect you to be able to pull off anything near what that logistics site is doing if you have no prior experiences.

Basically it is going to be about linking databases (customer database to order database to tracking information database) and providing a layer of abstraction above the database for customers to access and pull up information. That isnt all, you have to have an interface for this information to enter into the databases, so you would have to write an interface to their current ordering system or an entirely new ordering system.

I hope he is paying you. Otherwise Id tell your uncle to call a consultant and quit trying to be cheap.

 

[Shouta]

I highly doubt I'll be able do it for him with school and my own job (even if it's a really easy job). I already know how much work it'll be. I honestly wouldn't mind doing it for a fraction of a consultant's price (being family and all) if this were my primary job but it isn't nor will it be. It doesn't hurt to give it a lookie-hoo though.

It's not an ordering system btw. It'll end up being an information tracker for customers that do work through them personally I believe.

 

[tetsuoxb]

Yeah but the information about those customers is going to have to link to the shipment tracking DB. They probably already have an exisiting system for managing customer information (unless you uncle is pen and paper, and then he needs to quit working about SQL and buzzwords and start being realistic about his business) which would have to be integrated into the new database. Otherwise you have two disparate data sets and no real reason to use the new one.

 

[maharg]

I'm sorry, but...

you're doomed.

I only have a couple of things to add to what's been said, but they won't be very helpful. There is no such thing as 'compatibility' when it comes to database backends. There are layers that can do it for you, but they tend to be a bit on the sucky side. At any rate, your uncle sounds like he actually wants to manually log into the sql server and manipulate the database through sql queries.

This is insane. You must point this fact out to him.

 

[Shouta]

I can at least make him think I did some work with this before I tell him he's batty insane =P. I mean he's family, I gotta at least fake some work into this at least =P.

Anyway, there's a friend in Vietnam that's supposed to assist him with this or something so he won't have physical access to the computers. I think he wanted me to find out if there was a way for him to access the database from Vietnam via the web.

 

[Hitokage]

I can at least make him think I did some work with this before I tell him he's batty insane =P. I mean he's family, I gotta at least fake some work into this at least =P.

Anyway, there's a friend in Vietnam that's supposed to assist him with this or something so he won't have physical access to the computers. I think he wanted me to find out if there was a way for him to access the database from Vietnam via the web.

Give him an SSH shell and let him go at it instead.

 

[maharg]

:lol

 

[CrunchyB]

It sounds like a pretty standard PHP/MySQL solution would do the trick. No need for real server hardware or serious database software. Should be easy if you have some degree of experience with SQL and writing software. I'd say most CS students should be able to do this.

But since you're a bit out of your league, just tell him it would cost a few hundreds to thousands of dollars, depending on the interface(s) mainly. Then contact a little webdevelopment company and let them fix it for you. They'll probably host it too, you really don't want to mess with hardware and backups yourself.

But if your uncle wants to take the cheap route, how about hiring a CS student? Of course you have every chance he'll be totally incompetent and unprofessional, but with some luck you can land a good deal.