Oracle, MySQL, Sun - Moving Ahead

Oracle, MySQL, Sun - Moving Ahead

One might browse a short article, looking past the sarcasm and skepticism, looking for information.

Oracle acquired and enhanced a database core engine for MySQL a number of years ago:

Oracle has been working on InnoDB since the acquisition five years ago

Perhaps, the most important parts of the article was:

Oracle's man had slightly more luck highlighting what he called "one of the most significant changes" in up-coming MySQL 5.5, which is in beta. The InnoDB storage engine bought by Oracle in 2005 will become MySQL's default storage engine. Also, InnoDB will be included for free with MySQL Enterprise Edition, which is charged under a support contract.

Significant work that Sun began is being released under Oracle:

Oracle announced the release of MySQL Cluster 7.1 as finished product, with improved administration, Java, and OpenJPA connectors to clusters, sub-second fail over and self healing. Even though this was work begun under Sun Microsystems, which Oracle finally acquired in January, Screven said it proved Oracle's commitment to improve the database is happening now, "not some abstract point in the future".

Impact on Network Management

Performance Management with Network Management is increasing dependent upon databases to hold large quantities of data in mid to large deployments. Databases like Oracle are great options for internal facing deployments. External facing deployments require lower cost licensing options in order to be sufficiently competitive. This is where MySQL fits well.

Oracle - Sun Update

Oracle - Sun Update

The News

The New York Post reported today that the Oracle-Sun merger may be getting the approval of the European Commissioner.

Neelie Kroes approved the deal after Oracle agreed to fund the open database software, dubbed MySQL, for the next three years at more than $24 million annually.


At the same time, Oracle will form an advisory group of MySQL customers.

The Facts 

The facts in the Oracle acquisition of Sun (who formerly acquired MySQL) are pretty clear:

• No company can control an kill an Open Source project: if there is a problem, the project will just fork using other available developers - so there was little reason for the European Commission to express concern over the acquisition using the basis of MySQL.
  
• It does not take a genius to figure out that Sun invested $1 Billion US$ into MySQL and Oracle would need to fund MySQL from dying in order to make a return on that investment, when they purchase Sun. Oracle already funds InnoDB annually, so this is no surprise.
  
• There is little confirmation that Oracle would be able to raise $1 Billion US$ by selling them off, since the true monetary value of the (free & open source) MySQL is with the assets & service that are sold around it (i.e. servers, support, integration, etc.) Of course, any other company willing to buy MySQL would come under the same EC scrutiny, deterring other buyers.
  
• It also does not take a genius to figure out that MySQL is no competitor to Oracle, since Oracle already owns InnoDB, which is the main transactional heart of MySQL. The acquisition of MySQL by Oracle will allow for closer integration and higher transactional performance.
• It only takes a primary school education (i.e. the ability to read) to understand that the vast majority of applications which use Oracle do not offer MySQL as an alternative.

The European Commission Position

In short, this seems like a reasonable way out, for the European Commission, of the position they placed themselves in, by making an attempt to stop a merger on baseless grounds and a misunderstanding of Open Source software.

While some people ignorant of Open Source Software felt uncomfortable with the acquisition, the facts in the case did not merit concern.

The EC found a way to save face - good for them!

The Network Management Position

This is very good news for the world of Network Management. Why is that?

Network Management, especially from a Managed Services perspective, is a very costly ordeal. When a Managed Services company wants to provide a view of their network from a Network Management tool to a customer, if a database is required (always required for large installations), then databases like Oracle require a Service Bureau License - which is very costly.

Many Open Source Network Management tools, in an attempt to scale to the sizes from commercial vendors, need an database. An Open Source database like MySQL, with tight ties to Enterprise Databases like Oracle, is a huge benefit to all.

SUN and Oracle Synergies

SUN and Oracle Synergies

SUN has been producing computing systems for over 2 decades - and they have merged with a large software business.

A SUN Perspective

Sun made an announcement on April 20, 2009

Sun and Oracle today announced a definitive agreement for Oracle to acquire Sun for $9.50 per share in cash. The Sun Board of Directors has unanimously approved the transaction. It is anticipated to close this summer.

An Oracle Perspective

Oracle made an announcement on April 20, 2009

“The acquisition of Sun transforms the IT industry, combining best-in-class enterprise software and mission-critical computing systems,” said Oracle CEO Larry Ellison. “Oracle will be the only company that can engineer an integrated system – applications to disk – where all the pieces fit and work together so customers do not have to do it themselves. Our customers benefit as their systems integration costs go down while system performance, reliability and security go up.”

An Outside Perspective

What does all this mean to Oracle and SUN Customers?

In some ways, things will not change much.

• More Oracle databases are deployed under Solaris than any other single operating system, according to Oracle CEO Larry Ellison. It seems like Solaris is here to stay.
• The largest number of Oracle databases are deployed under SPARC Solaris, it seems like SPARC is there to stay.
• Oracle has embedded Java Runtime into the Oracle Database, so it seems Java is there to stay.
• Oracle has acquired other databases in the past and continues to develop them, so it seems MySQL is there to stay.
• Oracle is very dependent upon external storage vendors for their database, so it seems Open Storage is here to stay.
• Oracle is very dependent upon tape backup for data retention, so it seems StorageTek is here to stay.
• Oracle was heavily driving the thin-client idea with SUN for years, so it seems SunRay is here to stay.

In other ways, one would hope for some things to change

• Oracle has been over-pricing Oracle RDBMS pricing on SUN hardware, depressing SUN hardware sales, and giving business to IBM, who wants to migrate those customers to POWER & DB2.
  

This seems like a match made in heaven - things can only get better!