A Review of Internet Technology - Part 4: The Database Server

One of the most crucial components of Internet Technology is the Database Server.  You have to be able to capture information, store that information, and then later retrieve that information for data analysis.  All of this is made possible by the database server.

As with the other components, you can see that there is the concept of a database system and a database application.  The system would be the physical box your content is stored on and the application would be the interface that you use to access the system.

There are many things to consider when choosing a database for your company.  Price, feature set and functionality, compatibility, security, etc.  This system will be storing all of your critical information so it's important that it's tailored to meet your needs.  The two most popular database applications out there now are Microsoft's SQL Server and Oracle.  The two are similar in that they can handle both large scale business and smaller scale business as well.  If you are a Microsoft shop and want to keep using their tools, then perhaps SQL Server is the way to go.  If you are wanting to use some of the extensions that Oracle provides and aren't really tied to any particular vendor, then Oracle might be the way to go.  There's also a third option, MySQL.  MySQL is actually an open-sourced product that's free to use.  If you have a small business and want to save some money, you could go with this option as it will probably meet most of your needs.

All 3 support SQL standards, but you will have to become familiar with the differences of each.  Each one will support/not support certain included functions.  Or perhaps they support the function but it's in a different syntax than the other.  All things to consider when choosing what system to use.

Over the past 5 to 10 years not much has changed with the database server, it still serves pretty much the same purpose.  However, recently with cloud computing we're starting to see db servers as a service that can be purchased and managed by a third party, which takes the hassle of maintenance away from the company actually using the db server.  There's also the concept of mobile in that we are accessing db servers all the time with our mobile phones.  When we login to a banking app on our phone, our login information will be pinged against the db of our bank to verify that we are who we say we are.

DB are critical, make no mistake.  Spend a lot of time thinking about what you need from your database before making the decision of purchasing one.  It's much easier to spend that time upfront than after the fact.