I think FB has an incredible client app, Database Workbench.

Its not free but its phenomenal.

John-

On 3/3/08, Pavol STAREK <pavol@...> wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> i think that Helens point of view is too optimistic for firebird.
> I'm small hosting provider with long experience with firebird. Till last
> week or two i thought that i'm at least advanced user :) How wrong i was
> :)
>
> Firebird is missing:
> 1. Lot of admin management tools. For example you do not know what
> databases are opened in time, how much connections is there for server not
> database and other monitoring tools.
> 2. security - nearly all about this topic :)
> 3. performance limitations. As hosting provider you cannot let wrong code
> to kill your servers with infinite queries. Killing of query.
> 4. ability to have two different servers on machine without hard and
> confusing work. This is MUST HAVE feature for upgrade procedure.
> 5. client connectors support. php support is not very good, java support
> is good but lacks some features for example good hibernate integration.
> 6. Documentation. Try to put words "firebird bug" into google. Yes we are
> working with mozilla-firefox. (One wrong decision long time ago from my
> point of view. One small Pyrhos victory for firebirdSQL :)
> But any kind of documentation is lacking. Only one good think was Helens
> book. You have to browse several sites and read several release notes,
> erratas, old documentations, notes, howtos to get tiny overview of
> firebird.
> 7. good SMP support
> 8. good client applications. There are some for windows, but for linux
> there is only flamerobin AFAIK which is not as user friendly as it should
> be.
> 9. really long release cycle.
> 10. all things Helen mentioned :)
> 11. If we want it as ISP solution there have to be something like LAMP or
> WAMP.
>
> Firebird have lot of advantages to pgsql and mysql.
> But:
> pgsql is rock stable, have no more downtimes then firebird, have great
> support, great documentation and it works on windows since some time ago.
> And lot of other advantages. But it's old dinosaurs fork only, resources
> hungry and sql planer is not very good.
> mysql is pure web database, lacking lot of features by default. But it
> have all things hosting provider need to manage it. Personally i hate it
> :)
> But Jim Starkey moved form firebird to mysql so lets get surprised.
>
> I like firebird. It's like small Kal-El growing to superman. I'm looking
> on it since it's born and i hope there will be no funeral :)
>
> To Helen: Admin have to have "god" access to customers data in any way. At
> least for legal reasons here in Europe.
>
> Bye
>
> Pavol
>
>
> > At 06:08 AM 4/03/2008, you wrote:
> >>Why do so few web hosting companies provide Firebird as a database
> >> option, but most provide Mysql (or Postgresql) as an option?
> >
> > MySQL in the form that it's offered by most providers is "enough" when
> all
> > that's wanted is a data store that can throw data at a web page.
> "Enough"
> > is plenty for most providers. For those who want to provide "more", PG
> is
> > already there on the distro CD. This is an industry entrenched in a
> > culture of "acceptable downtime" so Firebird's benefits don't do much
> for
> > them. Commercial service providers have more incentive to stick with
> the
> > "known" than to explore this new thing that's only been around for 5
> > years. Firebird is "boutique" - you can get it if you're looking for it
> > but it'll cost you more than supermarket.
> >
> > Lack of database-level user authentication probably plays a significant
> > part. The hosting service can't give you SYSDBA privileges because it
> > makes your neighbours' databases available to you. Without SYSDBA
> > privileges there are some essential housekeeping tasks you can't do
> > yourself.
> >
> > Even if the hosting provider has staff with the know-how to do the
> > housekeeping for you, it means that the hosting provider has "god"
> access
> > to everyone's databases. Possibly some providers don't want to expose
> > themselves to the legal risks; or believe (with some justification)
> that
> > such a deal would be hard to sell. Better things are coming in Firebird
> 3
> > to address that problem.
> >
> > Above all, though, is lack of administration expertise out
> there. There's
> > no administrator's manual or certification process available. Slowly as
> > the wheels grind, the FF committee is currently trying to convene a
> group
> > to develop some rules and policy for a Firebird certification process.
> > It's clearly going to need input and participation from firms that are
> > already providing training services. It's proving difficult to pin such
> > people down and get their commitment to the task. As always, it gets
> down
> > to time and resources.
> >
> > Above all is simply lack of public recognition in most of the ways that
> > count out there in the field. For example, I've just installed Mandriva
> > 2008 on a new HDD: how pleasing to get Firebird 2.0.3 via the urpmi!
> > Yet, even after all these years, the package description that pops up
> when
> > you query urpmi is "Fork of Interbase". Ooops!
> > Interbase==Borland==stuffed, not exactly a selling point for us.
> >
> > Helen
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
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