At 10:01 AM 07-12-00 +1100, you wrote:

>Hi
>We as a Project are in the process of moving from existing MS SQL Server
>6.5 on Windows NT to Interbase on lynux due to non existence of support
>of SQL Server on non windows platform...and we are very much naive on
>Interbase.
>
>the biggest concern is in terms of:-
>(1)existing data migration

Yes - there is a tool for this at www.ibphoenix.com.

>(2) existing partial schema migration
> including Stored Procedures

Database schema yes, with adjustment for certain data types, including ints
with the @IDENTITY attribute. Stored proc and trigger schema will require
hand-coding (SP languages are vendor-specific). InterBase has much more
comprehensive trigger support than MSSQL. InterBase handles internal
cursors in SPs differently (better: you can write a SP from which the
output can be selected, much like a "programmable view").

MSSQL has scores of vendor-specific functions not supported in InterBase -
IB has a small set of intrinsic functions but for others, you declare the
funcs you want with reference to an external library (create your own lib
or use an existing one).

>(3) not clear if the Stored Procedures created in Interbase can be called
>up directly by JDBC APIs( like ASP server objects directly allowing SP to
>be called )

Depends on the API's support for SQL, doesn't it? e.g. if the API doesn't
support SELECT <fieldlist> from SomeProc(parameter, parameter) then you
have a problem.

InterBase doesn't have its own JVM.

>(4) Any other issues related to migration

IB stored procs are compiled, MSSQL stores interpreted code and doesn't
validate SPs at creation time, i.e. you would have to get used to having an
SP rejected if it won't compile; and the dependencies will prevent you
from changing metadata that impacts an existing object. MSSQL is very
loose about object dependencies.

>(5) Can we use multi sql to program for Interbase due to its portability
>across different databases?

Don't know the product - I guess you need to ask the vendor about IB
support. IB's SQL has high compliance with standards whereas MSSQL's
compliance is low; but even IB isn't 100% compliant. I presume a
top-level product like this includes vendor-specific parsers...

>
>An advise on this would be greatly helpful for this major Business
>decision. Also a Case Study would be highly appreciated.

See the Case Studies pages at the interbase2000 site (URL in my sig (below)).

Please don't post HTML to these lists - thanks.

Helen



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