Given the growing popularity of Linux as an unbloated host to server-based applications like Web, database and application servers), a freely deployable, enterprise-class database server can be a good thing. At first, open-source databases such as MySQL come to mind. But, in a subsequent email exchange with a Sybase spokesperson, I was also advised that going the open-source route would not only fail to provide me with enterprise-class solutions, but that "other 'free' databases have General Public License restrictions or complex open-source licensing issues that limit developers' ability to deploy their applications."
The company's implication -- that an open-source licence subjects licensees to intolerable restrictions that a commercial licence does not -- is an invitation to apply additional scrutiny to the entire Sybase campaign.
First, regarding the freely deployable nature of ASE for Linux, the fact is that there are some limitations. Users are free to deploy ASE for Linux as long as the systems on which they're deploying it are not very enterprisey. They can only have one CPU, no more than 5GB of data storage, and a maximum 2GB of memory. In other words, ASE for Linux is free only in specific configurations.
According to an InfoWorld report regarding the news, Forrester Research analyst Noel Yuhanna complained about the storage limitation, saying "For most customers, 5GB isn't enough -- projects using free, open-source databases tend to average 10GB to 20GB."
But there's another catch.
Talkback
In my opinion, this article misrepresents Sybase's ASE Express Edition completely.
While there may be some discussion about the respective merits of open-source vs. proprietary systems, this article misses the main point -- namely, Sybase offering a free-for-production version of its flagship database product on Linux. It is disappointing that the author has focused almost exclusively on certain limitations of this free Sybase product and hardly considered the real value being offered.
Note quite a balanced review.
You should take a look at Firebird:
http://www.firebirdsql.org/
http://www.ibphoenix.com
An enterprise class open source relational database based on Borland's open sourcing of InterBase in 2000. InterBase was "enterprise" class with 1000's of customers around the world, including some very large names and organisations. Secondly, Firebird does not use GPL, but rather a variant of MPL, that allows users to freely download and deploy the database at no cost, even for commercial applications. Firebird runs on a number of operating systems, Windows, Linux, Solaris, HPUX, MacOS etc, so if someone was looking for an enterprise class database, that was open source then this would be a good place to look.