Introduction
Often people in newsgroups ask about some comparison of Oracle and
Microsoft SQL Server. In this article, I compare SQL Server 2000
with Oracle 9i Database regarding price, performance, platforms
supported, SQL dialects and products limits.
Platform comparison
SQL Server 2000 only works on Windows-based platforms, including Windows 9x,
Windows NT, Windows 2000 and Windows CE.
In comparison with SQL Server 2000, Oracle 9i Database supports all known
platforms, including Windows-based platforms, AIX-Based Systems, Compaq
Tru64 UNIX, HP 9000 Series HP-UX, Linux Intel, Sun Solaris and so on.
Hardware requirements
To install SQL Server 2000, you should have the Intel or compatible
platforms and the following hardware:
| Hardware | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Processor | Pentium 166 MHz or higher |
| Memory | 32 MB RAM (minimum for Desktop Engine), 64 MB RAM (minimum for all other editions), 128 MB RAM or more recommended |
| Hard disk space | 270 MB (full installation), 250 MB (typical), 95 MB (minimum), Desktop Engine: 44 MB Analysis Services: 50 MB minimum and 130 MB typical English Query: 80 MB |
Oracle 9i supports Intel or compatible platforms, AIX-Based Systems,
Compaq Tru64 UNIX, HP 9000 Series HP-UX, Linux Intel, Sun Solaris
and so on.
To install Oracle 9i under the Intel or compatible platforms, you
should have the following hardware:
| Hardware | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Processor | Pentium 166 MHz or higher |
| Memory | RAM: 128 MB (256 MB recommended) Virtual Memory: Initial Size 200 MB, Maximum Size 400 MB |
| Hard disk space | 140 MB on the System Drive plus 4.5 GB for the Oracle Home Drive (FAT) or 2.8 GB for the Oracle Home Drive (NTFS) |
To install Oracle 9i Database under the UNIX Systems, such as AIX-Based
Systems, Compaq Tru64 UNIX, HP 9000 Series HP-UX, Linux Intel, and Sun
Solaris, you should have the following hardware:
| Hardware | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Memory | A minimum of 512 MB RAM |
| Swap Space | A minimum of 2 x RAM or 400 MB, whichever is greater |
| Hard disk space | 4.5 GB |
Software requirements
SQL Server 2000 comes in six editions: Enterprise, Standard, Personal,
Developer, Desktop Engine, and SQL Server CE (a compatible version for
Windows CE) and requires the following software:
| Operating System | Enterprise Edition | Standard Edition | Personal Edition | Developer Edition | Desktop Engine | SQL Server CE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows CE | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Windows 9x | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Windows NT 4.0 Workstation with Service Pack 5 | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Windows NT 4.0 Server with Service Pack 5 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Windows NT 4.0 Server Enterprise Edition with Service Pack 5 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Windows 2000 Professional | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Windows 2000 Server | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Windows 2000 Advanced Server | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Windows 2000 DataCenter | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Windows XP Professional | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Oracle 9i Database comes in three editions: Enterprise, Standard and Personal
and requires the following software:
| Platform | Operating System Version | Required Patches |
|---|---|---|
| Windows-based | Windows NT 4.0 | Service Pack 5 |
| Windows-based | Windows 2000 | Service Pack 1 |
| Windows-based | Windows XP | Not Necessary |
| AIX-Based | AIX 4.3.3 | Maintenance Level 09 and IY24568, IY25282, IY27614, IY30151 |
| AIX-Based | AIX 5.1 | AIX 5L release 5.1 ML01+ (IY22854), IY26778, IY28766, IY28949, IY29965, IY30150 |
| Compaq Tru64 UNIX | Tru64 5.1 | 5.1 patchkit 4 |
| Compaq Tru64 UNIX | Tru64 5.1A | 5.1A patchkit 1 |
| HP-UX | HP-UX version 11.0 (64-bit) | Sept. 2001 Quality Pack, PHCO_23792, PHCO_24148, PHKL_24268, PHKL_24729, PHKL_ 25475, PHKL_25525, PHNE_24715, PHSS_23670, PHSS_24301, PHSS_24303, PHSS_24627, PHSS_22868 |
| Linux | SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 7 (or SLES-7) with kernel 2.4.7, and glibc 2.2.2 | Not Necessary |
| Sun Solaris | Solaris 32-Bit 2.6 (5.6), 7 (5.7) or 8 (5.8) | Not Necessary |
| Sun Solaris | Solaris 64-Bit 8 (5.8) | Update 5 |