Is Informix faster than SQL?

Question

Data base performance

I´m evaluating both Informix and MS SQL Server 2005 for my middle size data center. Please give a chart to compare speed, scalability, portability, relaibility, price and performance.

Answer 1

The two are not comparable

Informix: a company that makes large-scale database servers, and the namesake database server software

SQL: structured query language, used to query databases, usable on most database servers

Perhaps you mean Microsoft SQL Server? If so, the answer is yes, but then, Informix is designed for a much larger / upscale market like large corporations, whereas MS SQL Server is aimed at small businesses. You can't compare the two. It'd be like comparing a military Humvee to a go-kart and ream the go-kart for not having enough carrying capacity.

EDIT: Gee, some people are so sensitive! I NEVER SAID that MS SQL Server won't run an enterprise. I said it was AIMMED at small businesses (instead of large corporations is implied). BIG difference.

As for speed, there is no uniform benchmark for databases as the performance depends on data types, network conditions, server setup, and query optimization.

My point stands: it's pointless to compare the two.

And Tony... You'd do better answering the original question, than to find perceived flaws in my answer and explanations. Even that "Award of the year" link you dug up says MS SQL Server 2005 won for ease of management, no mention of speed.

Answer 2

MS SQL is also designed for large scale corporations! I do not know where the above commenter got their info, but it is clearly flawed.

Please see:http://www.pafumi.net/db_comparission.htm
for more detailed information.

As far a speed and performance issues, there is always a trade off. One, for example, may be a little faster but lacks features important to a particular industry. So it is really like comparing apples to oranges. For example, a lesser known Microsoft product, Visual Foxpro, out performs MS SQL but is limited to 4 G tables, therefore its use in large corporations would be limited to front-end tier.

Please also see: http://www.dbforums.com/showthread.php?t=1002444

Answer 3

Hi,

MS SQL isvery powerfull DB but be aware of RAM consuming.

Regards.