RE: [PHP] MSSQL support for PHP on Unix?

Hi Michael, I'll pass your suggestions along; I agree that pricing / architecture issues can be confusing. I'd be more than happy to assist anyone on this list in determining how odbc drivers would fit into a proposed PHP architeture, where they would be deployed, where the strong/weak points are, etc. Best regards, Andrew ---------------------------------------------------- Andrew Hill Professional Services Consultant OpenLink Software http://www.openlinksw.com Universal Database Connectivity Technology Providers -----Original Message----- From: Michael Kimsal [mailto:michael@tapinternet.com] Sent: Wednesday, July 05, 2000 1:53 PM To: ahill@openlinksw.com Subject: Re: [PHP] MSSQL support for PHP on Unix? Thank you - I didn't mean to come across dissing your products - I've helped someone test it in the past. Your explanation does clear things up a bit - perhaps this could be explained a bit more on the website, as other people I've talked to also have come to the same conclusion re: openlink pricing. In our situation, we are migrating a project that, at peak, has around 550 concurrent users - concurrent db connections, not just 'users'. This is expected to grow to ~750 or so by the end of the year. In this particular case, the openlink package still seems pricey, but now that you've clarified things, perhaps we can use the openlink product in future projects. Thank you. Andrew Hill wrote: > Let me clarify a couple of points with regards to Openlink architecture and > pricing. > > With multiple web servers and one database server, you will only need to buy > _one_ Openlink license. The product is licensed at the 'request broker' > level, which sits on the same machine as the database. > > Plus, we give you a 2 ip address / 10 connection license free with the > product, for development or intranet use. The free license is fully > featured and doesn't expire, just limited in conncurrency. > > Even if you needed all 8 webservers running against the database server at > once you still only need to buy a license that covers the maximum number of > simultaneous database sesssions that PHP is going to have open at any one > time. What do you have for concurrent users in your site that will be > actively pulling db sessions? > > This can be _way_ under the 6k that was mentioned (that's a 200 concurrent > license) and we are more than happy to give out 30 day high-volume licenses > if you want to run some high numbers through your architecture for > scalability testing. > > Check out the Application/Web Server Pricing on our pricing page, > http://www.openlinksw.com/info/pricing.htm and be aware that > these prices > are list as well, and we often custom quote for unique architecture. > > Hope this helps! > > Best regards, > Andrew > ---------------------------------------------------- > Andrew Hill > Professional Services Consultant > OpenLink Software > http://www.openlinksw.com > Universal Database Connectivity Technology Providers > > -----Original Message----- > From: Michael Kimsal [mailto:michael@tapinternet.com] > Sent: Wednesday, July 05, 2000 1:23 PM > To: phoenix@phoenixdigital.com > Cc: php-general@lists.php.net > Subject: Re: [PHP] MSSQL support for PHP on Unix? > > I don't know your shop, obviously, but I have a feeling they will > want to stay with MSSQL, especially if it's 7. Probably 2 reasons - > 1. they've probably already paid for it and 2. it's a nice product. > It's not always the best for web projects, because, imo, there's > extra overhead that really isn't necessary for small to medium > projects (define your own small and medium!), but it is good. > Lots of things that just are 'easier' for someone to use - > not trying to start a flame war, because it's not my first choice db, > but I have a client who's already paid for MSSQL7, and they insist > (rightly so, imo) that we continue to use it. > > We are planning a move to PHP/Linux at some point soon, and need > to keep talking to MSSQL, so we're in the same boat. I've looked at > the Easysoft and Openlink solutions, but each are cost prohibitive > to the extent that we've got multiple web servers (8). Might be > reduced to 5 if PHP is quick enough (seems to be so far on this > project), but I just can't justify to them (or myself) why we should > abandon a platform that talks natively to SQL7 to move to > another platform that ends up costing us more money out of > pocket to make it talk to SQL7. Much of the sales point of Linux > is the price, but if it costs up to an extra $6k *per machine* (as I read > the openlink pricing), what are we gaining? > > I've got a friend in town using the Easysoft solution, and that's working > fine for him, but it's still thousands extra for us to make this move, > and it's not something I can easily sell. > > After all that, I will say that the FreeTDS.org project has come a long > way, and seems to work fine with the latest snapshot of PHP4, talking to > SQL7 > (sp2). I'm sure it's not as robust yet as openlink or easysoft, but it's > fast and free. If you're getting heat to stick with SQL7, you'll > have a hard sell, imo, telling people to spend money to move AWAY from > a native MS platform. > > For your proposal, yes, PHP4 can talk directly to SQL7. We're doing it > here in the office right now. We needed > > 1. The latest snapshot from tds.org > (available at ftp site freetds.internetcds.com) > 2. *Latest* dev version of PHP (4.0.2). > > There were/are some issues with 4.0.0, and the 4.0.1 pl releases > in our testing, but the latest snapshot from this past Monday > resolved all the issues were having. > > Get these items, compile freetds (tdsver=7.0), compile PHP > with -with-sybase=/path/to/freetds and whatever other > options, and your mssql_xxxx features will work. *very* quick, here, > I might add. > > For your boss' info, our latest PHP testing here shows that our pages > on a 300 mhz webserver (linux/php) and 200mhz db server (SQL7) > are anywhere from 30-100% *faster* than similar ASP code on > a 500mhz NT box talking to a dual 550 SQL7 box. My friend with the > Easysoft setup has shown me 100-300% improvements in his > port from ASP to PHP using the Easysoft bridge to NT/SQL from Linux/Apache. > > Long rambling post, I know, but I hope this helps some! > > phoenix@phoenixdigital.com wrote: > > > Hi, > > > > I am writing up a proposal for my boss and he needs to know if php can > talk directly to MSSQL via the PHP modules for this? > > He doesn't want to use the ODBC connection but would prefer PHP to talk > directly to the MSSQL database. > > > > Is this possible in the Unix version or only the Win32 version? > > If it is possible on Unix what is needed to compile it into the Unix > version? > > > > I am trying to push MySQL but I need a backup plan if they choose to stay > with MSSQL, otherwise it will all end up on a NT machine with ASP. :( > > > > Thanks for your help. > > -- > ========================== > Michael Kimsal > http://www.tapinternet.com > 734-480-9961 > > -- > PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) > To unsubscribe, e-mail: php-general-unsubscribe@lists.php.net > For additional commands, e-mail: php-general-help@lists.php.net > To contact the list administrators, e-mail: php-list-admin@lists.php.net > > -- > PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) > To unsubscribe, e-mail: php-general-unsubscribe@lists.php.net > For additional commands, e-mail: php-general-help@lists.php.net > To contact the list administrators, e-mail: php-list-admin@lists.php.net -- ========================== Michael Kimsal http://www.tapinternet.com 734-480-9961