I cannot compute your question but...

What I'm worried about is... Java.

I find this kinda exciting. shaking things up.

baarod said:

It might come as a surprise to many of you, but my primary professional focus in recent years has not been Windows or Microsoft technologies. I've been firmly entrenched in the anti-Microsoft world of *NIX and Oracle for almost a decade now.......................

That stack is 100% native Java.

What do you think Oracle's acquisition of Sun will do to the Java marketplace and what effect will that have on Microsoft? Do you think that negative Oracle sentiment (it's really a love/hate relationship at almost all big shops) will drive folks off Sun hardware and towards Windows? Do you think that Oracle control of Java will push more shops to .Net?

What other mechanisms for change can you folks envision?

Hi Baarod.

I think this is actually a "Marriage made in Heaven".
It amazes me especially on a Technical Forum that the biggest ERP / CRM company on earth is rarely ever mentioned especially considering the number of external consultants who must be working with this stuff in every country on the planet. I refer to SAP.

Whilst SAP essentially has its own ABAP internal programming language (and more recently JAVA as well) to handle the base DB calls and screen manipulation the underlying DB system used BY FAR on SAP installations actually the ORACLE DB system. Whilst other DB systems can be used such as IBM's DB2 and SAP's own Community edition MAXDB ORACLE is the system of choice. Note - only the DB system is used not the applications such as Oracle Financials as SAP is using its own applications here.

With JAVA and the new SAP WEB DYNPRO technology a huge amount of new applications for this once lumbering giant are opening up. (This can still be done via older ABAP technolgy as well but on the whole JAVA is the method of choice for Web enabled applications whilst ABAP handles more traditional stuff like Logistics, Materials, Financials etc).

With the Web dynpro technology a whole load of new technologies are possible.

Imagine in a large corporation handling simple employee requests like booking courses, managing leaves, handling Shifts with people wanting to swap assignments etc etc.

SAP's E.S.S (Employee self service) system manages this very well and really reduces costs to large HR depts. (There's a similar management facility known as MSS Management self service).

Another scenario -- Imagine your company produces chemicals / other products for which all sorts of conformity certificates are required before the goods can leave the site.

At the reception area you can have the WEB DYNPRO / Portal interface running the computer(s) in "KIOSK MODE". All the truck drivers have to do is to enter their ticket number. They then get the paperwork, check the loads and sign off.

The data then goes into the rest of the ERP system for maybe ordering more supplies, generating billing, compiling statistics, aranging production schedules, managing storage and comples wharehousing / goods movements etc etc etc.

E-commerce is also another area SAP is used for - there are a load of E-commerce systems out there but SAP has the advantage that for larger organisations all the other stuff is integrated as well.

With Windows and its SQL server Microsoft should have developed something like SAP - now Windows and Office have essentially matured where is their next generation income stream going to come from.

Incidentally if you want to try what used to be called "MiniSAP" on your own machine you can download it free from the SAP site. This version has the CORE stuff in it (ABAP / JAVA stacks, database server, Portal, Web application server, Web Dynpro, Workflow etc). It doesn't have the transactional stuff like say Logistics but you can still do a lot with it. -- Not for the faint hearted BTW. It's free but you need to send of (automated) for a license every 90 days.

Download from here.

https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn

Choose downloads==>software SAP Netweaver main releases==> then pick what you want (ABAP / JAVA stacks etc. All versions have the WEB dynpro and portal integration).

Interesting times ahead even in these times --we won't be in recession forever.

Added -- in general the "Front end" for SAP applications was Windows (SAPGUI.EXE) the WEB DYNPRO concept means that this is no longer the case. Any web enabled browser will work -- so 'NIX or whatever can be used.



Cheers
jimbo

I hope MySQL is largely unaffected by this merger.

baarod said:

I just left Oracle in February so I still have tons of contacts inside. MySQL will be dealt a swift death. No further development or updates of any kind and zero support without a big cash support contract. MySQL has been a thorn in the side of commercial databases for a long time. Oracle might have said that Java was why they bought Sun but killing MySQL dead is icing on the cake.

Well that sucks ass. Btw, why did you leave?