Google wants to takes a byte out of Oracle workloads with PostgreSQL migration service Google is looking to capture some of Oracle's workloads by promising to help users migrate from Big Red's databases to PostgreSQL with a set of services and automation tools. Specifically, the Chocolate Factory wants to take users from Oracle databases to its managed PostgreSQL-compatible database service, AlloyDB. Among a …
It has several possible equivalents, it's just that none of them is called SYSDATE.
But just to highlight the problems of semantic conversion, if you need to refer to the date and time, should that be the time at which the time function (whatever its name) is executed, the time at which the statement containing the function is executed, the time at which the transaction containing the statement began execution - or something else?
The problem with this is that the suppliers of such "cheap" services trivializes the migration and operation efforts, as the changes that developers must take into account when switching RDBMS technologies. And all of the managers buy that without the slightest shade of doubt and the risks involved.
In the short term they all look almost the same (all of them can manage a SELECT * FROM TABLE and adhere to the ANSI standards ) but then the issues arise and the lack of proper skills in the "free" DBs is enormous when you get into troubles.
Could that be what prompted the service mentioned in the last paragraph of the article?
"In May, EDB launched a so-called "risk free" Oracle migration service in which customers signing a two-year contract to run a 64-core instance of PostgreSQL would not start paying until the new system is up and running and has been tested"
If you had a simple DB with simple queries happening then you have already migrated, unless that means re-qualifying costs etc.
If you have taken "advantage" of any of the massive array of footguns sold by Oracle, followed by downing several glasses of their koolaid, then I downright disbelieve that a "wizard" will work. I just don't.
EnterpriseDB has been running the Oracle to Postgres transition for years. I think they have a PL/SQL backend which makes the prospect of all having to handle all those stored procedures less daunting, but it's still going to be to difficult persuading the C-suite, especially after their next round of golf with an Oracle VP…
If this is the product I think it is, then it can be done, and has been done for several years now - just not under the Google banner. PLSQL is a Turing complete language and can be converted into any other Turing complete language - provided the code does not dig into Oracle internals, and a couple of other caveats.. The translator is a full compiler with full semantic analysis and does a good job.
That is not to say that there are not problems in "transpiling", but over 98% fully automatic conversion is generally possible. But AI it aint, just good old fashioned compiler technology..
We managed to migrate a not overly large but fairly complex couple of databases from Oracle to PLSQL. Belive me the business will accept some minor differences when they save $millions a year over what they were paying Oracle. The potential savings also help them quickly come up with funding to work out how to migrate.
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