Chapter 11 - Sybase Migrations from a Systems Integrator Perspective, and Case Study

Abstract

mLogica is a specialized systems integrator with primary expertise in database performance management. mLogica consults on Sybase database performance challenges and database migration issues, and provides database products and solutions for customers globally, from premium New York City financial services firms, to leading California media and entertainment companies, to stock exchanges and banks from Bangladesh and the Maldives Islands. This chapter deals primarily with mLogica's experience in working with clients who have asked mLogica to help them evaluate and/or support them with their database migration initiatives from Sybase Adaptive Service Enterprise (ASE) to Oracle. mLogica provides assessments on the strategic pros and cons of Sybase-to-Oracle migrations from business and technology perspectives. mLogica analyzes existing trends in the database marketplace, what business users are telling us, what database trainers are reporting in regard to database cross-training, what analysts are saying, and the investments that both Sybase and Oracle have made in terms of database innovation. Based on this information, mLogica prepares a business case and justification for migration from Sybase to Oracle for its customers. This chapter offers what mLogica considers to be best practices and lessons learned when migrating a Sybase database to Oracle, from the perspective of an Oracle systems integrator as well as a systems integrator that has been managing and improving the performance of Sybase installations worldwide. The chapter concludes with a case study that provides details regarding the experiences of a global telecommunications company that migrated from a Sybase and PowerBuilder environment to an Oracle and .NET environment.