PostGRESQL in a Windows environment 2

[Terpsfan]

Hi, I am in the process of migrating an Access database to a database that can handle more users, more data, more stable, etc. How would PostGreSQL suit my needs? I would like to continue to work with VB or C# as the programming language for the front end. Is this doable or should I use PHP/C++? And lastly how does PostGreSQL rate against MySQL?
Thanks in advance.

 

[Leland123]

Hi Omega36,

I noticed you're thinking about running PostgreSQL under Windows. PeerDirect has a native windows port of PostgreSQL. It can be downloaded from:

http://techdocs.postgresql.org/guides/InstallingOnWindows

You might want to take a tour through the PostgreSQL FAQ. There are only a few FAQ, so it wouldn't take long. One of the FAQ compares MySQL and PostgreSQL.

The official Win32 port of PostgreSQL has been re-scheduled for release in conjuction with PostgreSQL 7.5.

If I were you, I would use either Perl or PHP as the front end to the application, especially if it's going to be a three tier app over the internet. Both Perl and PHP provided true interoperability between almost all operating systems and an app written in either of these languages is a snap to port.

Currently PostgreSQL runs best under Linux or one of the many Unix flavors. I'm not sure how scalable postgreSQL is under windows. There may be a 32 connection limitation when running postgreSQL using Cygwin which unixifies the windows OS. This is not a limitation of PostgreSQL, but of cygwin.

PostgreSQL has finally released an official replication package. I found this when visiting the Universal Thread this afternoon:

http://lwn.net/Articles/46576/

I'm not sure whether the replication has been ported to window yet.


I an currently writing a Shopping Kart application using Linux, Apache2, and Perl. It is a work-in-process, but if you're interested, you could take a peek at it:

http://www.smvfp.com/cgi-bin/smorders/kart_index.pl

If you set up a demo account, you could use the shopping kart modules just to see how perl works with PostgreSQL. You would need an Administrative Login in order to demo administration of the databases. Although most of the admin modules are written, I don't have a Demo Admin login created at this time.

I have used both MySQL and Postgres. I love PostgreSQL.

LelandJ



Leland F. Jackson, CPA
Software - Master (TM)

http://www.smvfp.com

Nothing Runs Like the Fox

 

[Terpsfan]

OK, thanks for the information. I have used ASP/ASP.NET with SQL Server, so I'm assuming learning PHP wouldn't be too bad. This project I'm working I'm speaking of is at work and they are running Windows 2000...no Linux. Why not use SQL Server, you may ask...well, the SQL DBA's there are giving me a hard time about wanting to control every aspect of the project, which I don't like. Then there is the licensing issue. I was thinking about going my own route, and developing and administering my own db. I will need to migrate about 300 MB of data from various Access dbs into one. I want to web enable the application. So if I go the PHP/PostGreSQL route, what options do I have for a web server? Can I use IIS or do I need to use Apache? And lastly I'm having a hard time downloading the right mirror for PostGre for windows... can you direct me to the right place. Right now I'm going through various options on which DB and application environment to use. I'm going to go through the pros and cons of each and then make an informed decision. Thanks again!

 

[Leland123]

Hi Omega36,

I when back and tried the link I provide you in the first post, and it's broken. I also did a search to try and find the native windows version of postgresql, but no luck. You might try the cygwin version under windows. It's a little more involved to install, but not really that difficult. Here is an resent article from "Database Journal" about how to install postgresql under either windows or unix.

http://www.databasejournal.com/features/postgresql/article.php/11279_3064861_1

One advantage of going the cygwin route is you will get a more current version of postgresql.

With postgresql you have many options. You can run it under window using either IIS or apache. I would perfer to run it under apache2 in window as its free with no limitation as to concurrent connections. If you want to run it under IIS, I have written an article that may be of some help in configuring IIS. Although it's an article about using perl, IIS, and Visual FoxPro as a backend database, that part about configuring IIS would apply equally to a IIS, php, postgresql application. It can be found here:

http://www.smvfp.com/art1.shtml

There should be no problem using either perl or php on windows with either apache1 or IIS.

LelandJ

Leland F. Jackson, CPA
Software - Master (TM)

http://www.smvfp.com

Nothing Runs Like the Fox

 

[TimKThailand]

Leland,

I just checked the link to the Windows-native version and it's OK. The site must be very b-z at that time.

http://techdocs.postgresql.org/guides/InstallingOnWindows

 

[Terpsfan]

I have not once gotten that download link to bring up a page...does anyone have another link I could use? thanks

 

[TimKThailand]

You can try to d/l it from here,

http://agserver.kku.ac.th/basiceng/postgres/postgres_beta4.zip

as well.