
Ingres: Can You Ever Go Back? (2006) - shubhamjain
https://kellblog.com/2006/04/08/ingres-can-you-ever-go-back/
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lkrubner
To read about the technical failures, which lasted for many years, increases
my respect for MongoDB, which was a bit more aggressive tackling the technical
problems that haunted its early years. MongoDB had a partially deserved bad
reputation for thinks like locks, but they worked hard to improve that. It had
a bad reputation for consistency errors but they worked with Kyle Kingsbury to
find the flaws and eventually overcome them. In contrast, it sounds like
Ingres was not able to create row level locking, even after many years of it
being a crucial factor that was allowing Oracle to win.

I wonder if Ingres was too careful with investment? Sounds like Oracle nearly
destroyed itself during the hypergrowth phase. This phase of growth seems to
be something investors now understand better. Indeed, rather than considering
it a weakness, hockey stick growth curves have become a requirement.

~~~
rubiquity
Interesting perspective you have there. I'm of the opposite beliefs. If you're
going to undertake a project, it is a sign of respect to your users and the
problem you're solving that you nail the foundational problems in that space.
Shipping a database that loses data is like shipping a bank that loses money
and is not something I'm willing to respect.

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marktangotango
Very enlightening bit of history here. Also interesting the bit about the CA
graveyard. I know of at least one really useful utility that was bought by CA
and disappeared off the face of the earth. I implemented a clone and make a
nice monthly supplement with it.

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slowhand09
I worked on Oracle software for several years while my close friend worked on
Ingres software 4 offices over. We both touted the advantages of what we
worked with, and lamented the advantages of the other's software. I was sorry
to see Ingres fall out of the market. Cool they are coming back, in whatever
shape.

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dpwm
It appears that Ingres Corporation is still around, under the name Actian. [0]

[0]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Actian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Actian)

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dddw
well written piece, nice read

