Salik Rafiq's blog

I've had a lot of experience with Oracle, SQL Server and Access. And now that I've explored LAMP and bit I see that many people are excited about MySQL. When I look at MySQL I find a lot of quirks - two engines ISAM and InnoDB - each with their benefits. I see their user management - again quirky. I wonder to myself, is this really ready to run the enterprises of large companies?

Is MySQL really ready for Prime Time?

Given its cost - zero - it would seem to be a bargin. A OS which runs on Intel Architecture and has hundreds of free utlities (postfix e-mail, zarafa exchange replacement, sugarCRM etc) and can support Windows clients in a Domain using Samba. This looks like a winner of a OS. But! Do SMBs really use it? What are the hidden costs?

It maybe free, but it isn't well documented and being a sysadmin of a Linux-Windows mix. I can tell you there are problems!

I have been considering this question for some time. They are free and anyone can download them. But obviously, like every piece of software, they have bugs. As a consultant I could debug them...and fix my client's install. What is a good model for this? Pay-as-you-go or a annual support contract?

Some. like Alfresco and Knowledge Tree, have subscriptions which have a host of addons..like support. Would I reccommend this to a client and then not be involved at all? Sound like a money-loser to me.