"Where can I host my WebDB site???"

by Kevin Loney

This article first appeared at http://www.kevinloney.com. See http://www.lonyx.com, the Answer Index, for links to articles, scripts, and tips for DBAs, developers, and IT managers.

As the creator of a WebDB-based search engine for DBAs, developers, and IT managers (check it out at http://www.lonyx.com), I get asked the following question on almost a weekly basis:

"I’m developing a site using WebDB. Where can I host it?"

That’s the biggest current issue with production WebDB sites. It’s relatively easy to develop sites using the tool, but in order to go production with it on the Web, you’re going to have to be running on an Internet-accessible server that has Oracle on it. WebDB requires that its internal packages and tables, stored within the database, be available in order to retrieve and display the site’s data. You’ll also need to have access to the WebDB listener, either standalone (not recommended) or as a cartridge under OAS.

If you’re not developing your site through a company that has an Oracle license already, you’ll need to get space on a dedicated server. In general, this term refers to a virtual server – it looks like it’s all yours, but in fact the physical box is shared with others. It may also refer to a dedicated physical server - you control the whole box. Most service providers use the term to refer to a virtual dedicated server. The server will have to have an Internet connection, an Oracle database and since it’s to be a production Web site it should be in a controlled, 24x7 supported data center.

Most large ISPs now offer dedicated server packages for about 10 to 20 times what they would charge you to host a normal (i.e., non-WebDB) web site. Be sure to ask around for recommendations. One of those ISPs is the one I originally used for my non-WebDB site. During that pre-WebDB experience:

1 – They disconnected the only dial-in line in my area code, without notice.

2 – When I complained about that, they told me to dial another area code that was local to me. I explained that there isn’t one.

3 – They accidentally redirected their 1-800 modem dialin line to their helpdesk! The PC modem dialed, and through the speaker I heard, "Press 1 for Customer Support. Press 2…."

4 – So I called to inform them of that issue, and here’s the conversation verbatim:

Support Guy: "Where are you calling from?"
Me: "Delaware."
Support Guy: "What state is that in?"

So I decided not to pursue them as a dedicated server provider. The number of dedicated server providers has increased, giving you more options than you would have had a year ago. You will probably still need to buy the Oracle license (power-unit pricing) and the WebDB install will have to be performed at your cost. Your choice depends on your limits and requirements – including the processing power of the server, the capital you have available to spend on a server, the cost of the Oracle license, and the Oracle knowledge of the ISP’s staff. Oracle has some low priced options available, but support costs are steep. During the licensing process, I got to talk with an Oracle sales rep who didn’t seem to have spent much time on hold with Oracle Support. The conversation included:

Sales Guy: "The support percentage is higher for Web-based applications because they have more support calls."
Me: "From my experience, over 90% of my support calls are related to suspected bugs. Are you saying that the Web-based tools have a greater number of bugs than the non-Web tools?"

If your want to minimize your up-front costs while increasing your potential risks, you don’t have to buy support. You can buy a short-term software license and then pay for support on a per-call basis. In the meantime, you need to plan for your WebDB site’s growth. Ideally, your site will be the most useful and most popular site on the Web. Be sure your platform can scale to support your anticipated growth rate, and that you can cover the initial capital costs involved. There’s a market niche for someone to create a WebDB-focused ISP, but considering the issues and parameters involved (including O/S, O/S version, database version, WebDB version, coordination of upgrades, newness of the technology, costs for software licenses, undefined market, business impact of downtime, etc.) there are many risks. To be properly rewarded for taking those risks, such an ISP would have to charge a high fee. But if you can guarantee availability and can support Oracle and WebDB properly, there’s a market.

1 – A dedicated server within your company.

2 – A dedicated server that you purchase, with an Oracle license you purchase, coordinated with an ISP.

3 – A shared server via an ISP, with an Oracle license you may have to purchase.

4 – A shared server via a WebDB-enabled ISP (none that I know of at this time).

If Oracle wants to push WebDB as a solution for Internet applications, they should make #4 an easy choice, perhaps by partnering with an ISP or hosting the sites themselves. In the meantime, it may be costly and complicated to get your WebDB site up and running. There is one interesting impact of using WebDB: the http://www.lonyx.com site’s architecture is based on WebDB running on Oracle8i on Linux – and as a result, none of the site licensing dollars went to any company based in Redmond, Washington.