Appliance Showdown: Comparing Apples to Apples

Report Format: MP3

The primary value proposition of the appliance boils down to the dynamic duo of performance and affordability. The idea is that an appliance should cost-effectively deliver robust data warehousing functionality right out of the box, with minimal setup and negligible maintenance. However, the various combinations of hardware, software and storage offered by vendors come with strengths and weaknesses that users need to evaluate before they buy.

Tune into this special, extended episode of DM Radio to hear five of the biggest names in data warehouse appliances go head-to-head, allowing you to compare apples to apples. We’ll hear from Stephen Brobst of Teradata, Barry Zane of ParAccel, Stuart Frost of DATAllegro, John O'Brien of Dataupia and John Thompson of Kognitio. Attendees will learn:

• How these products are similar, and how they’re different
• What you should expect from a DW appliance
• The difference between SMP and MPP
• The benefits and drawbacks of commodity hardware
• The benefits and drawbacks of open-source software
• Where column stores fit into the appliance picture
• Whether appliances will climb into the BI stack