Is PostgreSQL Database Free For All?
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PostgreSQL is an open source project. Open source by definition means that you can obtain the source code, use the program, and modify it freely without the confines of proprietary software. In the database world, open source means that you have honest access to benchmarking numbers and performance statistics, which companies such as Oracle prohibit. Open source also means that you are free to modify PostgreSQL to fit your particular needs.
However, there is a misconception that since open source software is free from distribution restrictions, it is always free of cost to your company. This is not necessarily the case. It is true that you can, without external cost, download and install open source software, but there will always be costs associated with the time and energy your company puts into support and research of the application. As such, if you do not have those resources to spend, there are several commercial vendors and consultants who deal specifically with PostgreSQL.
Commercial PostgreSQL Products
The Red Hat version of PostgreSQL is called Red Hat Database and is a very new product to the database market. Red Hat Database is based on the community-released open source version, PostgreSQL 7.1. Red Hat Database currently supports Linux only, preferably Red Hat Linux 7.1.
Open Source Versus Commercial Products
The open source version of PostgreSQL only includes the database-management system and the associated programming interfaces. The Red Hat version of PostgreSQL includes a graphical installer and limited support for the installation.
The main factor in deciding whether to use the open source version of PostgreSQL or a commercially packaged version should be your business requirements. If you have a knowledgeable on-site technical-support staff, the community version may do well for you. However, if you need installation, configuration, and management support, you may be better served by purchasing a commercial version of PostgreSQL.
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Robert Treat said:
This article is pretty dumb, and should probably be ignored, but on the chance someone stumbles upon this page, I thought I’d mention a few corrections. First, Red Hat database isn’t really a product, and not something anyone would actually use. If you run Red Hat the OS, it will come with packages for the regular community version of Postgres, which is what you should be using. There are other commercial distributions / forks of Postgres, but they are usually modified in some way to target niche audiences. I wouldn’t say you should never use them, but by and large most people are fine sticking with regular community OSS Postgres.
Disclaimer: I work for OmniTI (http://www.omniti.com), a company which provides PostgreSQL consulting and commercial support.
September 3rd, 2010 at 12:52 pm