Path: utzoo!attcan!bdofed!nickerso
From: nickerso@bdofed.UUCP (b)
Newsgroups: comp.databases
Subject: Re: Comments Requested About Prevail
Summary: Answer: avoid it
Keywords: prevail, resolve, dbm
Message-ID: <149@bdofed.UUCP>
Date: 11 Jan 90 16:35:16 GMT
References: <315@mic.UUCP>
Organization: Etobicoke Board of Education, Ontario
Lines: 41

In article <315@mic.UUCP>, gary@mic.UUCP (Gary Lewin) writes:
> I have a client who is currently using Prevail, an integrated software
> package, on a 3B2.  We are considering implementing the DBM part of
> Prevail to handle a number of automatic reports as well as additional
> collected data.
> 
> Before sinking the necessary time, effort and money into this project,
> there are several unanswered questions.
> 
> 1.	Are any of you using Prevail, and if so, would you plan a long
> 	term project based on this software package?
We are currently phasing out Prevail at this site.  We have gone to separate
packages for each of the functions necessary with the database stuff being
converted to Oracle (athough I recommended Empress).  I would not plan a
long or short term project on Prevail if I could help it.
> 2.	How does Prevail's DBM compare with other, perhaps more current,
> 	data base managers?
I didn't like it at all.  It is extremely difficult to move a database (in
fact we usually left them or recreated them from scratch 8=).  The user
interface wasn't very good, screen and report generators weren't bad.  Newer
DBM's that I've worked with (Oracle, Informix, Empress) are much better in
every area.
> 3.	What do you think of Resolve Logic Systems' (Prevail's author)
> 	technical support?
In Canada we didn't find it easy to get a hold of them (and didn't bother
trying for the last year).  Once we knew we were phasing it out we just
lived with the problems.
> 4.	What do you know about Resolve Logic Systems' financial condition?
> 	ie- Are they solvent?  Will they be around for a while?  etc...
Have no idea.
> 5.	If you had a choice of using any DBM for long term multi-user
> 	applications, which would you choose?
I would use Empress.  Second choice would be Informix, third would be Oracle.
I haven't used any others (except for an older version of Focus about 5
years ago on a VM/CMS system 8=).
> Thanks in advance for assisting me in answering the above questions!
Your welcome

Bill Nickerson
attcan!bdofed!nickerso
Etobicoke Board of Education