Windows NT: Your Call

Would you run your enterprise database applications on Windows NT?

Windows NT is Microsoft Corp.'s latest technological steamroller. It clearly has momentum as a popular server for departmental applications, yet many people still question whether or not it is ready for enterprise prime time. To counter this perception, Microsoft held its well-publicized Scalability Day in New York City in May. Despite showing off some very large databases and gargantuan transaction volumes, many analysts scoffed that true scalability requires much more than size and throughput. Shortly thereafter at Spring Comdex in early June, Bill Gates boasted that Microsoft is investing $1 billion in Windows NT research and development. But what do you think?

I'd like to know about your use or plans for using Windows NT as an operating system for hosting database applications. Please complete the survey below (**via the form page) -- you can fill it out on the DBMS Web site at www.dbmsmag.com/ntsurvey.html or fax it to me at 770-977-9475. I'll report the results in an upcoming column and on our Web site. If you complete the Web form, I'll email the results to you.

1. Are you using Windows NT for mission-critical database applications? (check one)

• Not using it now, and I have no plans to adopt it
• Not using it now, but I plan to adopt it within two years
• Yes, for applications serving up to 100 users
• Yes, for applications serving between 100 and 1,000 users
• Yes, for applications serving over 1,000 users

• It is not secure enough
• It does not perform well enough
• It lacks adequate management tools (including third-party tools)
• I'm not comfortable with Microsoft as an enterprise vendor
• Other essential features are missing or inadequate (please describe below) _____________________________________________________

• Our use will stay the same
• We will use it more
• We will use it less

• Unix (any flavor)
• Novell NetWare (any version)
• OS/2
• Any other mainframe or minicomputer operating system
• Other (please describe) _____________________________
• No others -- Windows NT is the only OS we use

• Yes, it is replacing some of our existing operating system installations
• Yes, we plan to eventually replace all other operating systems with Windows NT
• No, we are only using Windows NT for new or supplemental installations

• No
• Yes, along with other vendors' RDBMSs
• Yes, as our only RDBMS

• No, we do not yet have any Web servers installed
• No, we use other Web servers instead of IIS
• Yes, but we also use other vendors' Web servers
• Yes, IIS is the only Web server we use