Why Cascade Server Is BYOD (Bring Your Own Database)

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By Blaine Herman

Friday, May 18th, 2007 at 9:48am

A lot of software companies build their own proprietary databases to go along with their content management systems. We don’t do this, and it’s not because we’re lazy. Instead, we believe that embedding a proprietary database into a CMS takes away the client’s ability to choose how and where their data is stored.

Since Cascade Server works with any of the industry’s best standard relational databases – MySQL 4.1/5.0, MS SQL Server 2000 SP4/2005, and Oracle 9i/10g, we can provide for a vast amount of flexibility for data storage. It also allows our clients to take advantage of existing skill sets, rather than having to learn a whole new database on top of the CMS learning curve – which would mean additional training and costs.

Another factor to consider while we're on the topic is – what would happen should your organization decide (for whatever reason) to stop using the CMS that you select. What is your exit strategy? If you chose a CMS that utilizes standard relational databases, you really don't have to be concerned with an exit strategy; 100% of your content is stored in a database, which you'll have access to long after you stop using the CMS. Alternatively, if you chose a CMS with an embedded database, once you stop using the CMS, you'll lose access to the database. I expect that a vendor with a proprietary database will tell you that you'll be able to easily extract information from their database. If this is the case, I would recommend that you ask for documentation outlining just how easy this process is. Confirming that you'll have access to your content, post CMS, would mitigate the chances of your organization being in a situation where your content is held hostage.

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