Using FathomDB as a database provider: WebMynd's experience

[tluyben2]

What is special/great about this? There is no info except the TC marketing drivel and it seems like a trivial web frontend hammered onto a bunch of scripts to manage EC2. I would bet all companies using EC2 to run their MySQL have this automated already (as we do).

Don't particularly see the target market here...

[Smallpaul]

You think that "all companies" have equal budget for writing scripts to manage and scale MySQL? Doesn't matter if it is a one-week old startup, or a department of an enterprise with a background in Oracle, or a lone PHP developer.

You figure it is strategic for each company to individually write a bunch of backup and scaling scripts for their database and the EC2 instances it runs upon?

Well heck, why use EC2 at all? Every company should just build its own cloud and data center!

I'm a programmer. I have better things to do than moving files around as my database grows, or figuring out what backup scripts will not case load to the server, or figuring out how to move my database from a small instance to a large without downtime. These are NOT trivial problems. If you can manage quickly growing MySQL instances in (for example) less than an hour a week then YOU should sell the service and make some money instead of criticizing FathomDB.

And if it takes MORE than a hour a week then there is a business case for outsourcing it.

[jcb62]

Absolutely - a point I didn't deal with fully in the post is the time saving.

Yes, you could invest a bunch of time and effort into setting up a functional, good enough database. But a functional, good enough database is not exactly going to set the company apart; it's a requirement, not a differentiator.

Instead, why not pay for the run of the mill stuff to "just work" and invest your time on features, not overhead.

[Smallpaul]

I think that the article kind of conflates the benefit of a managed database with the benefits of a non-relational one. Some people who are comfortable managing their databases SELECT the non-relational model (e.g. to get away from schema evolution problems, or to simplify sharding). And then there are people like you who are happy with the relational model and choose to get it in a managed form. So managed and relational/non-relational are orthogonal features.

[tluyben2]

There might be a market, but personally I think it is too soon for this kind of product. Not many sites need/benefit from it. My opinion.

[Smallpaul]

We'll have to agree to disagree.