Are you talking about using FileMaker Pro's External SQL Data Sources (ESS) to back your interface onto MS-SQL or Oracle, or transitioning to an new collections management system built on those technologies?
Personally, I'd be asking questions about what is prompting this push. Are there security concerns (FileMaker and Access files are mobile - they can easily be loaded onto moveable media, whereas server based technologies, such as Oracle or MS-SQL are harder for end-users to copy or transfer)? Is your current database part of a back-up strategy and covered by a disaster management plan? I'd be happy to talk to you about many of the issues off-list if you'd like. Chad Petrovay ?| ?Collections Database Administrator MIM-Musical Instrument Museum | 4725 E. Mayo Boulevard ?| Phoenix, AZ 85050 480.478.6000 main ?| ?480.478.6058 direct | 480.471.8690 fax ?| www.themim.org Blog: www.petrovay.com/tmsblog -----Original Message----- From: mcn-l-bounces at mcn.edu [mailto:mcn-l-bounces at mcn.edu] On Behalf Of [email protected] Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2010 11:36 AM To: mcn-l at mcn.edu Subject: [MCN-L] -Database Questions Hello All, I wanted to see if anyone has had any experience using Microsoft SQL or Oracle in a collections database manner. We currently use Filemaker Pro, which suits our purposes quite well. However, we are being encouraged by higher ups that we should convert to Microsoft SQL or Oracle. These seem a bit more advanced than we'd need. If anyone has any experience I would love to hear the pros and cons to such a conversion. Also, I'm interested in finding out any policies museums may have to access of image and video files. For instance, if you have a server dedicated to images and video footage, who can access? Would anyone within the museum (even outside collections) have access? Thanks so much for all your help. Misty Tilson _______________________________________________ You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum Computer Network (http://www.mcn.edu) To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l at mcn.edu To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: http://toronto.mediatrope.com/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l The MCN-L archives can be found at: http://toronto.mediatrope.com/pipermail/mcn-l/
