another failed attempt at database independence

  • From: "Rick Ricky" <ricks12345@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: oracle-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 11:21:09 -0400

The Defense Travel System (DTS) is attempting to move to database
independence. Last I read a few years ago they spent $600 million on this
application up to that point. I'm sure its alot higher now. Probably close
to $1 billion or more. It basically handles all of the commercial travel for
the US Department of Defense (over 3 million users). They have over 2 TBs of
data. They did not design for archiving so it will grow indefinitely.
They are currently working on a "technical refresh" (supposedly that is
their PR word for "pay us to write this piece of junk software again"). They
wrote their new modules against a mySQL database using an outsourced
sub-contracting company(which made money even though this failed completely.
I think the company is Dovel. Not sure. Might be IDC). They wanted to prove
they could make the application database independent. They used a tool
called Hybernate to generate all their queries. Probably spent millions of
dollars on this re-write of the code.

They deployed it to production 2 weeks ago and it was so bad that the whole
system was down for 3.5 days. This means EVERY person who works for the
department of defense could not book commercial travel
or get reimbursed or book hotels or get reimbursed for taxis or meals, or
CHANGE FLIGHTS if they were overseas for 3.5 days. They had to back out the
changes. It totally failed. Now since this is a time and material
contract(they make more money if they screw up), they are getting paid more
money to fix it.

They do not have any code built into their application to let them detect
where the performance problems may be. Its so pathetic I have been told
their DBAs laugh at the rest of the team in their meetings. More of my tax
money down in flames. They already paid for the oracle licenses. Migrating 2
TBs of data that is GROWING to another database is so unlikely it is
laughable. Yet the DoD got sold on database independence. They are not
allowed to use ANY oracle features. It would mean days of down time just to
move the data to the new database and this is before even testing it. That
is not going to happen. The data model has no normalization or primary keys
at all (they ignore their DBAs).

btw, if you google defense travel system you will see criticisms of the
project going back almost 10 years. yes its been in constant development for
10 years and its still not done.

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