We currently have an EE 10gR2 database on SUSE Linux on an IBM zSeries mainframe. Parts of our application perform very poorly and the powers that be have decided the answer lies not in optimizing our inefficient code but in moving as much data as possible out of the Oracle OLTP and into a Vertica database. The idea is that by moving all reporting to the Vertica database, rather than a standby, it will perform much better and relieve the pressure on the OLTP. I have no objection to a well-designed reporting database but that isn't what they've come up with. Does anyone have any experience with Vertica, best practices, any suggestions for managing it? My team will be the ultimate managers but have not been included in any of the training, design or any other aspect of setting up the Vertica database and the website didn't offer much help the last time I visited it. The decision was made, the product purchased and the struggle has begun to load the data. Not going well on that front either. -- Sandy Transzap, Inc.