Can Linux and Windows data system co-exist

Question

Planning to have two system - Linux (running Java and databae posgrsql) and Windows (running .net application and database MS SQL) in parallel. Some of the data residing in both the database systems are accessed by both the applications in Linux and Windows. So, can the two system co-exists? Can either of the applications access and manipulate the data?

Answer 1

In theory it is possible ... to a large degree. A couple of things to things to think about:

• If the data is duplicated across the different databases in an ad-hoc fashion, then you are going to have to solve the problem of keeping the copies in step.

• If your system requires transactions that read / update the data in multiple databases, then you are going to need to use distributed transactions which is going to make things complicated. (Really complicated if you don't have an overarching XOpen/XA framework in your system architecture.)

My advice would be to try to simplify your technology base, and if you can't then try to keep clean boundaries between the respective databases. Ideally, design the architecture so that there is a application service tier with separate / independent services for each database. Have your clients talk to the application services rather than talking directly to the database(s).

Answer 2

Both Postgres and Mysql are enterprise level database and as such can easily handle two clients. Normal practices are to include transactional based updates / inserts.