Column based datatbases

Do any of you guys or gals have experience with column based databases as opposed to relational databases?
Do you have a good os and program that you like for a column database?
Is there a database for dummys that can lay out my options in something that approximates English?
I am looking at this for eventually having terobites or more of data that will be read once query many times and column based data structure seems perfect for this but I don't know anyone who has experience with it. So if you have a platform you love let me know!

I know this isn't a strictly OS question but it is a little more than just a software app too.

I don't have experience with columnar databases, myself, as all my experience is with row-based databases like MySQL, PostgreSQL, DB2, etc. I may be able to point you in the right direction, though. The most well-known commercial columnar DBMS is probably Sybase IQ. It will run on Windows and Linux, among others. http://www.sybase.com/products/datawarehousing/sybaseiq

The only open-source columnar DBMS I know of is LucidDB (formerly Broadbase). It also runs on Windows and Linux, and, of course, it's free. http://www.luciddb.org/

For either of these solutions (or anything critical), I recommend the Linux platform--preferrably 64-bit. As for distributions, I prefer Debian, myself, but there are myriad options. If you don't have an experienced system administrator at your disposal, buying a commercial distribution like RedHat and paying for support may be the way to go for you.

Beaker, to hear you talk about Databases... is so... exciting :-)

Palooka,

Thanks for the info we are probably looking at either Lucid on Linux (cause it only supports 32 bit windows) or a program called Monet. These are both free. Sybase is too expensive for us I think, especially as we expand the database. I have a great IT group to work with they have plenty of row - based DB experience. No one has any column experience so I was hoping one of you geniuses would have some actual hands on time so you would have a favorite. I also need to know how well it will talk to relational databases.

And that pretty much exhausts everything I know about databases so I really need a book or a phamplet or a web site for 4th graders to help me :)

Stitch (wups),
If you think it's exciting for me to talk about databases you should hear me talk about my specialties!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by [AK?]Beaker

Squid,
If you think it's exciting for me to talk about databases you should hear me talk about my specialties!

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You mean Stitch... ;)