ISOC's response to Oracle

["Lynn St.Amour" <st.amour@xxxxxxxx>]

Dear Louis,

Please find below a comment from ISOC in response to a posting 
from Oracle in the Public Forum under: Technical Evaluation Report by 
Gartner, Inc.

We would appreciate it if you would post this in response.

Thank you and regards,

Lynn

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RE:  Oracle comment

We would like to respond to the note from Jenny Gelhausen of Oracle 
marketing regarding the use of database technology in the .ORG 
registry.

We believe that the key point relating to databases for the .ORG 
redelegation is not which database the operator is using, but, 
rather, whether the database will support the .ORG registry in a 
stable, scalable, and highly available manner.

Afilias has over a year of experience running a large scale gTLD 
registry--the .INFO registry.  This direct experience, the load & 
stress tests conducted by Afilias (and listed in our proposal
<http://www.icann.org/tlds/org/applications/isoc/section3.html#c17.10>),
and Afilias' compliance with ICANN's service level requirements clearly 
demonstrate that the PostgreSQL database used by Afilias performs 
at the level of reliability and availability required for the 
mission critical operations of a global gTLD registry.  

Further, the actual operating performance record of Afilias compares 
very favorably to the records of the other .ORG applicants, many of 
whom use commercial databases. A review of each bidder.s answers to 
Question 14 <http://www.icann.org/tlds/org/questions-to-applicants-14.htm> 
illustrates the kind of hard data and real world registry experience 
that ICANN is basing its decision on.  Afilias has delivered this level 
of performance based in part on its stable, reliable database, PostgreSQL. 

The successful operation of a registry extends beyond simply which 
database software is in use.  It also requires a skilled operating staff 
with the ability to design and implement reliable systems as well as 
establish clearly defined resolution paths should problems occur.  
Afilias' solid operating performance lends support to the claims in our 
.ORG proposal regarding our ability to effectively manage the .ORG domain. 

We do not take issue with the recitation of the many features and 
benefits of Oracle's products.  However, any suggestion that PostgreSQL 
is unsuited for registry use is in direct contradiction to the facts.

Afilias has built a stable, well functioning registry platform that 
meets ICANN's performance requirements for .ORG as detailed by the RFP.  
The combination of Afilias' experienced staff, robust systems architecture 
and scalable, reliable database has delivered performance that proves the 
viability of our approach in a large-scale registry application.  It is 
this real world registry experience and the hard data that it has 
provided that leads us to support Afilias. decision to use the same 
database for .ORG, should, of course, our bid be selected.

If we can be of any further assistance, please don't hesitate to contact 
us.

Sincerely,

Lynn St. Amour
President & CEO 
Internet Society