Windows

When it comes to operating systems, the two well-known giants are Unix and Windows. One could argue that the mobile device operating systems are bigger in terms of volume, but until they can support a running database on them, they will not be included. The Mainframe gurus will also raise the point that operating systems, such as MVS, have been around for a longer time, are better in capabilities, more reliable, more mature, and still used by large businesses to support mission critical systems. For those who would consider themselves geeks, this is likely falling into the timeless argument about which is better Star Trek or Star Wars, and then adding to the mix Flash Gordon. As fun as it is to debate these points, the arguments are not beneficial, as most businesses buy operating systems based on a myriad of issues, technical prowess being just one of many factors.

A well-skilled database administrator in today's computing environment needs to be proficient in both, Windows and Unix...