[Tfug] SQL database question

[Bexley Hall]

Hi,

--- Glen Pfeiffer <glen at thepfeiffers.net> wrote:

> On 03/15/2008 03:13 AM, Jim March wrote:
> > I filed a public records request for those data
> files.  The 
> > county turned me down because Sequoia told them to
> - Sequoia 
> > wrote a letter saying that they embedded "program
> code" within 
> > the database, which in turn is proprietary trade
> secret of 
> > Sequoia.
> >
> They can perform an export of the data only with no
> Stored 
> Procedures, Views, User Defined Functions, Triggers,
> etc. They 
> don't even have to include any constraints in the
> export 
> including Primary and Foreign keys.

I wouldn't accept any "black box dump" unless you
know what else is "under the hood".  I.e., you
need to know how data was committed to the database
(was it "colored" by the procedures used to store
it??) as well as how the "results" were officially
reported vs. how the *dump* was created.

Imagine a human agent acting as the DBMS.  You
*tell* him you are voting "DEMOCRAT".  How do you
*know* that this is what he is "recording"?

Likewise, regardless of what he has recorded, when
you ask him to tabulate the results, you are relying
on him to faithfully reproduce the data that he
has stored (assuming that data to accurately
reflect the data *given* to him).  How do you 
assure yourself that if someone *else* asks him
for "results" (in a different form -- i.e., a dump)
that those results agree with the "reported"
results?

Since there is no other way of auditing the accuracy
of the *process* (from "data in" to "results out"),
I would insist on complete transparency (i.e.,
roll up your sleeves and *show* me there's no
rabbit hiding up there...)


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