Before you make your choice...
 

You should know that there is no right or wrong: Depending on your needs and what makes you feel comfortable you can choose to install n-gen.net CMS on MySQL/MariaDB or MSSQL (any edition).

But when you have made your mind up and installed on one of the databases you should know that it is not easy to undo that decision.

The only way you can do switch your selected database is to backup all your database tables using n-gen.net CMS built-in backup feature, then download your images and and custom files and then re-install n-gen.net CMS with the proper version of system files over again and finally import your backup files. 

The above processes can easily consume several hours even for a IT skilled person.

So if you are in doubt n-gen.net Dev Team recommends the you go for the MySQL option: All development - new features, bug fixing, etc. - will be done on the MySQL source code edition first as most user (currently) use the MySQL version.

 

  • Click here if you want your n-gen.net CMS to run on a MySQL database (port 3306),
     
  • Click here if you want your n-gen.net CMS to run on a MariaDB database (port 3307),
     
  • Click here if you want your n-gen.net CMS to run on a Microsoft SQL database (port 1433).

 

 

Database - your choice!

n-gen.net CMS is an ASP.NET webform application. The server side code is written in Microsoft C# ("c-sharp") language. 

In order to install and run n-gen.net CMS you need a database. When n-gen.net CMS first was published it required an Open Source MariaDB or an (Open Source) Oracle MySQL database.

The reasons for the choice of MySQL / MariaDb were that:

  • MySQL / MariaDB is Open Source (and n-gen.net CMS is Open Source); all source code can be accessed, modified, re-distributed, etc. if you want to,
  • MySQL has versions that run on most Operating Systems; i.e. Windows, Linux (many distributions!) and MacOS,
  • MySQL and MariaDB are highly compatible; most MySQL database tools and commands also work with MariaDB,
  • MariaDB can also run on many OS including Synology DSM 5/6/7+, Raspberry OS (32 and 64 bit) and many more Linux distributions,
  • MySQL or MariaDB are supported by many commercial hosting companies,
  • MySQL is very well documented and has a great community of active users so help is never more the a few key strokes away,
  • MySQL and MariaDB are fast, robust and free to use.

As of spring 2025 the n-gen.net Dev Team decided to port n-gen.net CMS to support Microsoft SQL server, MSSQL, as well (as per 2025-04-01 in a beta version). The beta version of n-gen.net CMS MSSQL version basically has the same functionality as the MySQL / MariaDB version as 98% of the code is recycled from the MySQL version.

The MSSQL universe has different editions that varies in functionality and especially in license price. The MSSQL universe is also very well supported and Microsoft has for several years offered a free version of MSSQL, MSSQL Express. Of course you will have to pay for the Windows OS that runs MSSQL Express but many users already have MS Windows installed on their servers. And for the MSSQL Express you don't even need to have a MS Windows Server OS - you can run MSSQL Express on Windows 7, 8, 8.1 (although you shouldn't as these OS are deprecated => insecure!) 10 and 11 desktop OS.  

Here are the key characteristics of the different MSSQL editions.

Edition Key Features Target Audience Limitations
Express Free, entry-level database for small applications. Independent developers, hobbyists and small web sites. Limited to 10GB database size, 1 socket or 4 cores, and 1024MB buffer pool. (MSSQL Express version 2019 and newer: 1410MB buffer pool
Web Edition Affordable option for web hosting with scalability and manageability. Web hosters and small, medium and large web apps. Limited to web-based applications; not suitable for general enterprise use.
Standard Basic data management and business intelligence capabilities. Small to medium-sized organisations. Limited scalability compared to Enterprise; lacks advanced features.
Enterprise High-end capabilities with unlimited virtualisation and mission-critical tools. Large enterprises with complex needs. Higher cost; requires significant IT resources for implementation.

 

Last updated 01-04-2025 22:02:31