Analyst firm Gartner last week warned firms to be careful about upgrading from Oracle's 8i database to 10g, which supports grid computing.

"Oracle is talking about making huge changes in its 10g database to enhance manageability," said Betsy Burton of Gartner. "This means that it will have made significant code changes and firms should be more cautious about [10g's] stability."

Burton said firms wanting to move from 8i in mid- to late 2004 should consider 10g, but those moving this year or in early 2004 might be better with 9i. "Firms should ensure 10g is stable and reliable before migrating," she said.

Gartner's advice came as Oracle said it would give firms an extra year to plan migration strategies, by extending support for 8i on popular platforms to 31 December 2004. "It's a good move, and shows Oracle is listening to its customers and responding," said Burton.