Below are the pros and cons of configuring Locator to use the built-in PostgreSQL vs. using an external Microsoft SQL Server as the Locator database.
Advantages Using PostgreSQL
It is free
It is built-in and ready for use without any prerequisites
Disadvantages Using PostgreSQL
No automated database backup procedure. Backups has to be done manually by Ayfie or the customer.
The built-in PostgreSQL competes with other Locator components for resources and may thus at times end up being slower than an external standalone Microsoft SQL Server.
Advantages Using Microsoft SQL Server
Backups are easy to perform and normally handled automatically by the IT hosting company as part of a larger backup strategy
Customer/IT provider engineers tend to be more acquainted with Microsoft SQL Server then with PostgreSQL.
Disadvantages Using Microsoft SQL Server
If one is not already using Microsoft SQL Server and thus already have a license, the cost of purchasing a licence the first time is very high, several times the license cost of Locator. If one on the other hand already has a license, then the added cost of hosting the Locator database is marginal.