In the first major new release of this product for three years, Gupta Corp has launched version 6.0 of its SQLBase relational database management system and says the enhancements have been prompted by users’ requests. Gupta’s system is aimed very much at the low end of the market and the upgrade has concentrated on matching the performance improvements of computers in this environment. Gupta claims that the upgrade gives SQLBase Oracle functionality for users of desktop and laptop personal computers running MS-DOS, Windows NT, OS/2 and SunOS on NetWare networks. The SQLBase family includes SQLBase 6.0 Server for NetWare, SQLBase 6.0 Desktop, and SQLBase Ranger and SQLConsole, a graphical adminstration and diagnostic facility. With version 5.0, Gupta introduced a system that had strong conventional SQL capabilities in querying, insertion and updating of data in a database, as well as the ability to partition the database to improve performance. It offered support for scrollable cursors, isolation levels, cursor context preservation and support for binary large objects and read-only databases for CD-ROM.
Won’t be caught short
But Gupta says that since the databases it was designed to manage were relatively small, there was no need for stored procedures, but that has all changed and SQLBase 6.0 can support 10Gb databases, compared with a maximum 4Gb databases with version 5.0. It now has stored procedures, written in SQLWindows Application Language, that are initiated by triggers, obviating the need for a client to drive the process. SQLBase can support as many databases as can the machine on which it runs. But this has necessitated a redesign of the architecture. The data writing infrastructure has been changed; loading times have been reduced by a third over version 5.2; sorting of large data sets has been speeded up 10 times; and Simple Network Management Protocol support has been added. But Gupta says the software is still lean: 10Mb to 11Mb on the hard disk, with 4Mb main memory needed. SQLBase Desktop introduces the concept of client-to-client processing with personal computers directly sharing data across the desktop. Gupta says the product eliminates the distinction between servers and clients, enabling the deployment of server and client combinations as the workgroup requires. SQLBase Ranger is a new product designed for laptop users working in the field. It also enables applications to be written and then downloaded onto the laptop. The introduction of the idea of client-to-client data processing has led Gupta to change from charging on a concurrent user basis to a multi-user basis in packs of one, five and 25 at prices of ú300, ú1,000 and ú4,000. All packages have SQLBase Server 6.0 and SQLConsole and will be out in April. A Windows95 version will be out as soon as Microsoft Corp launches its new operating systems. The Ranger product has, in addition, SQLNetwork Routers, a product for links into a variety of databases, and Embeddable Class Libraries for creating ad hoc query and report capabilities on laptop applications. SQLBase Ranger will be out in June at ú400. Gupta, which last year looked as if it might be bought by Oracle, and succeeded in sustaining considerable losses, says it will break even this quarter and be back in profit next. It says that it has learned a lesson from its complacency over what it saw as its unassailable position as database provider for the desktop, and won’t be caught short again.
