Information Builders announces version 2 of EDA/SQL with embedded expert system…
Information Builders Inc made a sheaf of announcements surrounding its EDA/SQL strategy. To start with the company launched EDA/SQL client-server software for IBM Corp’s RS/6000 mid-range and Digital Equipment Corp’s top-end VAX/VMS computers, client software for IBM’s AS/400, Hewlett-Packard Co’s MPE/iX, HP 3000, Series 900 and Wang Laboratories Inc VS along with server software for the HP-UX 9000, Series 800 and 700. Information Builders also announced EDA/SQL Release 2.0 available initially for IBM MVS and VM mainframe computers, that offers a suite of advanced performance features, support for elements of IBM’s Distributed Relational Data Architecture and EDA/SmartMode – an intelligent query analyser-governor for optimising queries. Advanced performance features include CPU usage improvements of over 40% enabling more users to be serviced in a single server address space, and a 300% improvement of data transfer speeds over a network. Exploitation of MVS/ESA through use of a data/hiperspace feature will provide improved performance and increased data transfer speeds. In addition, a new Universal SQL Translator provides full ANSI/ISO SQL compatibility and offers double byte character support for international languages. EDA/SmartMode, a significant feature within Release 2.0, uses an embedded expert system engine to predict the resource usage of requests sent to an EDA/SQL server as well as governing their execution. EDA/SQL will now support Distributed Relational Data Architecture in a phased delivery. The initial support for DRDA will enable users to access both local and remote heterogeneous data sources such as DB2, IMS, VSAM, VAX, RMS and DS Mumps and other databases using DRDA’s standard syntax. Previously DRDA could access only other relational data, not data held in hierarchical and flat-file sources.
…as Hewlett-Packard, Oracle et al sign up for EDA/SQL programme
Information Builders has also expanded its business relationships with a variety of other vendors. A deal has been struck with Hewlett-Packard to enable the EDA/SQL data driver to work with Hewlett’s Open Object Database known as OpenODB. This deal will give OpenODB users access to more than 50 heterogeneous data sources, including data managed by IBM’s Information Warehouse and applications that support Microsoft’s Open Database Connectivity running under Windows. Oracle Corp has announced links to EDA/SQL client-server through its SQL*Connect gateway technology. Eleven hardware and software vendors signed up as members of Information Builders Inc’s EDA/SQL programme. They include Bloc Development Corp, Brio Technology Inc, Cadre Technologies Inc, Channel Computing Inc, ClearAccess Corp, DataEase Inc, Hewlett-Packard, Information Advantage Inc, Microsoft Corp, Oracle Corp and XDB Systems Inc. Vendors that have previously announced plans for EDA/SQL-enabled products include Apple Computer Inc, Bachman Information Systems Inc, BBN Systems & Technologies, Carlton Corp, Comshare Inc, Easel Corp, IBM, Information Resources Inc, Intelligent Business Systems, Lotus Development Corp, ParcPlace Systems, Pilot Executive Software, SPC Software Publishing Corp, and Spinnaker Software.
Ontos 2.2 arrives with support for SCO/Unix and the C++ development environment
Ontos Inc of Burlington, Massachusetts announced Ontos Studio, an interactive front-end development tool for the Ontos database available in 30 days for Sun SparcStations. Studio enables the Ontos developer to build graphical user interfaces for a range of applications and store these user interface components directly in the database. The company also said that Release 2.2 of Ontos is available now for Sun Microsystems Inc Sparcstations. This release includes expanded support for workgroup applications, support for integrated object tools and languages and a new storage manager for expanded performance tuning. New environments supported by Ontos are 80386 and 80486 personal computers running Santa Cruz Unix and
HP 9000/700 workstations running HP-UX. This support will be available in April. The company also made public product integration and marketing agreements with CenterLine Software Inc for the ObjectCenter programming environment for C++ and ParcPlace Systems for the Objectworks-C++ environment. An interface for Smalltalk-80 ships this summer.
Red Brick seeks to challenge EDA/SQL in the DEC VAX world with RISQL
Red Brick Systems announced Red Brick Warehouse, a Relational Query System product for data warehousing on Digital Equipment Corp’s VAX that Red Brick claims dramatically increases the speed, ease and cost-effectiveness with which corporate data can be accessed. The product adopts the Information Warehouse framework for corporate-wide database management introduced by IBM, provides access to critical information 10 times faster than conventional relational databases when used for data warehousing. By expanding the SQL vocabulary used to query databases, Red Brick Warehouse also makes it easier to frame questions about vital business functions. Initially announced for VAX/VMS, the product enables downsizing by making query response times fast and predictable. Versions for other industry-standard machines will be introduced later in 1992 and 1993. Red Brick adopts the IBM Information Warehouse framework, but re-defines the performance and expressibility criteria for the Enterprise Data component. The product consists of three components: the server, the loader and the RISQL Entry tool, a line-oriented interactive query tool that enables access to the Red Brick Warehouse server. Red Brick also offers separately an Open Server Gateway and a DIS Gateway that enable access to third party tools. The Open Server Gateway provides the connection between personal computers, Macintoshes and Unix workstations to the Red Brick Warehouse and the DIS Gateway connects users of DIS and Metaphor Computer Systems workstations to the Red Brick Warehouse. Initially, Red Brick will work with the following front-end tools: Forest & Trees from Channel Computing Inc and DataPrism from Brio Technology Inc. In future it will also support: Lotus’ DataLens, Pioneer’s Q&E, Clear Access’ Clear Access and Gupta’s Quest and SQL Windows products. For VAX/VMS Red Brick Warehouse requires VMS version 5.2 or later, a TK50, TK70 or a nine-track tape drive and a minimum 10Mb of disk space.
