SQL Server 4.2 adds integrated Windows server administration; SQL Bridge to Sybase
Microsoft Corp has unveiled Microsoft SQL Server version 4.2, an enhancement to its intelligent network database server. Also, the company has launched SQL Bridge, a two-way network gateway that connects SQL Server and Sybase Inc’s SQL Server operating systems, enabling Unix, Macintosh System and VMS clients to access Microsoft SQL Server. Microsoft claims that SQL Server version 4.2 offers enhanced data management, integrated Windows-based server administration, scrollable cursors, distributed data access, fault tolerance and the facility to integrate with external structured or unstructured data. Microsoft SQL Server 4.2 and related products are scheduled to be available this quarter. The developer’s system costs $1,500, the 10-user system is $3,000 and the unlimited user system comes in at $8,000. SQL Server Programmer’s Toolkits cost $500 each for Visual Basic, C and Cobol languages. Existing customers can upgrade to SQL Server 4.2 for $600 for a 10-user system or $1,600 for an unlimited-user system. SQL Bridge costs $2,500 and it will be available in the second quarter. Microsoft France and Microsoft Germany plan to release French and German versions of SQL Server 4.2 at the beginning of the second quarter. Existing customers will be able to upgrade to SQL Server 4.2 at product shipment. Prices are $600 for a 10-User System, and $1,600 for an Unlimited User System. For C and Cobol users, upgrades include SQL Server 4.2, SQL Administrator for Windows, and Open Data Services. Customers who purchase SQL Server 1.11 between now and shipment will receive free upgrades to version 4.2. Also, they will qualify for the several special offers including a free 10 User Programmer’s Toolkit of choice and SQL Administrator for Windows, plus a copy of Microsoft Visual Basic. The family of Programmer’s Toolkits for developing client-server applications for version 4.2 are SQL Server Programmer’s Toolkit for Visual Basic, SQL Server Programmer’s Toolkit for C and SQL Server Programmer’s Toolkit for Cobol. The Toolkits enable developers to build robust business applications that access shared data in SQL Server. The Programmer’s Toolkits are enhanced to support version 4.2 features, including support for database cursors, international language character sets and remote stored procedure calls for distributed database capability. SQL Bridge is a two-way network gateway that connects Microsoft SQL Server and Sybase SQL Server environments. SQL Bridge integrates Sybase SQL Server environments with personal computer-based SQL Server environments, said to result in interoperability of applications and databases that is independent of operating systems, network transports or protocols. It extends the client environments supported by Microsoft SQL Server to include Unix, VMS and Macintosh by using applications written to Sybase Open Client, and it enables Microsoft SQL Server and Sybase SQL Server to exchange information using remote stored procedure calls, providing transparent access to data across different networks and systems. The Sybase Gateway Link integrates networked personal computers with corporate data on VMS and Unix-based workstations, and the Gateway Services family now enables Microsoft SQL Server and Sybase SQL Server front-end applications to access minicomputer databases, including Oracle, Ingres, Informix and VAX RMS. Gateway Link was developed by Sybase Inc’s SQL Solutions in co-operation with Microsoft, and it is based on Microsoft Open Data Services, the data integration toolkit included with Microsoft SQL Server version 4.2. Gateway Link costs $3,000, and prices for Gateway Services range from $15,640 to $100,000.
Microsoft-Intel Advanced Power Management headlines Portable Computing Initiative
Microsoft Corp has announced its Portable Computing Initiative, basically a set of offerings to make Microsoft products acceptable to portable computer suppliers. In phase one of the initiative, Microsoft is offering an Advanced Power Manage
ment APM – driver for extending battery life when MS-DOS or Windows is running; a read-only memory version of MS-DOS 5.0, a new Interlink data transfer utility, and solid-state memory support. In the future, Microsoft plans to extend its initiative, for example enabling Windows to run on diskless machines. The power management specification, developed jointly by Microsoft and Intel Corp, is available to all hardware and software vendors. The hardware-independent software specification, which according to the two developers has been endorsed by 37 suppliers, is claimed to be the first approach to involve the operating system and software applications, in addition to the hardware and ROM, in power management for portable computers. Under Advanced Power Management, the operating system communicates information to read-only memory about the system’s power usage, enabling ROM to make real-time choices to save on battery power. According to Microsoft, APM extends portable battery life by up to 25% during full-on conditions. Microsoft has begun shipping an APM driver for MS-DOS 5.0 and says it will soon deliver a version for Windows 3.1. Meanwhile, the ROM Version of MS-DOS 5.0, which has been shipping for seven months now, is modular and fully executable out of ROM, freeing random-access memory and consuming less physical power. Its modularity enables the system to fit into 64Kb ROM. The 180 current licensees of the MS-DOS 5.0 disk version will automatically receive licences for the ROM-executable version. Hewlett-Packard Co, Tandy Corp and Zenith Data Systems have pledged support for the product, as have embedded systems vendors such as Telxon Corp. And Natick, Massachusetts-based SystemSoft Corp, developer of system software for battery-powered portable computers, says it is now shipping its APM Interface Module, which supports the new Advanced Power Management spec. The SystemSoft Interface Module, used with SystemSoft’s Maximizer, implements the APM specification for notebook and pen computers based on 80386 and 80486 processors.
Open Process: software developers can now influence operating system design
Microsoft Corp has launched Open Process, a forum inviting commercial software developers to play an active role in the design and refinement of its operating systems. Open Process, started up by the developer relations group in the systems division of Microsoft, enables Microsoft technical architects to present preliminary specifications to architects from independent software and hardware vendors, while they come back with alternatives. To date, some 100 commercial software developers have taken part in Open Process forums, including Adobe Systems Inc, Aldus Corp, Borland International Inc, Digital Equipment Corp, Hewlett-Packard Co, Lotus Development Corp, Novell Inc and WordPerfect Corp; the forum invites software developers to contribute expertise early in the development cycle.
Gnosis has new release of Sequelink to tie Macintosh to Microsoft SQL Server
Entering into Microsoft Corp’s SQL Solutions Partner Programme, Gnosis NV has released a version of its Sequelink SQL client-server communications software that enables Apple Computer Inc Macintosh applications to access information held on the Microsoft SQL Server database system. Gnosis claims that Sequelink for Macintosh-to-SQL Server means Mac-based programs like Excel, HyperCard, SmallTalk and Wingz gain real-time access via LAN Manager version 2.1 or NetBIOS. Accepting that the market for this version of Sequelink is not likely to be large at the moment, Gnosis’ Dirk Dierickx said the Sint-Kintelijne-Waver based firm’s strategy was to support any product that may become important in future. Other databases supported by Sequelink include Oracle, Ingres, Sybase, Informix and DB2. This new version supports AppleTalk, Microsoft LAN Manager Services for Macintosh; prices in Europe are given as 395ECU for the client software for the Macintosh, ECU1,475 for the server element, including SQL Server Link and LAN Manager Network Link; in the US, they cost $300 and $
1,500.
