More dedicated third-party followers of DRDA as it embraces the DEC VAX world
As we forewarned the other month (CI No 1,862), IBM Corp has taken on a host of followers of fashion to lend credibility to the bare bones of the Information Warehouse strategy. The strategy comprises three major elements: Enterprise Data, the base of the framework, which consists of all the data in the enterprise; Data Delivery, which is the means by which the right business data is delivered to the end user; and Applications and Decision Support Systems, which help generate information to facilitate business decisions. DRDA is IBM’s architecture for enabling customers to obtain and provide enterprise-wide relational data access across diverse locations and operating systems, and is part of the Data Delivery element of the Information Warehouse framework. To date those that have signed up to support DRDA in their products include: BrownStone Solutions Inc, Cincom Systems Inc, DataEase International, Enfin Software Corp, Fortis Development Corp, Information Builders Inc, Intelligent Environments, MUST Software International, Open Books Inc, Object Technology International Inc, Sterling Software Dylakor Division and XDB Systems Inc, Computer Associates International Inc, Informix Software Inc, Micro DecisionWare Inc and Oracle Corp. IBM also announced that it is making available architecture and source code licences for DRDA. These will enable third-party vendors to use copyrighted IBM interfaces and protocols, as well as published extensions to DRDA, whether they are created by IBM or another licensed company. Support for DRDA also includes an implementers advisory council comprised of IBM architects and technical representatives from the vendors. The council will provide the vendors with a forum for influencing the evolution of DRDA – for example, the recent decision to have DRDA support DEC VAXes and IEEE ASCII machines to provide easier implementation and enhanced data integrity and performance. The source code licence is offered to facilitate faster delivery of DRDA to satisfy customer needs for application support across multivendor worlds.
DB2 Release 3 ships and a new version of Application System is announced
IBM Corp’s DB2 Version 2 Release 3 is now available to customers. It supports remote unit of work access for relational data across IBM mainframe, mid-range and personal computing operating systems as part of Distributed Relational Database Architecture. IBM also announced a new version of its decision support product, Application System. AS Version 3 provides customers with improved data access capabilities, including Distributed Relational Database Architecture Remote Unit Of Work in IBM mainframe environments. It also features enhanced client-server capabilities with the Personal Application System/2 decision support product, which runs under OS/2. It will be available on July 3 and will feature modular packaging, so users can add modular function over time.
Computer Associates hitches CA-ProSeries and SQL to DRDA bandwaggon
Computer Associates International Inc has added the CA-ProSeries family of DB2 utilities to the growing list of products that will support IBM’s Distributed Relational Database Architecture. The CA-ProSeries tools increase DB2 programmer productivity, improve DB2 database performance and help ensure the integrity of DB2 data, it claims. The company’s SQL-based database management systems, including CA-IDMS, CA-Datacom and CA-DB, also will implement DRDA, enabling them to participate in heterogeneous DRDA environments. This support will provide links to and among heterogeneous databases operating in unlike operating environments. Also being extended to take full advantage of distributed relational access enabled by DRDA are Computer Associates’ SQL-based query, reporting and decision support software and application development systems. Products include CA-Easytrieve, CA-Ideal, CA-QbyX, CA-Ramis and CA-Telon. Users of these products in the IBM world will be able to access enterprise-wide data across ge
ographic locations and operating systems.
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IBM decision support tools support EDA/Dynamic Extender
The following IBM decision support tools will support EDA/Dynamic Extender for DB2 by September: Query Management Facility 3.0, Data Extract 2.0, Application System 3.0, AS Version 2.0, IBM Personal Application System/2, Executive Decisions/MVS, Lotus 1-2-3 and Data Interpretation System 1.3. And supporting EDA/Dynamic Extender 2 for SQL/DS by December will be: QMF 3, DXT 2, AS 3, AS 2, IBM Personal Application System/2, Executive Decisions/VM, Lotus 1-2-3, SAA LanguageAccess.
Software AG has Common User Access-compliant Natural 2.2, moves to objects
Software AG has Natural 2.2, a new version of its Natural generator. The new version offers support for such as IBM’s Common User Access, and IBM’s CICS 3.2 which runs in Software AG’s ISA environment and SAA and ANSI standard SQL for access to SQL-based database systems. Natural already supports a range of databases, including Adabas, DB2, SQL/DS, DL/I, VSAM, SESAM, Rdb, RMS, Database Manager and Oracle. The addition of the debugger facility to Natural 2.2 enables programmers to check work in process instantaneously. While some companies offer this feature as a separate tool, Software AG combines it with its proprietary development environment, giving programmers the ability to verify application results. A significant enhancement in the user-oriented design of application user interfaces and a major step toward object-oriented processing is the new Natural Command Processor, the firm claims. This enables users to navigate through various applications by moving to any point within the application to any other point, depending on the user’s skill level. Natural 2.2 ships now and is priced at from $16,100 (Group 10-DOS VSE) to $196,300 (Group 80-MVS ESA).
