SQL/DS 3.2 should satisfy Uncle Sam, 3.3 moves Systems Application Architecture alongSQL/DS Version 3 Release 2 provides full compliance with FIPS 127-1, ANSI, and ISO standards, and Version 3 Release 3 is said to provide the next step in delivery of Systems Application Architecture distributed database management. It facilitates distributed data capabilities between SQL/DS running on either VM/SP Release 6, or VME/ESA Release 1 and DB2 Version 2 Release 3. VM/XA customers moving to VM/ESA will be able to exploit VSE’s Guest Sharing, Remote Relational Access, Database Switching and distributed database capabilities. SQL/DS Version 3 Release 2 will be available from February 22, 1991, and Release 3 is scheduled for September 30. Costs range from $10,320 for Group 10 processors and rise to $230,850 for Group 60, and the distributed options are between $7,740 and $173,150 respectively. Monthly licences are $215 for Group 10, $4,810 for Group 60, and distributed systems licence options range from $161 to $3,605. The Entry End User/370 Entry Support Licence is $9,290, and the Licence to use costs $2,015.

Query Management Facility 3.1

Query Management Facility runs with DB2 and Repository Manager/MVS or SQL/Data System in a VM environment. In comparison with Version 2, IBM says that Version 3 offers support for running in the CICS environment and has enhancements to prompted query, report writer, table editor, database support, common programming interface support and national language support. A user at any node of a network can access data from a single DB2 subsystem or SQL/DS database, and the maximum number of relational columns supported per table is being increased to 750, providing full access to DB2 tables with more than 300 columns. Query Management Facility can run as a conversational transaction in the CICS environment, and so long as there are no virtual storage considerations, the functions supported are the same as those in QMF/MVS. Larger procedures and queries are enabled by removing the line limit, and relational prompted query expressions are increased to 255 characters. The Query Management Facility can be allocated above 16Mb in VM/XA and VM/ESA environments, and the SAA CPI for Query callable interface is extended to support Fortran, Pl/I and Restructured Extended Executor Language. Query Management Facility Version 3 Release 1 base functions will be available from December 7, 1990. For Group 18 processors, QMF/MVS costs $14,260, rising to $187,900 for Group 60, and Distributed Systems Licence Options are between $10,695 and $140,925. Monthly Licence charges start at $297 for Group 18, $3,915 for Group 60, and distributed options range from $222 to $2,936. For QMF/VM Groups 10 to 60, costs range between $7,250 and $162,000 respectively, and the distributed options are between $5,437 and $121,500. Monthly licences are from $151 to $3,375 for Groups 18 and 60, and distributed options range between $113 and $2,531. Entry End User/370 Entry Support licences cost $4,715, a licence to use is $1,415.

Data Propagator MVS/ESA Version 1

The Data Propagator is designed to help manage the coexistence of hierarchical technology in IMS/ESA Database Manager with DB2’s relational technology. Other new features include the Propagation User Exit which enables users to handle specific mapping cases for segments that require specialised mapping if Data Propagator facilities are insufficient, and the Segment User Exit allows users to define a segment differently from the source. Costs are from $7,970 for processor Groups 18 and rise to $105,100 for Group 60, and distributed system options are between $5,977 and $78,825. Monthly licences are $166 to $2,190 for Groups 18 and 60, distributed systems options cost from $124 to $1,642.

IMS/ESA Database Manager Version 3 Release 2

The new release of IMS/ESA is claimed to provide enhancements in terms of availability and systems management, and it will be available from June 30, 1991. There are data integrity enhancements for the Batch Backout Utility with Database Recovery C

ontrol of database backout, and the VSAM interface has been enhanced. Database Recovery Control keeps track of logs and database image copies, and it is designed to ensure that the right input is used to perform a recovery function. Problem determination and problem isolation is facilitated by an enhanced interface between IMS/ESA DB and VSAM. New performance tuning tools include statistics for database buffer pools which use the OSAM access method and database modelling tool to asign databases to specific buffer pools. An asynchronous change data capture enables selected database changes to be recorded for subsequent processing, and a new capture exit is provided to allow for inspection before recording. IMS/ESA Database manager supports applications written in Cobol, PL/I, C, Pascal, Ada and Assembler. The SAA application generator also supports applications that access IMS database. IMS/ESA 3.2 executes on all processors that run MVS/SP 3 or MVS/ESA SP 4. APPC/IMS requires MVS/ESA SP 4.2.

SAA Language

Access enables plain speaking to DB2, SQL/DSSystems Application Architecture LanguageAccess is a natural language query interface to DB2 and SQL/Data System. IBM says that users can retrieve information from the relational databases by formulating questions in their own natural language without having to know a formal query language or having any understanding of database organisation. However, the company also says that significant new technology in LanguageAccess means limited and staggered availability. LanguageAccess-MVS English has limited availabilty from December 1990, and general availability from December 1991. VM English, MVS German and VM English have limited availability from June 1991, general availability from December 1991. LanguageAccess consists of a natural language engine, a query interface and customisation tool. The first analyses input queries, translates them into SQL statements and generates natural language paraphrases to support query confirmation. A query interface is provided for Query Management Facility and Application System users for MVS and VM environments so that they can retrieve from DB2 and SQL/DS. The customisation tool creates models of the database and adds application-specific vocabulary. Cost range from $9,907 to $48,700, monthly licences from $275 to $1,355.