Object class-to-relational table mapping company Persistence Software Inc is heading for the three-tier application development hills. The San Mateo, California company is re- casting its key data caching software for the creation of what it calls transaction application servers or TransApp servers, which concentrate application data and logic in a middle tier between client objects and databases to accelerate processing. Persistence 3.2 allows multiple clients to share a TransApp server which maps object changes back to database transactions and optimizes performance by loading frequently accessed information into a shared object cache. Used in conjunction with SunSoft Inc, Iona Technologies Ltd or PostModern Computing Inc object request brokers, Persistence says, it will also enable a TransApp server to connect with Java clients. The company says the strategy reflects customers’ transition from client-server and prototypes to three-tier production systems. They started out using Persistence for object-to-relational mapping and are now using its caching technique as an in-memory object database, it claims. Persistence has optimized cache writes to reduce update time and now works with native C++ exceptions. Release 3.2 includes support for AIX and Sybase Corp ‘ctlib’ application programming interface. Persistence comes with an object builder that generates data mapping objects which link C++ objects to relational tables and an object server or transaction manager which controls the flow of information between Oracle, Sybase or Informix and client applications. In-memory cache maintains data integrity and optimizes performance. Release 3.2 supports Windows NT, Windows95, C++ and Java clients. Messaging, support for shared objects, and an event manager framework will propel it further into the three-tier world. A third quarter 3.4 release is supposed to add tighter object request broker messaging and an intelligent object cache. Persistence Release 4.0, due in the first half of 1997, will support event management and Object Linking & Embedding Network OLE clients. A 4.2 release in the second half of 1997 will support Java servers, Persist ence insists. The 40-person company got Morgan Stanley Ventures to buy into its vision to the tune of $4m in a second round of venture funding. It expects to be up to 100 staff by year-end.
