Sybase Inc yesterday laid out its plan to extend SQL Server database to support extended data types and Java programs as Impact Now: Adaptive Component Architecture. It was crowing loud about the fortunate timing of its announcement, which comes just days after a revenue warning based partly on over-optimistic forecasts for uptake of its object-relational Universal Server database technology sent Informix Software Incs stock plummeting (CI No 3,131). Sybase is taking a different approach to storing images, graphics and other new types of data than rivals Informix and Oracle Corp, which are effectively extending their existing relational database engines. Informix uses third party DataBlades which plug directly into Universal Server while Oracle is building its own support for popular text, audio, video and spatial data types and maintaining control of the other extensions using a cartridge technology. Sybase will link applications to all data types using the Jaguar CTS component middleware announced last week (CI No 3,130), which supports a Common Language Processor and various Component Data Stores. The language processor will initially support program components using JavaBeans and ActiveX and later Corba. First pieces of the component architecture, formerly code-named Galaxy, will be delivered in a new version of the relational SQL Server engine called Adaptive Server 11.5 – once known as Gryphon – which is available in beta and will ship in around six months. In addition to a relational Component Data Store, Adaptive Server will be enhanced later this year to support mobile and embedded (Adaptive Server Anywhere) application components – data marts and data warehouses early next year. An Adaptive Server Enterprise supporting high-end OLTP and indexing is expected to beta early next year and ship by the end of 1998, the company says. Sybase says it eventually hopes provide a single Adaptive Server supporting a range of optimised data stores. An ISV Vision geospatial store and a network imaging component are in
beta now – text search and time series components will reportedly be tested later this year. The Data Stores will each support replication, remote access and message queuing via the companys dbQ technology which is being built into guts of the database. Development tools will include PowerJ for Java, Power++ for C++, PowerBuilder 4GL and PowerSite Web. There will be common management and backup services. Its also creating a version of its Sybase IQ bitwise high-speed database search mechanism for use with architecture called Adaptive Server IQ which will beta early next year. Meantime, Sybases Powersoft unit has had the green light to change the name of its S-Designor data modeling tool suite to PowerDesigner. Version 6.0 of the product enables developers to automatically generate data warehouse models, has been HTML-enabled and includes a browser front-end (CI No 3,127). While many technology stocks continued to recover from a recent downswing, Wall Street seemed unimpressed with Sybase+s plan, marking the stock down $2.00 to close at $13.75 on the day.