DBMS Client/Server Connection - February 1996 DBMS Client/Server Connection - February 1996December Trade Show Wrap-Up
Not only were DB/Expo (New York) and Database and Client/Server World (Chicago) held on the exact same days in December (can someone please convince Blenheim NDN and DCI to not schedule these things at the same time?), but both shows were rather subdued. Gone are the days of surprise acquisition announcements (Microsoft announced that it bought Fox Software at DB/Expo in 1992) and Philippe Kahn playing the sax at a blow-out Borland party. However, several vendors did give us briefings at the shows, and following are some of the highlights.
Micro Data Base Systems Inc. (West Lafayette, Ind.) announced the availability of version 6.0 of Titanium, its client/server and standalone multithreaded DBMS. Enhancements in version 6.0 include C stored procedures for better throughput and less network traffic, ODBC user-defined functions, online backup, a GUI network server, Windows 95 support, and TCP/IP support for Windows 95, Windows NT, and OS/2. Titanium also features patent-pending Dynamic Pointer Array (DPA) technology, which eliminates joins and reduces disk I/O. It is shipping now, and prices start at $5000 (the developer version), and $10,000 (the network version). Micro Data Base Systems Inc., 317-463-7200.
Illustra Information Technologies Inc. (Oakland, Calif.) is shipping Illustra Server 3.2, the latest version of its flagship object-relational DBMS. New features include improved support for ODBC and optimized performance. Also, read-only transactions are optimized, and the server now supports repeatable reads. The high-speed locking manager releases locks sooner to reduce data contention. Illustra Server 3.2 is available now on Windows NT, SunOS, Sun Solaris, and SGI/Tandem IRIX. Prices start at $1250 per concurrent user. Illustra Information Technologies Inc., 510-652-8000.
Logic Works Inc. (Princeton, N.J.) introduced ERwin/ERX version 2.5, which features On-Diagram Editing, Information Engineering and IDEF1X support, improved diagram layout, Relationship Auto Layout, subject area schema generation, and enhanced printing utilities. Version 2.5 supports the latest versions of all leading databases, and adds comprehensive support for Teradata and Progress 4GL. ERwin/ERX 2.5 is available immediately, and costs $3295. Logic Works Inc., 609-252-1177.
Evolutionary Technologies International (ETI, Austin, Texas) introduced the ETI*Extract Tool Suite 3.0. Enhancements include: a new Motif/Windows-style point-and-click interface; an expanded Metadata Facility, which features the MetaStore Database, the Metadata Exchange Library, and a report-generation facility; a conversion editor; and a Workset Browser, which provides a user-customizable desktop metaphor with intuitive graphical icons. ETI*Extract Tool Suite 3.0 is available now for select platforms. Call for pricing. ETI, 512-327-6994.
Powersoft Corp. (a Sybase Company, Concord, Mass.) announced that it has shipped the beta version of PowerBuilder 5.0 to more than 700 users. New features include: compiled code built upon the Watcom compiler technology; application partitioning; multiplatform support for Windows, Windows NT, Windows 95, Unix, and Macintosh; extended OLE 2.0 support; and ObjectCycle, a server-based object management facility that provides versioning, labeling, and reporting functions for team development. PowerBuilder 5.0 is scheduled to ship in the first half of this year. Powersoft Corp., a Sybase Company, 508-287-1500.
BMC Software Inc. (Houston) announced that its Patrol product suite now integrates with additional management frameworks, including Cabletron Spectrum and Tivoli System's Tivoli Management Environment. Patrol also provides agent-to-agent integration between Patrol and the HP OpenView Solutions Framework. This integration is made possible through the PatrolView products, which enable users to choose a console to view a computing system. The PatrolView products are priced at $2500 per management console. BMC Software Inc., 713-918-8800.
IQ Software (Norcross, Ga.) is shipping IQ/SmartServer for NT and IQ/Objects 5.1. IQ/SmartServer for NT provides server-based query and reporting, thereby reducing the "fat client" syndrome found with many data access tools. Version 5.1 of IQ/Objects uses SmartObjects, or intelligent building blocks that can communicate with one another, to let users build complex queries and reports. Call for pricing. IQ Software, 404-446-8880.
StarWare Connectivity Software (Berkeley, Calif.) announced version 2.0 of the StarSQL ODBC driver for transparent access to IBM host databases. Featuring support for stored procedures and static SQL, StarSQL is shipping now for Microsoft SNA Server and Novell NetWare for SAA server environments, as well as IBM, NetSoft, Eicon, and IDEA router environments. StarSQL 2.0 costs $229 for one seat, with volume discounts for 10 or more seats. For customers who require direct connections to host systems, StarWare provides an APPC engine for $19 per seat. StarWare Connectivity Software, 510-704-2000.
Empress Software Inc. (Greenbelt, Md.) announced the availability of Empress Hypermedia, an HTML toolkit and HTTP server; Empress Connectivity 2.0, an ODBC interface that lets Windows or Unix users access data from any Empress database; Empress Multimedia RDBMS version 6.8 for Linux; and Personal Empress for Linux. All products are available now; contact the company for pricing and platform information. Empress Software Inc., 301-220-1919.
Popkin Software and Systems Inc. (New York) is shipping System Architect/Business Process Reengineering (SA/BPR) Professional, a repository-based business modeling and analysis tool that supports BPR. The tool supports function modeling (IDEF0), data modeling (IDEF1X), process modeling (IDEF3), and Jacobson Use-Case Diagrams. It also includes a PowerBuilder Link that lets businesspeople transfer repository-based information to PowerBuilder. SA/BPR Professional costs $1995 for the single-user version and $4190 for the first two copies of the network version. Popkin Software and Systems Inc., 212-571-3434.
Greenbrier & Russel (Schaumburg, Ill.) announced ObjectStart 4.5, a new release of its comprehensive object toolkit for PowerBuilder developers. ObjectStart is a class library with more than 300 reusable objects, and it includes a framework for developing multiple document interface (MDI) applications. It costs $895 for a single copy. Greenbrier & Russel, 800-453-0347.
Zitel Corp. (Fremont, Calif.) unveiled the Zitel Storage Co-Processor-II (SCP-II), the next generation of its high-performance I/O engine for Unix and Windows NT running RDBMS software. SCP-II features "intelligent algorithms" for better performance, global caching technology, a secure data environment, and more. Call for pricing. Zitel Corp., 510-440-9600.