STRATEGIC PROFILE OF THIRD-PARTY RELATIONAL DATABASES ------SYBASE Ver 4.9.1---- LANGUAGES SUPPORT ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Japanese Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hanggui No ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sorting Sequences Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Error messges Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Upper/Lower case conversion Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sorting/Collating sequences Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Multiple character set support Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2-Byte character set Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ GRAPHICS PRESENTATION Data Workbench ------------------------------------------------------------------------ WYSIWYG environment No ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Product graphics directly from query No CONNECTIVITY/GATEWAYS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ DB2 Connectivity Ingres, VMS - yes; DB2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ VAX VMS, IMS, Allbase, Oracle, Rdb Not yet on HP; no for Allbase ------------------------------------------------------------------------ PC Integration Can run on OS/2, DOS, Mac, Windows PORTABILITY ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ANSI 89 (level 2) compatibility No ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hardware Platform Supported HP9000, VAX, IBM Mainframe, ---------------------------------------------Unix systems, Macintosh, IBM PC -------------------------- Operating System Supported HP-UX, Unix, VAX/VMS, OS/2, ---------------------------------------------IBM/MVS, DOS --------------------------- Support for Non-Relational Database Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ DATA TYPES ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Character Yes; 255 chars max ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Integer Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Float Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Logical Yes; using integers like C ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Currency Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Time Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Long Text 2 Billion max ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Image (BLOBS) Var length binary column up ---------------------------------------------to 2 GB of binary data --------------------------- Support for Arrays No ------------------------------------------------------------------------ User defined data type Yes, define in terms of data ---------------------------------------------type --------------------------- User defined functions and operators Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Binary (Fixed / Var) Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sound As binary ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Graphics As binary ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Facsimiles As binary DISTRIBUTION Open Server ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Parallel Server ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Location Transparency No ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Distributed Query Processing Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Distributed query optimizer No ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Distributed transaction processing Yes; not automatic, but (2-phase commit) built into application on ---------------------------------------------front end --------------------------- Support for data replication ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Access to heterogeneous databases None; possible using Open ---------------------------------------------Server --------------------------- Loosely coupled support No ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Distributed data dictionary ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Max. no. of simultaneously connected dbs Unlimited ARCHITECTURE ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Client/Server Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Multiserver Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Maximum number of server/systems No limit ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Maximum number of user/server Platform dependent ---------------------------------------------2048 on HP-UX --------------------------- Maxiumu number of user/system No limit ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Multithreaded server Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Support for symmetric multiprocessors Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Open architecture (APIs available) Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Loosely coupled support No ------------------------------------------------------------------------ UNDERLYING FILE STRUCTURE Raw I/O for Unix ------------------------------------------------------------------------ DATABASE PARAMETERS ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Database size No limit ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Database/server 32,767 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tables/database 2 billion ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Records/database No limit ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Record size No limit ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fields/record 250 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Indexes/database 251/table ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Database connected to a client 32K ------------------------------------------------------------------------ USER INTERFACE Menu-driven ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Menu bypass No ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Contextual help Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tutorial No ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ability to customize standard menus No ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Support for colors ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Support for graphical user interface Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ SCREEN FORMS Built in APT Workbench ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Default form generator Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Customized Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Multiple tables/forms Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Multiple screens/forms Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Embedded processing (if-then-else, display Yes aggregates) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ FIELD ATTRIBUTES ON FORMS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Case conversion Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Default Value Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Required field Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Acceptable values Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Verification (enter data twice) No ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Formatting of data Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Calculated fields Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Display/read only (no entry/update) Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hidden Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Prompt (for data entry) Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Customized help Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Video display Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ability to change field attribute dynamically ------------------------------------------------------------------------ QUERY-BY-FORMS VQL, Data Workbench ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Exact match Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Relational operators Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ List of values No ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wild cards Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Maximum/Minimum values No ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Print query results Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pass results to report writer Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Text search Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ SQL ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Standard SQL statements Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Data Definition language (DDL) Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Data manipulation language (DML) Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Extension to SQL Transact-SQL ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Commit/rollback transaction Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Execute operating systems commands No; yes in APT-SQL ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Load/unload data to/from ASCII file Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Additional data definition statements Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Control-of-flow logic Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Support for embedded SQL Yes; C, Cobol ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Suport for dynamic SQL Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Can create new tables with query results Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stored queries Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CASE-insensitive (eg., filed names) No ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Can call C routines Yes in APT-SQL and Yes via ---------------------------------------------Open Server --------------------------- How create SQL queries/statements Interactive SQL Editor ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Query optimizer-statistical Yeseractive SQL Editor ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Syntax independent performance Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Optimization method Cost-based ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Procedural extension to SQL Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Remote SQL database calls Yes; via Open Server ------------------------------------------------------------------------ B-TREE INDEXING ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Maximum number of indexes 251/table ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Maximum number of fields/index 16 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Maximum size of index key 256 chars ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Order options Ascending ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Unique index Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Clustered index Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Other file access methods (hash, etc.) None ------------------------------------------------------------------------ REPORT WRITER Included in Data Workbench ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Non Procedural Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Default report generator Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Interactive report generator Yes using screen forms ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Interactive debugging Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Input source Query only (SQL or VQL) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Multiple tables Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Page formatting Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Headers and footers Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Data formatting Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sort data Yes in Query ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Aggregate functions Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Logical processing (if-then logic) No; yes in APT-SQL ------------------------------------------------------------------------ User variables Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Prompt for input variables at run time Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ APPLICATION GENERATOR APT-4GL, APT-Build ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CASE Tools ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4GL Interface Yes; APT-4GL, APT-Build ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ability to design application menus Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Default menu generator Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Custom help Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Consistent module interface Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Toolset for multimedia application Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ABILITY TO CREATE VIEWS Yes --------------------------------------------------------------------------- INTEGRITY Yes -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Transaction logging Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Commit/rollback transaction Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Roll forward Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Referential integrity Yes; declarative (via triggers) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Field validation Yes; (rules/stored procedures) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Support for business rules Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Database Triggers Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Database event alerters Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Entity integrity Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Domain Integrity Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ STORED PROCEDURES Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Precompiled Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Can be nested Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ability to store and execute Yes procedures on the server ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONCURRENCY CONTROL LOCKING LEVELS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Database No ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Table Rarely; must be specifically ---------------------------------------------requested --------------------------- Record (row) No ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Page Yes; default ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lock type: shared, update, exclusive Shared (read) Exlusive (update) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Deadlock recognition Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Other data isolation levels Browse mode locking DATABASE SECURITY ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Login password Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Multilevel access control Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ User Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Group Yes; centralized at server ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Application Yes; centralized at server ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Database-level access Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Table-level access Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Record-level access Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Field-level access Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Access by time of day Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Access by location (workstation) No ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ability to define resource limits on user Yes queries (same as create views?) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ AVAILABILITY ------------------------------------------------------------------------ On-line backup Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ On-line database changes Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Software-based disk mirroring Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Raw Input-Output Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Database can scan multiple physical Yes devices (disks) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Support for CD-ROM, WORM Drives Supported if they look like ---------------------------------------------a SCSI disk --------------------------- NETWORK SUPPORT ------------------------------------------------------------------------ IMPORT / EXPORT CAPABILITY ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Import formats ASCII delimited, fixed field ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Export formats ASCII delimited, fixed field ------------------------------------------------------------------------ DATABASE ADMINISTRATION ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Screen based administrative utilities No ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Performance tuning Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dynamic modification Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dynamic disk space allocation Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I/O REDUCTION TECHNIQUES ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fast Commit Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Group Commit Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Parallel Checkpoint on multiprocessor Yes systems ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Index compression No ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Data compression No ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Multiblock Read/Write 2K read/write ------------------------------------------------------------------------ FAULT-TOLERANCE ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mirrored Discs Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Disc Failures Yes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CPU Failures No 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