OS/2 Shareware BBS: 16 Announce/16-Announce.zip/DBENH.ZIP/DBENH.TXT

Text File | 1991-08-01 | 8KB | 183 lines

Subject: EXTD/2 Enhancements (An Overview)

Here is a list of the new or enhanced functions that will be available
in Extended Services/2 V1.0 Database Manager.

Please note that many of these functions are NOT yet available in the early
driver just made available. BE SURE to read the "Database Manager Limitations"
in the Install document which is included as part of the early code package.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


* Database Manageability Tools:

  This is a set of tools providing a menu interface to the utility
  functions of the database manager. The tools include:
    1). Configuration:  Used to display and update the configuration
                        information for the database manager and its
                        databases

    2). Recovery:       Provides a means for a user to run backup,
                        restore, recover and restart on a database

    3). Directory:      Used to display and update the information
                        contained in the database directory, node
                        directory and Distributed Database Connection
                        Services (DDCS/2) directory

* Database Manager Command Line Interface:

  The DBM Command Line Interface provides a "true" command line
  interface to the Extended Services/2 V1.0 Database Manager. It
  allows the user to issue "commands" from the operating system
  command line or from batch command files. These "commands" may be
  SQL statements, database utilities, environment commands or
  configuration services commands. It also includes a reorganize
  checking feature (REORGCHK) that will help the user reorganize
  tables based on statistical information stored with that table.

* DOS Windows Client:

  This function provides libraries that are compatible with a Windows
  program and the Extended Services/2 V1.0 Database Manager. This
  allows users to write Windows applications that access the Extended
  Services/2 V1.0 database on an Extended Services/2 V1.0 database
  server workstation.

* Forward Recovery:

  This function provides the user a means of data protection against
  different types of failures, such as media failure, system software
  errors, application software errors and human errors. When a
  database is enabled for database recovery, it maintains a history
  of updates. After a failure, this history of updates can be used
  along with its recoverable backup to recover the database to a
  particular point in time.

* Protocols for Extended Services/2 V1.0:

  Database servers in Extended Services/2 V1.0 will support Remote
  Data Services (RDS) through SQLLOO, NETBIOS, APPC and APPN
  protocols. NETBIOS support for Extended Services/2 V1.0 clients
  is provided on both the DOS and OS/2 platforms.

  SQLLOO support is provided for downlevel (EE 1.3 level) OS/2
  clients, but is not supported for Extended Services/2 V1.0 clients.
  The migration from SQLLOO to NETBIOS is automatic and does not
  require user intervention.

  APPC and APPN support is provided as an LU 6.2 connection from
  OS/2 clients.

* SQL Date/Time Arithmetic:

  Provides the final function to conform to SAA Level 1 by allowing
  users to do arithmetic operations on date, time and timestamp
  columns.

* Separate Query Manager:

  Query Manager, although packaged and optionally installable with
  Database Services, will have its own set of publications (again,
  packaged with the product). Also, Query Manager uses no private
  interfaces to the Database Engine.

* Reliability, Availability, Serviceability and Trace:

  Provides the new Independent Trace Facility (ITF), which will
  be used for tracing database manager code. The trace component
  provides an interface into the FFST/2 product to provide Alerts,
  Data Dumping and Error Logging. ITF has no dependencies on the
  Database Manager and it does not rely on a native trace facility
  (the one provided by the operating system), although it can
  interact with it to obtain traces that contain operating system
  events and more detailed performance measurements.

* Translate Function:

  This function is an SQL extension. It is a function (like MAX, SUM,
  AVG, etc.) that operates on a column of a database table or scalar.
  The function returns a string that has been translated from another
  string. It allows users to monocase strings (uppercase only) and
  to translate strings into other strings. The user will now be able
  to do case independent compares; this allows the user to put data
  into the database in any case and have comparisons against that
  data run successfully. Encoding/decoding can be used to put data
  into the database.

* SQLSTATE:

  SQLSTATE is a five-characater code which identifies SQL errors
  in a consistent way across all IBM SQL products (and, ultimately,
  across all products which comply with the ANS/ISO SQL2 standard).

* User Defined Collate Sequence:

  This function allows users to create a database with a collation
  sequence, so that indexing and sorting are done according to
  a user-supplied collation sequence. It provides a method for
  a user to specify the collation sequence for a particular database,
  and allows results from queries performed on different database
  systems to be ordered in the same sequence.

* Backup/Restore:

  Backup/restore will provide support for all media devices supported
  by the operating system, as well as support for Forward Recovery.
  Non-standard device support via 'User Exits' is available in
  Extended Services/2 V1.0. A database user will be able to
  backup/restore databases using non-standard devices (such as a
  tape drive) through the 'User Exits' feature. A 'User Exit' is
  a program written by the user that gets called from the Database
  Manager. The application then controls where the backup images
  will be placed.

* Database Client with Local Databases:

  Allows the user to install a workstation as a database client and
  still be able to create and maintain databases local to that system.
  This differs from a database server installation in that the server
  installation will allow connectivity from other clients. The "Client
  with Local Databases" will not allow other client workstations to
  connect to its local databases.

* RAM Reductions / Performance:

  Enhancements made to reduce the amount of RAM needed at the
  database client workstation. Also, enhancements of existing
  function for performance and maintenance.

* Install/Configuration Services:

  The default configuration parameters will be installed initially.
  The user can modify the configuration parameters after
  installation is complete by using the DBM Command Line Interface
  or with a user application. Configuration Services addresses
  both Extended Services/2 V1.0 Database Manager configuration
  parameters and Extended Services/2 database configuration parameters.

* Packages:

  This is an SAA Level 2 function that replaces Access Plan function.

* Standards Compliance:
  SAA Level 1 and MIA Conformance to the Multivendor Integration
  Architecture (MIA) Standard Version 1. Completion of the SAA Level 1
  compliance by the addition of SQL Date/Time/Timestamp Arithmetic.

* Database Client Distributed Feature:

  Individually licensed database client, packaged as a set of install
  diskettes which will be shipped with Extended Services/2 V1.0.
  The database client can be a DOS database client, a Windows database
  client, or an OS/2 NETBIOS client. There is no support for installing
  an OS/2 APPC or APPN database client.

  This will allow users to install a database client without installing
  and configuring the Communications Manager; will give users an
  easier, PM based, install procedure for database clients (without
  using the EXTD/2 V1.0 install program); and, it will enable users to
  place DOS database client code or Windows database client code on a
  workstation without copying files from the database server workstation.