[Search for users] [Overall Top Noters] [List of all Conferences] [Download this site]

Conference ulysse::rdb_vms_competition

Title:	DEC Rdb against the World

Moderator:	HERON::GODFRIND

Created:	Fri Jun 12 1987
Last Modified:	Thu Feb 23 1995
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	1348
Total number of notes:	5438

524.0. "Are we in with PROGRESS?" by DUB01::ODRISCOLL (Step to the Music ye Hear) Wed Dec 27 1989 19:08

    Folks,
    
    Some earlier notes (442 etc) reference a product called PROGRESS.
    I've a major customer using ACMS/RDB and I know they are evaluating
    it.                    
                           
    Can anybody tell me more about it? particularly how it stacks up
    against our products and any knock-offs etc
                           
    Thanks,
    
    Shea.

T.R Title User Personal
Name Date Lines

524.1 PROGRESS is in the RSVP Program ACESMK::ALEXANDER Service AFTER the Sale Fri Dec 29 1989 15:06 44

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
524.1	PROGRESS is in the RSVP Program	ACESMK::ALEXANDER	Service AFTER the Sale	`Fri Dec 29 1989 15:06`	44
	Hi Shea, I used to be the QA Manager for Progress, until I joined DEC 8 months ago. I know that Progress is in the process of a new release, so there may be new features I'm not aware of. They're a small company (~300 employees world-wide), so technology moves fast. As a quick overview, PROGRESS runs on VMS, DOS, Ultrix, Xenix, UNIX, and CTOS/BTOS. They have a powerful 4GL of their own, and an SQL interface as well. As an add-on product they have a "user-friendly, menu-driven" application generator, much like Rally, which they call FAST TRACK. Product has all the usual stuff -- integrated editor, compiler, dictionary. It supports roll forward and rollback recovery. No snapshots, tho, since they support only second degree consistency. They have multi-file support, but not the same degree of control over placement that Rdb provides. No hashed indices. They have always had a client/server architecture. Recently they have added multi-threaded access to the database, a performance enhancement. They have tailored their internal I/O routines to the hardware/OS platforms they are running on, so do not suffer the usual lowest common denominator syndrome. The client/server architecture has enabled them to provide support for remote database access on different hardware/OS platforms. From Xenix, you can access a database on a Pyramid running UNIX, for example. I think that feature is supported now on all the platforms they run on. It's a good product. Biggest issue in my mind is that they grew out of a large UNIX/DOS base, so they are just now facing the world of really big databases. Last month, they announced gateways to RMS, Rdb, and Oracle. They are in the RSVP Program here. See note 485 in this conference. They are based in Bedford, MA, not too far from our training facility, and all product development is done there. I'm sure that you can call (617-275-4500) and get information. They have a demo pack for $100 which you can return in 30 days and get your money back. Hope this helps. Feel free to call if you need other information. Maggie dtn 264-3647

Hi Shea,

I used to be the QA Manager for Progress, until I joined DEC 8 months ago.
I know that Progress is in the process of a new release, so there may be new 
features I'm not aware of.  They're a small company (~300 employees 
world-wide), so technology moves fast. 

As a quick overview,  PROGRESS runs on VMS, DOS, Ultrix, Xenix, UNIX, and 
CTOS/BTOS.  They have a powerful 4GL of their own, and an SQL interface as 
well.  As an add-on product they have a "user-friendly, menu-driven" 
application generator, much like Rally, which they call FAST TRACK.  

Product has all the usual stuff -- integrated editor, compiler, dictionary.
It supports roll forward and rollback recovery.  No snapshots, tho, since they 
support only second degree consistency.  They have multi-file support, but not 
the same degree of control over placement that Rdb provides.  No hashed 
indices.

They have always had a client/server architecture.  Recently they have added 
multi-threaded access to the database, a performance enhancement.  They have 
tailored their internal I/O routines to the hardware/OS platforms they are
running on, so do not suffer the usual lowest common denominator syndrome.

The client/server architecture has enabled them to provide support for 
remote database access on different hardware/OS platforms.  From Xenix, you 
can access a database on a Pyramid running UNIX, for example.  I think that 
feature is supported now on all the platforms they run on.

It's a good product.  Biggest issue in my mind is that they grew out of a 
large UNIX/DOS base, so they are just now facing the world of really big 
databases.

Last month, they announced gateways to RMS, Rdb, and Oracle.  
They are in the RSVP Program here.  See note 485 in this conference.
They are based in Bedford, MA, not too far from our training facility, 
and all product development is done there.  I'm sure that you can call 
(617-275-4500) and get information.  They have a demo pack for $100 
which you can return in 30 days and get your money back.

Hope this helps.  Feel free to call if you need other information.

Maggie
dtn 264-3647