Conference ulysse::rdb_vms_competition

1259.0. "SYBASE" by TROOA::MCMULLEN (Ken McMullen) Sat Jun 12 1993 20:54

Yesterday I attended a SYBASE presentation that was given at a customers 
location. SYBASE talked a lot about SYBASE System 10 (next version, that is in 
Beta today). It was a good presentation and they have added some new features.
I have quickly typed up some of the notes I took.
    
    
An overview of their products can be summarized as the following:

							DBA Tools
		|------------------------------|        ---------
tools		|     client/server tools      |    	BACKUP SERVER
		|                              |
		|------------------------------|    	SQL MONITOR
OPEN		|                              |
client/server	| open       open      embedded|    	SA COMPANION
api		| client     server    SQL     |
		|                              |    	CONFIGURATOR (new)
		|------------------------------|
		|                              |
		|replication   Omni  Navigation|
distributed 	|server      SQL GTWY  server  |
systems		| (new)               (new)
		|                              |
		|------------------------------|
RDBMS engine	|    SQL SERVER                |
		|                              |
		|------------------------------|


Before SYSTEM 10, SYBASE did not support cursors (did only set manipulation). 
You had to handle row/record manipulation in the client code. 

Open Client: through the programmer services they support ESQL, DB-LIB, ODBC, 
and X/A interface for txn management  (for Encina, Tuxedo and TOPend). They 
will soon support DRDA, IDAPI and RDA. It does not sound like SYBASE will 
handle the "distributed unit of work" part of DRDA in the near future (but 
then will IBM?). 

Today the data is passed between the client and server using SYBASE's 
proprietary protocal called Tabular Data Stream. This sounded closer to IBM's 
LU 6.2 than it does to anything else. It sonded very conversational and not as 
easy to use as an RPC mechanism. They did say that an RPC mechanism would be 
available in the future. 

Things that are new:

Navigation Server: this will only be delivered on NCR boxes (did not catch the 
model numbers for the navigation server or the db servers). "The SYBASE 
Navigation Server provides high performance database management and 
transparent partitioned database support on high capacity parallel 
architecture computing platforms." This technology will be very good for 
parallel processing systems. High performance server!

		|			    |----------	db server
client---------	|		Navigation  |
                |---------------server    --|----------	db server       
                |                           |
		|			    |----------	db server
                |

Today you can physically partition your database across multiple database 
servers via range of key values; hashed partitioning or schema partitioning. 
An individual SQL query can be split by the navigation server for each server 
to process. The new Configurator tool assists in defining the logical database 
and generates configurations and partitioning for the system. (configurator is 
only for the navigator).


Replication Server: specialized server that replicates data AND transactions. 
It also manages location transparency, can be used with heterogenous data 
servers and can be used in wide area networks. Based on a primary site model, 
that is inserts, updates and deletes for a table or database that is being 
replicated must go to the primary! Clients subscribe to data that they want 
replicated to their location. Replication server seems to be a combination of 
Vax Data Distributor and DMQ Broadcast functionality. 


		    --	replication server <----\
                    v                            \
		    |				  \--	Log Transfer
		    |					manager
                    |                          /-->
client application  |                         /
                |   |                        /
                |    \                      /
		- - ->data server----------/


The Log transfer manager has an API, so that you can add your own messages 
from other appliations. These messages can be used to trigger replication 
events. This technology keeps track of what data has changed in the data 
server and replicates it, but also has a message queuing facility in it.


I did pick up a copy of 6 SYBASE papers titled:

	REPLICATION SERVER: A component of SYBASE System 10
	Navigation Server White papaer
	SYBASE OmniSQL Gateway
	SYBASE SQL Server and Backup Server
	SYBASE System Management Products
        SYBASE Open Client/Server Connectivity Products

You should be able to pick these up from your local SYBASE 
office/representative.