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The
promise of distributed computing is to bring together the
multi-vendor components of a computing environment in a transparent
and integrated fashion. UniAccess and the Microsoft and Sybase
architectures fulfills this promise for Unisys OS 2200 customers.
The Sybase Open Client and Open Server architecture delivers a
standards-based application programming interface (API) for clients
and servers to interoperate across virtually all application
platforms, including mainframes.
With
the Sybase Client/Server Architecture, client user
interface functions are clearly separated from server data
management and transaction functions. Client and servers can run on
the same machine or transparently across a network. Organizations
can build and deploy applications in host-based environments or
networked environments of desktop PCs or workstations that access
data on shared database servers.
Implementation of the architecture provides a number of advantages over
other implementations that are oriented more to decision support than
transaction processing. The Sybase Client/Server Architecture provides
scaleable, high performance, server-enforced integrity, security, high
application availability, an open distributed DBMS, heterogeneous
interoperability, and the highest level integration with adaptable
windowing tools.
Microsoft licenses the Sybase database and client/server technology and
imbeds Open Client and Open Server interfaces directly in its products.
These products offer a functionality rich set of library routines,
providing the necessary tool kit to implement seamless client/server
interoperability across dissimilar databases and non-database servers on
heterogeneous systems and networks.
Sybase Open Client
The SYBASE Open Client is a programmable interface that manages the
interoperation of the client application and any full implementation of
the SYBASE Open Server.
Open Client can be used with SYBASE's SQL Toolset, user-developed
applications, or hundreds of third-party development and end-user tools.
Open Client's consistent interface to the server enhances the
independence of client applications from the underlying networking
protocols and data sources.
Open Client also includes a client network interface that supports many
transport protocols and automatically formats the client's request for
transmission over the selected network to the server. When an
application makes a request through Open Client, knowledge of the
underlying network and the location and source of the data are not
necessary.
Sybase Open Server
The SYBASE Open Server provides a consistent method for receiving SQL
requests or database remote procedure calls from an application using
Open Client. Upon receipt, Open Server passes the requests to a non
Sybase application.
Open Server implementations normally co-exist with high-speed relational
database gateways so that client SQL requests can be directly executed
against non Sybase relational databases without any user-written
programs or intervention.
While Open Client provides the flexibility to use a variety of
development and end-user tools, Open Server provides the flexibility to
access and update a variety of data sources. With SYBASE Open Server,
foreign data sources and applications can be seamlessly integrated.
The SYBASE Open Server consists of two main logical components, the
Network Interfaces and Server Library. The Network Interfaces on the
server manage the network connection and accept client requests running
Open Client. Event-driven server utilities in the Server Library provide
the logic to ensure client requests are passed to the appropriate
user-developed program or database gateway and are completed properly.
Open Client and Open Server also include a set of Control Processes,
Administration, security, trace, debugging, and statistic functions, all
provided from a single point, to manage this distributed computing
environment. Any server could also run Open Client, allowing that server
to request information from another server. This capability forms the
foundation of a distributed computing environment.
Remote Procedures
Although the Sybase Client/Server Architecture is delivered through
SYBASE Open Client and Open Server, it is based on the concept of
Programmable Intelligent Servers, which was introduced by Sybase. This
capability allows the server to manage data integrity and apply
enterprise business rules to client requests. Programmable Intelligent
Servers operate through the execution of remote procedures.
Remote procedures are server-based, compiled objects that are used to
perform data management logic. A remote procedure can be invoked by a
client as an RPC. A remote procedure can also be called by another
server when more than one server is required to perform a client
request.
For the Open 2200 enterprise server, the remote procedure is implemented
as a TIP transaction, or a called program. This capability allows you to
modernize previously proven legacy application, integrate them with new
server applications, and to be part of a total reengineering process.
Industry Support
The promise of Open Systems is to allow choice in all aspects of the
enterprise architecture combined with true, native mode
interoperability. Together, Sybase, Microsoft, and hundreds of industry
leading partners are fulfilling the promise of Open Systems.
This relationship has extended the availability and market support of
the components beyond the level that any one company could provide. With
UniAccess for OS 2200, AIS has also contributed by making the
architecture available on Unisys mainframes in the same manner that
Microsoft and Sybase have done for the IBM mainframe. Each of these, and
several other native implementations of the Sybase technology allow
complete interoperability between all components from all vendors.
Strategic relationships with industry leading partners complement the
Microsoft and Sybase technology with vertical applications and an
extended range of hardware platforms. Through the many Microsoft and
Sybase partner programs, hundreds of independent software vendors
provide complementary end-user, application development, systems
management, and vertical market tools. |
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