Re: ODBC Drivers !!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, this is one quote from that white paper. First: It does explain ODBC in a better way than most other things I have seen on the web. Second: Here is another quote that is a little more central, although also OpenLink related: "The OpenLink Session Rules Book As explained earlier within this document, your OpenLink ODBC based Client-Server infrastructure can be managed from a central point using a "Rule Book" approach. The OpenLink Request Broker uses a Session Rules Book to manage the way Database Agents are spawned, replicated and re-associated with the OpenLink Request Agent. The OpenLink Session Rules Book also provides you with Multi dimensional , and flexible control over Domains, Databases, Users, ODBC Compliant Applications, Client Operating Systems, and Network Addresses. The flexibility provided by the OpenLink Session Rules Book results in OpenLink ODBC based Client-Server infrastructure being able to handle ODBC killer issues such as default database isolation levels, server operating system security, and ODBC compliant application generated network traffic." The key here to us and many others is security as it relates to access control. If you have followed previous long descussions here at c.d.i. (which are hardly worth repeating) you know many people have found significant problems with using ODBC at all. If a user have access to one program that does direct updates to the database (even a 4GL or ESQL/C program running on a Unix server) that user can use the login name and password from that program when starting MS Access and get the same rights to update any table in the database. Appart from either using stored procedures exclusively for database updates or some very limited protection via roles there is no way of protecting against this with the Informix ODBC drivers. OpenLink however have a very good solution to most of these problems. They also solve the problem of having the driver send sql-commands to the engine at connect time (very usefull for several set .... options and other things) which few others can do. If you feel Informix have solutions to these critical problems feel free to explain. Otherwise I think an attack on the fact that the white paper is an Openlink promotion, which it sure is, isn't the best way to promote any product. All I want to achieve is some more understanding in the world at large, among Informix developers and particularly within Informix for the severe problems we have to handle in a client server world. These problems also come back to you when you start using JDBC and are basically solved the same way as with ODBC by Openlink. It might be an idea for Informix to look at the Openlink solution and possibly even talking to them about reselling it. I am sure they would be helpfull in this respect. I also know that you would gain a larger number of happy customers than with your current solution that simply doesn't hold water. No, you may say, we have lots of small and large happy users. No doubt, I say, but how many of them have relized the extent of their problem? And how many want's to do something about it if they could? And how many accept it because your drivers come for free, but don't like the situation? And how many realy like your current ODBC offering and of those how many would like it if they had studied the issues and compared it to the alternatives? May be we start approaching zero now, and your product mainly remains used because it's free or for some because it's from Informix? It's kind of a sad situation because it wouldn't have had to be the way it is. A little more technical evaluation at the time this was all done first would have revealed the problems and the solution would have been there. May be you could be instrumental in at least creating a little more understanding within Informix. I would have been happy, and I know a lot of other customers who also would have been. For others interested in the white paper here is a direct link to it: http://www.openlinksw.com/info/docs/odbcwhp/tableof.htm On Wed, 22 Apr 1998 14:29:56 +0200, Marco de Jong <marcodj@post.ie.informix.com> wrote: >I think this white paper is mentioned : > > > Database Vendors are the best source of ODBC Drivers > > ODBC Drivers do not have to be purchased from database vendors only, neither are they the > best source of ODBC Drivers, bearing in mind ODBC has accelerated the process of database > commoditisation. Databases systems are fast becoming commodity items just like computer > hardware. > > ODBC Drivers supplied by a database vendor will obviously only work with communications > software also provided by that database vendor. If there are any problems with the > communications layer, or you have numerous database systems from different database > vendors in your organization you will feel the pain both in terms of ODBC unsuitability and > cost. The OpenLink ODBC (MT) Driver is licensed on a concurrent usage basis only, irrespective > of the number of databases that you will be connecting to, or the number of PCs connecting to > databases in your organizations network. > > The OpenLink ODBC (MT) Driver does not require the purchase of additional communications > software just because you need to access another database type within your organization via > ODBC compliant applications. > > >It's an Openlink promotion.. > >Nils Myklebust wrote: > >> Just one warning here. >> You either have to have a very special environement or be rather crazy >> to use the ODBC drivers included in the Informix Client SDK. >> The other products may be fine and nice, but *not* this ODBC driver. >> Just check the FAQ and particularly the white paper it refers to to >> find out exactly why. The main issue is data security although there >> are other problems as well. >> >> We can only hope that someone at Informix see the light one day... >> >> Some things that are free may not be all that free after all. >> >> On Wed, 22 Apr 1998 08:54:04 +0200, Marco de Jong >> <marcodj@post.ie.informix.com> wrote: >> >> >Check the free download Informix Client SDK >> > >> >www.intraware.com/shop/ >> >www.intraware.com/shop/vendor.html?MANU=IFMX&x=16&y=11 > > > Nils Myklebust NM Data AS Norway E-mail: Nils.Myklebust@nmdata.com FAQ at: http://www.iiug.org/techinfo/faq/faq_top.html (Now with ODBC info under "Third party products".)