Re: type 4 JDBC drivers

Mike, Mike wrote in message <902132501.26155.0.nnrp-01.c2de7bed@news.demon.co.uk>... >In article <6nijot$g29$1@news.xmission.com>, mcanto@intec.unl.edu.ar wrote: >> >>Try http://www.openlinksw.com It has a free version with up 2 concurrent >>users. >>Byte byte! > >Is this type 4?? This isn't a type 4. But what really is the difference between a type 4 and type 3 Driver (when one gets down to bare facts) ? Type 4 JDBC Drivers: ================== Marketing Definition: Type 4 Driver requires only a set of Java Classes (hopefully pure) and you are connected to Informix DB. Technical Journey (how this is cobbled together): The Informix I-Connect or I-Net protocol is re-written (or reversed engineered for 3rd party Type 4 Drivers) in Java at the client end, thereby enabling communication with the Informix I-connect Server which talks sockets to the Informix Database Server. Object Implications: Any ills associated with I-Connect will be inherited. Any ills associated Database Specific Application development will be inherited Total Cost of Ownership: Deceitfully expensive over the long-term (you will be at the beck an cal of the DB vendor). These drivers aren't free as far as total cost of ownership. You will always pay more come deployment time. Type 3 JDBC Drivers: ==================== Marketing Definition: A Type 4 Driver provided by a Third Party, a third party not interested in reverse engineering the Database Vendors Proprietary across the wire protocol. The server piece provided by the third party is not different to the Server Components that handles I-Connect calls en route to the Database Server, the only difference being one is installed transparently with the DB Server and the other isn't. Technical Journey (how this is cobbled together): The JDBC Driver is implemented totally in Java and also implements a database independent across the wire protocol (hence the server piece). The Java classes are typically much smaller than those of type 4 drivers. Object Implications: Inherit the benefits of database independence at the networking layer Inherit the benefits of Database Independent Application development . Total Costs of Ownership: Low short and long term.