Re: ODBC with Oracle and Informix on the same server.

Steven Reiss writes in reply to me:- > |> Unfortunately your consultant is basically correct. ODBC is a > |> translation mechanism to provide a single interface to client tools > |> requiring access to heterogeneous databases. It is NOT a network > |> product capable od doing the end to end communication between the > |> client and the server. So for Informix you would have Online or S.E + > |> I-Star on the Server, I-Net, ODBC and Access on the PC-Client. > |> I-Star/I-Net handle the network traffic ODBC handles the translation. > > Is this really true? I was under the impression that one could run the > ODBC code (i.e. the interface sw provided by a vendor) and have the > application > send ODBC calls across the network by itself, or possibly have it's own > software > on the server which could then talk to the ODBC sw. How the client comunicates with the server is up to the designer of the client server software. The ODBC translation can occur on either end. But for it to occur at the server end the client must provide a transport method across the required net to carry the ODBC calls and the returned data and error messages. This is what I implied Visionware's software does though I cannot confirm it. It isn't normally done that way as it puts the transport responsibility at the client end and generally suppliers have provided the network transport as an enhancement to the server as it allows them to also provide cross server access. Also clients have rarely wanted to bother with handling the network complexities. Visionware is apparently taking a middle path and saying that network transport is, neither the server's, nor the clients responsibility but will be handled by their software, along with the ODBC translation. This translation I have no doubt now occurs at both ends with a standard format travelling across the net. This leaves the server suppliers with having to provide inter-server communication only. Cheers - Jim My opinions are my own. They may vary with time but they remain MINE! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Name: Jim Gordon Internet: jgordon@ssf-sys.DHL.COM Company: DHL Systems Inc Phone: (415) 375-5222 (Work) Address: 700 Airport Blvd. #300 (415) 882-9728 (Home) Burlingame, CA 94010-1937 Fax: (415) 375-5019 ----------------------------------------------------------------------