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

> I have a server with both Oracle 6.x and Informix SE and I would like to > access data from Visual C++ and Visual Basic applications. Up to yesterday > I was sure that I just had to install an Informix and Oracle OBDC > server (process) on my server and just call the ODBC methods in my two > Visual X languages. Yesterday an itinerating consultant came in and told > us that I will need SQL-Net and xxx (I forgot the Informix product) on > each PC in order to use OBDC. We have an installed based of more than 200 > PCs so the cost of installing SQL-Net on all would be outrageous compared > to what the application I'm writing will do. > 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. There is one ODBC product from Visionware in the UK that is supposed to handle both the translation and the network management. But I have not used it and do not know it's hardware, software or network requirements, capabilities or costs, though I have been told that it is faster than I-Star/I-Net with Q+E ODBC which is what I am using. 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 ----------------------------------------------------------------------