Re: Help to access from Microsoft Office products to Informix Online 7.1!

In article <303C8CEF@polytech.ivanovo.su>, Marina Kiseleva <marina@polytech.ivanovo.su> wrote: > >1. Is it possible to access the Informix OnLine Server 7.1 from client >applications via ODBC and which ODBC drivers I should use? > Yes, this is possible. There are various companies which implement ODBC connections to Informix, our product is the best ;-) >2. What products (designed by Informix or by third companys), except ODBC >itself are needed? > It depends. There are two ways to implement ODBC: - single tier, this makes a `local' connection to the database and therefore needs the DB vendor's network product installed (can't remember how Informix calls it). The DB vendor's network product will then take care of the transport of the database requests to the server; - multi tier, where the ODBC implementor supplies its own networking. Most of the time, this comes as a complete client/server implementation, where the server part runs on the host and does the connection to the database. Our software falls in the latter category. The difference is often flexibility and performance. Our multi tier product outdoes every single tier implementation of ODBC we've seen in terms of performance and is also easier to manage (while management is done centralized on the server). It also obliviates the need for often expensive and suboptimal networking products offered by database vendors. What you need depends: if you want to play around for yourself, get a cheap single tier implementation (assuming that you have the necessary Informix networking stuff - otherwise it may be more cost effective to get a multi-tier product from the start). If you want to make ODBC the basis for your applications and install it on multiple computers, get our multi tier product (OpenLink ODBC (MT)). It really helps to make the most out of your applications. In any case, you can have our product for a 30 days evaluation. Check out http://www.openlink.co.uk/ for an order form in MS Word format. If you have any questions left, feel free to ask me per mail. Regards Cees de Groot OpenLink Software -- Cees de Groot, OpenLink Software <cg@bofh.lake.de> 262ui/2048: ID=4F018825 FP=5653C0DDECE4359D FFDDB8F7A7970789 [Key on servers] http://www.lake.de/sonst/homepages/s2449/index.html