Re: What SQL Server and Access TOOLS????????????????????????????????????????

> Arnaud Glatron <glatron@intercom.com> writes: > We are planning to install an 80-user network in our offices. This network > will be based on : > - a UNIX server providing specific tour-operator activities, > - a Windows NT file and print server, > - a SQL server, > - a fax server. > > The Unix server already contains an INFORMIX database. But we need a specific > server to store and manage additional databases. These will be very small at the > beginning (20 MB) but they will grow to a few gigabytes. > > Our end-users are no technicians ! That is why we must provide them with easy to > use and reliable tools to access the SQL server. > > I would like to hear from your experiences with SQL servers (Microsoft, Oracle, > INFORMIX,...), When you allready have Informix running, it is very easy to add more databases. You need no additional licenses for that. You don't say what version you have. If you have SE it *may* be slow with 80 users, but that depends on the activity and to some extent the size of the database. With a few gigabytes and 80 users it sure sounds like OnLine is the only option. > Database access tools (MS Access, visual products (Visual Basic, visual Foxpro, > visual C++,...), Powerbuilder,Attachmate...), Fax servers (Delrina, Microsoft...). This depends very much on your applications. Some things can be made in MS Access, although I wouldn't try. For ad hoc work it *is* very good. Visual Basic, particularly with version 4.0, is ok for light applications on the PCs. PowerBuilder is also good for klient applications. Visual C++ is fine if you like to work a lot or have very special needs, otherwise that's out to me. Although I don't have any experience with Foxpro or Attachmate they don't look like the right tools for klient/server SQL based applications to me. Another option is Borland Delphi which is also good for klient programs. You have also forgotten Informix NewEra which is probably a very good alternative if you ever expect your applications to grow in size and complexity (not for the end user but for the programmer, and which applications dont?). Here you have a major benefit in beeing able to use application partitioning to solve many performance problems you might otherwise run into. (Check that there is support for this for you kind of Unix though.) All these tools can connect to the database either via native drivers (called I-Net) or ODBC. Informix call their ODBC software Informix-CLI (their salespeople don't seem to allways know that this is ODBC). It also contains (is) a call level interface that can be used from C++ or other languages and comes with I-Net bundled. If you have an Informix database with version number 5.xx or earlier you also need a product called I-Star running on your Unix server to connect to the db from Windows programs. From version 6.xx and up this is included with the database when you purchase it. There are also several other ODBC suppliers, some which don't need I-Star or I-Net and claiming to have better performance than those who use these products. I don't know enough about fax servers to say much about them. Only make sure you get one with an easy interface to the programming language you select. In the above setup you hardly *need* Windows NT. File and print services can also be supplied from any reasonably new Unix-machine with about the same functionallity as Windows NT. There are many other reasons of course why you might want Windows NT in the equation. Informix are also delivering versions of their databases for Windows NT if that should become interesting. (Only SE right now, OnLine is announced, but I don't know the delivery status.) > > Thanks in advance for your answers. (Please answer by Email) > > Arnaud GLATRON <glatron@intercom.com> Nils.Myklebust@ccmail.telemax.no NM-data, Dalsbergstien 7, N-0170 Oslo, Norway My opinions are those of my company