Comparison of Middleware Products

Which product is right for you?

Minisoft provides a suite of products to allow cross platform access to information. No one size fits all or universal tool will permit the wide variety of applications and environments our customers need. The ODBC and JDBC drivers and the OLE DB data provider are standards based interfaces to access your data.

All three products allow you read and write to TurboImage and Eloquence as if they were like any other database. They also support advanced features such as access to multiple databases, KSAM, flat, and MPE files. The server can be installed on MPE as well as many UNIX and Windows systems supporting Eloquence®, flat files, or Robelle® SD
files.

All Minisoft client server products can coexist on your server. This will allow you to provide all the interfaces needed by your developers or software suppliers without concern for compatibility.

What is ODBC?

Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) is a standard or open application programming interface (API) for accessing a database. SQL statements will allow you to access files in a number of different databases. This includes MS Access, Excel, Impromptu, Lotus Approach, Visual Basic, Crystal Reports, FrontPage, Cold Fusion, Speedware, Esperant, Brio, Delphi, PowerBuilder, Active Server Pages, Business Objects, .NET etc. In addition to the ODBC software that is built into each compliant program, a separate module or driver will be needed for each database you want to access.

ODBC is based on and closely associated with the Open Group standard Structured Query Language (SQL) Call-Level Interface. ODBC allows programs to use SQL requests that will access databases without having to know the proprietary interfaces to the databases. ODBC handles the SQL request and converts it into a request the individual database system understands.

What is JDBC?

Java Database Connectivity Driver (JDBC) is a standard or open application programming interface (API) for accessing a database from JAVA programs. The Minisoft JDBC driver implements this API to give JAVA programs access to data in TurboImage and Eloquence® databases, KSAM files, MPE files, Self-describing files, and PowerHouse sub-files.

JDBC is based on and closely aligned with the Open Group standard Structured Query Language (SQL) Call-Level Interface. It allows programs to use SQL requests that will access databases without having to know the proprietary interfaces to the databases. The JDBC driver handles the SQL request and converts it into a request the individual
database system understands.

What is OLE DB?

"OLE DB" opens the door to a rich set of development tools and platforms for Microsoft Windows Servers. Microsoft has announced that OLE DB will be the method by which all information is accessed. The roadmap for future Microsoft applications requires using OLE DB data sources to "provide uniform access to data stored in diverse information sources". The Minisoft OLE DB Provider provides that access to your existing TurboImage and Eloquence databases.

Use the Minisoft OLE DB Provider for Image/Eloquence to help solve the following problems:

• Transparent access to your Image/Eloquence data from the 32-bit or 64-bit editions of SQL Server 2005.
• Integrate Image or Eloquence database access smoothly into your .NET application development environment.
• Continue accessing Image or Eloquence data with Microsoft Visual Studio, Borland development tools, Microsoft Access (through VBA),Microsoft Excel, ActiveX Scripts, Crystal Reports, Windows Scripting, IIS web applications (ASP and ASP.NET) by using the Minisoft OLE DB Provider.