• EDITORIAL>>
• EVOLUTION>>
• DB2/UDB>>

Coming soon ...

- SEPTEMBER issue: MULTI-PLATFORM DEVELOPMENT

• ARCAD Software : DB2/UDB expertise center on the iSeries platform >>
• GENERAL PRODUCT PRESENTATION>>

Don't miss the next edition of ARCAD'VANTAGE in September 2004 !
The last in the series on multi-platform development

The growth of DB2/UDB and Websphere Application Server over a number of years has introduced new styles of development to the iSeries platform. SQL databases are created directly from graphical design tools; stored procedures and referential integrity constraints work alongside "good old" DDS files and RPG programs in applications already in place for many years.

With Version 8.00, ARCAD now guarantees coherence between these new developments and existing applications, by fully handling all DB2/UDB components and their features.

ARCAD-Open Repository will reference tables, indexes or views defined by DDL (SQL Data Definition Language) or DDS files (with or without DDS source or SQL script). It now handles stored procedures, user-defined functions (UDF), and user data types (UDT).
It also manages all types of relationships between components such as constraints and triggers, as well as classic cross-references showing the usage of one component by another.

The ARCAD-Skipper suite and the Macro-Maker module bring a working framework for more rigorous management and a very high level of traceability and security for all components in the information system.

The new features of the Version 8.00 of the ARCAD suites bring you all the functionality you need for the successful evolution of your information system, from the design phase through to the delivery to end users. You can benefit from the latest technological innovations on the platform without "revolution".
To find out more...

Your comments/suggestions are welcome !
Send them to Stephanie ZELKO szelko@arcadsoftware.com

Best regards, the ARCAD Software team

In a shifting economy, the control of change within the enterprise becomes critical. To do things differently and faster is increasingly vital to organizations.
One of the major transformations of the iSeries platform lies in the emergence of RDBMS DB2/UDB. Many customers are asking questions about about the advantages and drawbacks of this type of technology, and also on the approach to take to change.
In general, companies already have a legacy system built on traditional concepts such as file-based procedural programming. The move to new technology requires a different approach, involving databases and event-driven or object-oriented programming. The greatest problem is in the control of the change process. The database, at the heart of the information system, provides the enabling technology for this reactivity and push for change.

"Proven concepts"
The relational model goes back to the 70's. Now 30 years on, the model has proved itself indispensable in many different contexts and is continually enriched with new features. Today a relational system talks object, XML, Internet. It has become the leading technology in information systems evolution.
To find out more ...

With DB2/UDB, the relational database is a collection of organized and inter-related data, stored in the form of tables. It offers :
. Eased manipulation of data,
. High information storage capacity with built-in redundancy,
. Simultaneous access by several users,
. Multiple access by index to data groups,
. Security and data integrity,
. Relative independence of data from processing.
To find out more ...

The Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) is a multi-user system delivered with a set of production tools, based on SQL, able to manage transactions and data confidentiality. It relies on an integrated data dictionary and uses an optimizer for access paths.

The main features ensured are:
. Implementation of relational algebra via SQL,
. Respect of integrity constraints,
. Transaction management,
. Management of data access conflicts (locks),
. Confidentiality management (passwords, views),
. Security and retrieval (hardware fault or software error),
. Centralized data administration,
. Optimized access to data,
All contributing to increased productivity.
To find out more ...

"A practical approach"
The introduction of RDMS type technology has to be founded on a practical approach. The entry points are often projects of type datawarehouse, intranet or extranet, or internet. These projects feed off the back-office without impacting it.
To find out more ...

Most importantly, these various projects prefigure the future information system while facilitating a modular implementation and supplying new functionality.
Modeling an information system, a datawarehouse, or an internet/extranet site relies on methods that combine the normalization of relations with an understanding of the volumes and processing complexity involved on the other. A model can be defined with a higher or lower level of abstraction, depending on the performance requirements of the overall system - either by extension, with clearly defined objects, or by comprehension, introducing search or transformation rules.
The introduction of a relational database requires a profound culture change in the development teams. Indeed, the non-procedural approach (relational algebra) introduces concepts that are radically different from the procedural approach.

"The management of DB2/UDB components"
How can we track the activity of developers that mix SQL scripts, constraints, triggers, collections ...?
. By integrating these objects within the ARCAD Repository so that they are seen as new components,
. By managing these components as RPG or Cobol components with Check-out and Check-in facilities for the developer,
. By supplying cross-references with and between these components,
. By implementing all the ARCAD security mechanisms (rollback, history, traceability).

Copyright © 2004 ARCAD Software, Inc. All rights reserved.

Top of page>>