ORB Delivers UNIX Databases And Applications As OLE Objects To
Windows-Based Applications

Includes RDBMS object adapters and a unique Object Pump.

Cambridge -- I-Kinetics, Inc. announced that Release 3 of its I-Bridge
Object Request Broker (ORB) is the first ORB that delivers UNIX
applications, databases, services, utilities, and files as OLE objects to
Microsoft(R) Windows operating system-based applications, the first to
include object adapters to popular databases, and the first to include
high level access services that are identical for different sources. The
I-Bridge ORB is optimized for retrieving data from various UNIX data
resources. The ORB is distributed with one part executing on Windows
providing services to Windows-based applications, and a second part
executing on a UNIX host along with object adapters to different types of
data sources. The ObjectPump(R) is a general purpose adapter for accessing
UNIX applications, services, utilities, and files and re-directs their
output to the requesting Windows-based application. Specialized object
adapters are available for Ingres, Oracle and Sybase.

Abraham Hirsch, Vice President of I-Kinetics, highlighted the benefits of
I-Bridge as "I-Bridge allows almost any Windows- based application to
treat all the UNIX applications and data just as if they were local OLE
objects significantly reducing the time it takes to deliver integration
solutions." This reduction is made possible by eliminating the need to
explicitly manage the connection to the data source, the data transfer and
its conversion. Hirsch continued "One application of the I-Bridge is
turning the collection of UNIX servers in an enterprise into a virtual
data warehouse where Windows-based applications have easy, but managed,
access to all kinds of data, most of which is not in databases." A data
warehouse is a single database into which all important data must be
loaded. The virtual data warehouse concept, instead, provides a simple
high level method for all users to get managed access to data wherever it
is, in whatever format it is in, and however it is controlled or
generated.

High Level Services Included In Object Model

I-Bridge provides an object model of UNIX data sources with one key
innovation. It introduces interface components which provide common high
level services. The I-Bridge ORB not only provides connection and
transport services, it also offers high level data extraction and format
translation services as interface components. These high level building
blocks accomplish tasks that users commonly need in a standard way.
Control components provide a single method to request data from the UNIX
objects. Data components manage the resulting data views as well as
converting them to the data structures required by the requesting
application.

Interface components are stored by name in a repository. Because they are
managed in this I-Bridge repository, rather than in an application, they
are available for sharing and re-use by other programs. Should an
interface component be updated or modified, then all programs using it
would automatically use the new version simplifying the maintenance
effort. Control components contain either SQL statements for databases or
commands for the ObjectPump. They promote the use of optimized and
verified SQL statements and UNIX commands to manage users' access.

Windows-based applications have a choice of three popular methods of using
the I-Bridge. I-Bridge is an OLE Automation server to Windows-based
applications, such as Microsoft Visual Basic, Access and Excel, capable of
using OLE Automation. DDE and DLL interfaces are also available for
PowerBuilder, Lotus 123, or any other Windows-based application that does
not yet support OLE Automation.

Other unique capabilities and advantages of the I-Bridge ORB include:

*  Simultaneous data retrieval from multiple sources. Data can be gathered
in parallel from several sources significantly reducing the time it takes
to consolidate it. Because this occurs in the background on Windows,
applications such as Excel can continue to be used while data is being put
into spreadsheets.

*  Easy installation and high performance by eliminating extra database
specific drivers and communications products on the PC. Products such as
Oracle SQL*Net and Sybase OpenClient DBLIB are not required. Getting
several such products to coexist on the same PC has been problematic.
Without them, installation is easier and performance is higher because
less code needs to be executed.

*  SQL transparency so that all vendor specific SQL extensions are
supported. Future object oriented extensions, local index optimizations,
stored procedures and other unique database capabilities are easily
exploited.

*  Dial-up and mobile operation. I-Bridge is being demonstrated at Windows
Solutions in San Francisco with UNIX hosts on a network in Cambridge,
Massachusetts.

*  Generation and collection of performance statistics to support system
optimization. Statistics such as the amount of data and transfer time can
be gathered for system tuning.

The current release of I-Bridge, Release 2, provides very similar
capabilities via DDE for Microsoft Excel. Release 3 makes I-Bridge a more
general data access architecture adding OLE Automation as a means to
interface to different Windows applications. Since customers will be able
to upgrade to Release 3, evaluation of I-Bridge need not wait for the next
release. Release 3 will be available later this year with a Starter Kit
containing one UNIX ORB and two Windows-compatible ORBs for $995.
Customers have the option of including with the UNIX ORB one of the
database object adapters or the ObjectPump. The UNIX ORB will be available
for HP-UX, Solaris, SunOS and SCO. Additional Windows-compatible ORBs are
available at $295.

I-Kinetics was formed in 1991 to develop high performance distributed
computing products that integrate applications across multiple operating
systems and frameworks. By making it easy for any application to
communicate with another application, I-Bridge enables new services that
automate and integrate business processes. It supports the shift from the
common file-oriented paradigm to the new client/server one. I-Bridge also
extends this paradigm to include commercial applications and services
other than databases. 

I-Kinetics, Inc.
19 Bishop Allen Drive
Cambridge, MA 02139
617-661-8181,  FAX: 617-661-8625
800-I-KINETX (800-454-6389)

 ============================================================
 From the  'New Product Information'  Electronic News Service
 on AOL (Keyword = New Products) & Delphi (GO BUSINESS PROD)
 ============================================================
 This information was processed from data provided by the 
 company or author mentioned. For additional details, please 
 contact them directly at the address/phone number indicated.
 OmniPage Pro is now used for converting all printed input! 
 ============================================================
 All submissions for this service should be addressed to:
 BAKER ENTERPRISES,  20 Ferro Dr,  Sewell, NJ  08080  U.S.A.
 Email: RBakerPC (AOL/Delphi), rbakerpc@delphi.com (Internet)
 ============================================================
