Comment On OpenLink and/vs OpenPath ODBC
Jeff Stevens
I am researching a project using ODBC for an Informix
database. I have come upon two drivers (OpenLink and OpenPath) that
include a service running on the server to expedite the transactions.
Is there anyone out there using either of these products and
be willing to share some comments?
Has anyone actually switched to these products after trying to
use ODBC from Informix(CLI) and Intersolv which use I-Net?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Jeff Stevens
CMSystems
Aurora, CO
Nils Myklebust
c...@sprynet.com (Jeff Stevens) wrote:
: I am researching a project using ODBC for an Informix
:database. I have come upon two drivers (OpenLink and OpenPath) that
:include a service running on the server to expedite the transactions.
: Is there anyone out there using either of these products and
:be willing to share some comments?
We use OpenLink and are very happy with that.
I have only looked at the web pages of OpenPath
(http://www.openpath.com). It's a serever based product which is the
only viable solution, but there is no mention of all the other
functionality that is so important with OpenLink. The key issue is
security, but there are several others. You should read the OpenLink
whitepaper on ODBC available at
http://www.openlinksw.com/docs/product.html
Unfortunately it's only available as an MS Word document in a zip
file. If you have problems with this they'll surely send it to you if
you ask them. I assume it will also shortly be available in html so
you can read it directly.
Noone should make a choice of ODBC drivers without reading this
whitepaper first.
: Has anyone actually switched to these products after trying to
:use ODBC from Informix(CLI) and Intersolv which use I-Net?
It's quite some time ago we made this switch after having too much
trouble with these products, and realizing the incredible security
issues that they do not even attempt to adress. For this last reason
they are totaly useless for us.
:Any help would be greatly appreciated.
:
:Jeff Stevens
:CMSystems
:Aurora, CO
Nils.My...@idg.no
NM Data AS, P.O.Box 9090 Gronland, N-0133 Oslo, Norway
My opinions are those of my company
The Informix FAQ is at http://www.iiug.org
Systems Team
Jeff Stevens wrote:
>
> I am researching a project using ODBC for an Informix
> database. I have come upon two drivers (OpenLink and OpenPath) that
> include a service running on the server to expedite the transactions.
> Is there anyone out there using either of these products and
> be willing to share some comments?
We are currently switching to Openlink after a fairly lengthy spell of "mixing and
matching" ODBC drivers. We found the performance of Openlink comparable to server-based
queries, and 6-10 times faster than traditional ODBC (including INet). Also, it requires
much less middleware. The downside may be cost. With older (vn5 and earlier) Informix
versions you had to buy server I-Net (for SE) or I-Star (for online) as separate products.
This, combined with the cost of client-side I-Net, was quite steep. However, vn7 has the
server-side connection software built in - albeit that the price reflects this bundling! -
and you might consider the additional cost of acquiring another server-side product as
unjustified. We have concluded that it is worth the extra.
It may be worth noting that the client-side Openlink software is (or was?) free. You pay
per user on the server-side.
Tim Kelly.
David Wang
We've evaluated both products for our clients. Our experience and the
clients' feedback told us that OpenPath ODBC is better:
1. It is easier to use. We had hard time installing OpenLink.
2. Fast. We run it against I-Net and Oracle SQL*Net, it ran even faster
than these native drivers. OpenLink could not match.
3. Our clients are happy using it. Some of them actually switched from
OpenLink to OpenPath, claiming the latter is more reliable. Some claimed
OpenLink's service is bad.
Forget the ODBC from Informix (CLI), or the Intersolv using I-Net -- it's
just too s l o w and not reliable. Why one wants ODBC over another
additional layer, the I-Net?
So your better bet is to use server-based ODBC pdt. And we recommend
OpenPath (www.openpath.com) over OpenLink.
David Wang, senior consultant
Consultak
Fullerton, California
Jeff Stevens <c...@sprynet.com> wrote in article
<330483a9...@news.sprynet.com>...
> I am researching a project using ODBC for an Informix
> database. I have come upon two drivers (OpenLink and OpenPath) that
> include a service running on the server to expedite the transactions.
> Is there anyone out there using either of these products and
> be willing to share some comments?
> Has anyone actually switched to these products after trying to
> use ODBC from Informix(CLI) and Intersolv which use I-Net?
>
Boris Niyazov
I was testing Openlink ODBC for Online 5.x a while ago and found that it
fails when I retrive more than a certain number of columns from a table
with big enough number of columns (at least 27).( I couldn't import such
tables to MS Access either).
I reported this to Openlink providing them logs in debug mode - they
haven't got me back, yet.
=======================================================================
Boris Niyazov Ph: 212-854-4094
IT Department Fax: 212-316-2623
Columbia Law School Email: ba...@columbia.edu
Nils Myklebust wrote:
>
> c...@sprynet.com (Jeff Stevens) wrote:
>
> : I am researching a project using ODBC for an Informix
> :database. I have come upon two drivers (OpenLink and OpenPath) that
> :include a service running on the server to expedite the transactions.
> : Is there anyone out there using either of these products and
> :be willing to share some comments?
>
> We use OpenLink and are very happy with that.
> I have only looked at the web pages of OpenPath
> (http://www.openpath.com). It's a serever based product which is the
> only viable solution, but there is no mention of all the other
> functionality that is so important with OpenLink. The key issue is
> security, but there are several others. You should read the OpenLink
> whitepaper on ODBC available at
> http://www.openlinksw.com/docs/product.html
> Unfortunately it's only available as an MS Word document in a zip
> file. If you have problems with this they'll surely send it to you if
> you ask them. I assume it will also shortly be available in html so
> you can read it directly.
> Noone should make a choice of ODBC drivers without reading this
> whitepaper first.
>
> : Has anyone actually switched to these products after trying to
> :use ODBC from Informix(CLI) and Intersolv which use I-Net?
>
> It's quite some time ago we made this switch after having too much
> trouble with these products, and realizing the incredible security
> issues that they do not even attempt to adress. For this last reason
> they are totaly useless for us.
>
> :Any help would be greatly appreciated.
> :
> :Jeff Stevens
> :CMSystems
> :Aurora, CO
>
Kingsley Idehen
Hi David,
David Wang <dav...@datadepot.com> wrote in article
<01bc1ecd$fbc74200$06fb...@davidh.address.net>...
>
> We've evaluated both products for our clients. Our experience and the
> clients' feedback told us that OpenPath ODBC is better:
>
> 1. It is easier to use. We had hard time installing OpenLink.
Our product is easy to install but I can understand an accept your
perception should the initial installation attempt fail, this is something
we are constantly improving.
> 2. Fast. We run it against I-Net and Oracle SQL*Net, it ran even faster
> than these native drivers. OpenLink could not match.
This is a careless claim !!
I do not want to take what might be perceived as a blindly arrogant stand
by telling you that this is impossible (we are in the a high tech. industry
with lots of clever people, we have plenty at OpenLink but no monopoly over
such talent) but NO MATCH means OpenPath was so FAST and OpenLink so SLOW !
Sorry but this is technically impossible to achieve and I am not bluffing !
I can give allowances for a few Nano seconds here and there (I have never
evaluated or used OpenPath) but you can never consider our technology slow
especially for Informix, NEVER .
> 3. Our clients are happy using it. Some of them actually switched from
> OpenLink to OpenPath, claiming the latter is more reliable. Some claimed
> OpenLink's service is bad.
If the customer has received bad service from us then I can understand and
appreciate their change of ODBC Driver vendor, this is one of the beauties
of commodity products and standards as a whole, we have to deliver QUALITY
or get slammed and the QUALITY has to come from all aspects of the
relationship with our customers.
Now here are a few OpenLink Features that NO ODBC Driver Vendor matches for
Informix :
1. Sophisticated Security & Configuration Management via a Rules Engine aka
'Session Rules Book' - This feature allows our product to manage multiple
session profiles across numerous ODBC compliant applications, databases,
client operating systems, usernames, machine IP addresses, and anything
else you want to define. View the technical our ODBC technical white paper
: http://www.openlinksw.com/docs/white1/how.htm#The OpenLink Session Rules
Book
for more information.
2. Scrollable Cursors - We are the only company that has implemented Server
Based & Driver Based Scrollable cursors for Informix, this will be
available as a wide beta next week on our Web Site:
http://www.openlinksw.com
The one message I get from your comments is that our service might have
been under par on this and possibly other occasions, be rest assured we are
continuously striving to improve our support services.
I would be interested in some benchmark figures so that we can replicate
your observations in house, we just do not take performance claims like
this lightly.
--
Best Regards,
Kingsley Idehen
President & CEO
OpenLink Software
http://www.openlinksw.com
Universal Database Connectivity Technology Providers
Reiner Kunz
Hi Kingsley,
Intersolv claims the same for their DataDirect Sequelink drivers. They are
not based upon I-NET and also have scrollable cursors which means that they
do not send the whole requested data set to the client apps but only a
manageable part and the rest in little chunks when requested by user. Where
is the difference of this Intersolv solution to yours? And Intersolv also
says they only have ONE driver on client side. So, as a SysAdmin I only
have to install the DataDirect Sequelink ODBC drivers ONCE on my clients
for several DB-Servers (informix, Oracle, ybase and so on). Many thanks for
your answer.
cu Reiner
Kingsley Idehen <kid...@openlinksw.com> schrieb im Beitrag
<01bc2142$ba2e83e0$1687...@kidehen.openlinksw.com>...
Kingsley Idehen
Hi Boris,
We have a SendSize and ReceiveSize facility that deals with this problem,
all you have to do is modify these entries via the following Registry entry
:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ODBC\OPENLINK.INI\Communications
Make the ReceiveSize something like 20,000 as opposed to 16,000.
On the Server side modify the matching Rule Book (oplrqb.ini) section
([Communications]), this time set the Sendsize key-value to 20,000 as this
needs to match your new setting on the client.
I hope this helps.
--
Best Regards,
Kingsley Idehen
President & CEO
OpenLink Software
http://www.openlinksw.com
Universal Database Connectivity Technology Providers
Boris Niyazov <bo...@hal2000.law.columbia.edu> wrote in article
<330DC6...@hal2000.law.columbia.edu>...
Kingsley Idehen
Hi Reiner,
When I talk about Scrollable Cursors I mean Scrollable Cursors usable
within the confines of the ODBC spec and providing the following key
capabilities :
1. BOOKMARK Support
2. Ability to locate records at Absolute, Relative, First, Last locations
with a Cursor
3. Support for the Static, Keyset, Dynamic & Mixed Mode Cursors - as you
can see there are many type of Cursors.
4. DBMS ISOLATION LEVEL support and appreciation
I know SequeLink inside out !!! I worked with the product in 1992 (hasn't
changed much since then either), they had a Mirrored Cursor Concept, this
is bascially a Static Cursoring (partially synchronized caching) facility.
A simple way to confirm that SequeLink does not support the above is to
attempt using a Cursor instensive tool such as VB 4.0's RDO you will find
that it will fail !
Or even better use the GATOR facility that comes with the ODBC SDK, and
then attempt to using SQLExtendedFetch and you will find your progress
somewhat limited.
Only 2 companies hand Cursors on the planet today , Microsoft (in its MS
SQL Server 6 Driver) and OpenLink , our key difference being we are unique
in our support for BOOKMARKS (absolute record markers, you can trust our
Driver to take you directly to the record you want), and our wider support
of Scrollable Cursors across non MS Databases such as Informix, Oracle,
Ingres, Progress, Sybase, DB2, Unify.
Just note that these new releases from us will be in wide beta from this
week and next week depending on DBMS Engine, Informix will be available
this week and do not fail to run the test mentioned above with OpenLink
alongside SequeLink, you more than likely will understand why I created the
company you know today as OpenLink Software.
I noticed there was silence on the subject of our Session Rules book, this
provides centralised configuration management across one or more DBMS
types. Our Drivers can behave one way becuse your client is MS ACCESS and
another becuase it is Excel, it can do this across pre sit profiles such as
Operating System, Database, Username, Machine Address, Database Type, and
even user definable profiles, these is what our Rules Engine is all about,
sophistication like you might look to see in 1999 via ODBC/JDBC/OLE-DB or
anything else that emerges in the dat access space.
--
Best Regards,
Kingsley Idehen
President & CEO
OpenLink Software
http://www.openlinksw.com
Universal Database Connectivity Technology Providers
Reiner Kunz <Reine...@pr-kunz2.M.eunet.de> wrote in article
<01bc21ce$7256c500$2565afc2@kunz>...