HP 3000 Manuals HP 3000 Manuals
Chapter 5 DATABASE TOOLS
Introducing HP ALLBASE/SQL PC API
by Anjali P. Mulgaonkar
Commercial Systems Division
Client/Server applications are being rapidly adopted in the industry due
to the productivity that they bring end users through increased ease of
use and flexibility. This is because client/server applications make
full use of graphical user interfaces like MS Windows 3.0 for end user
presentation services, while relying on the OLTP capabilities of the
server to manage large amounts of data. HP ALLBASE/SQL PC API (P/N
B2463A) is a product that provides a PC based programmatic interface to
ALLBASE/SQL data on an HP 3000, and enables the rapid porting and
development of leading client/server applications and tools. This
product is part of the Hewlett-Packard open client/server computing
environment.
WHAT IS CLIENT/SERVER?
A Client/Server architecture is one in which client applications,
executing on desktop computers, cooperate with servers executing on
back-end computer systems to perform a specific function. The concept is
based on splitting the application into two pieces; a front-end portion
on a desktop computer which handles local data manipulation and user
interface, and a back-end portion on a server which handles database and
other transaction intensive processing.
CLIENT/SERVER AND RELATIONAL DATABASES
A relational database system has the flexibility and functionality needed
to work across networked computer systems. The front-end application on
the client uses SQL to talk to the back-end database engine on the
server. The client is responsible for executing the application. The
client formats the SQL command and sends it across the network to the
database server, which then parses and executes the SQL command and sends
the result back to the client. Most database servers use SQL because it
is a convenient language for specifying logical subsets of data.
HP ALLBASE/SQL PC API
HP ALLBASE/SQL PC API is a software product that provides a PC based
programmatic interface to the ALLBASE/SQL database on an HP 3000 Series
900 server. The applications and development tools reside on the client
PC, while the DBMS resides on the server. This allows the application
developers and end-users to take advantage of the PC's graphical
capabilities and extra processing power, while relying on the security,
integrity and database management capabilities of ALLBASE/SQL on the HP
3000. Having the database on the HP 3000 has the added advantage of the
performance, scalability and reliability of PA-RISC and HP 3000. This
product enables MS Windows 3.0 applications developed with Gupta
Technologies SQLBase/C Application Programming Interface (API) version
4.1 to access ALLBASE/SQL database, with very little change required to
the code. (C/API is a language interface for programmers to develop
database applications using SQL. It is a set of functions that have to be
embedded within a C program.) The architecture of this product also
allows these applications to simultaneously access other databases on
their servers.
HP ALLBASE/SQL PC API provides the link that connects the client
environment to the database server environment. This product is a
collection of dynamic link libraries (DLLs), executable and configuration
files that reside on the client PC and run under MS Windows 3.0A. A DLL
is MS Windows special library that is similar to a run-time library. DLL
allows several applications to share a single copy of a routine. HP
ALLBASE/SQL PC API functions in three ways to provide this link:
* Translates client (PC) database requests into ALLBASE/SQL
requests.
* Directs these ALLBASE/SQL requests to the ALLBASE/SQL DBMS on the
server, and returns database replies to the client (PC)
applications.
* Translates ALLBASE/SQL replies into client (PC) replies.
HP ALLBASE/SQL PC API ENVIRONMENT
The following diagram shows the client and server environment.
+----------------------------------------+
| |
| +---------------------------------+ |
| | 4GL tool or application | |
| |---------------------------------| |
| | ALLBASE/SQL PC API | |
| +---------------------------------+ |
| |
| Microsoft Windows 3.0A or later |
Client | |
PC |----------------------------------------|
| |
| MS-DOS 3.3 or later |
| |
| +-----------------------------------|
| | |
| | PC Networking code |
| | |
+----+-------------------------+---------+
|
Local |
Area ------------+-----------------------+---------------
Network |
|
+--+---+-----------------------------+---+
| | Server Networking Code | |
| |---------------------------------| |
| | ALLBASE/NET | |
HP 3000 | |---------------------------------| |
Database | | ALLBASE/SQL | |
Server | +---------------------------------+ |
| |
| MPE/iX 3.0 or later |
| |
+----------------------------------------+
Refer to the related article in the "Technical Articles" section in this
Communicator for a detailed diagram.
DATA COMMUNICATIONS PROTOCOLS
HP ALLBASE/SQL PC API supports two networking protocols:
* HP Networking Services or ARPA Services (TCP/IP)
* Novell NetWare (SPX/IPX)
PC CLIENT ENVIRONMENT
The supported client platforms are Intel-based 80286, 80386 or 80486 PCs
with graphics capability. Other requirements on the PC are a LAN card, a
mouse and at least 4MB of memory. The HP ALLBASE/SQL PC API software
resides entirely on the PC and requires 1 MB of disk storage. Additional
software required for the client PC is as follows:
* MS-DOS 3.3 or later
* MW Windows 3.00a or later (standard or enhanced mode)
* Networking software depending on the protocol chosen:
- TCP/IP protocol:
HP NS 2.1/MS-DOS or later
or
HP ARPA Services 2.1/MS-DOS or later
NOTE: Either HP LAN Manager 1.1 or later, or NetWare
client
maybe installed with either of the above. Be sure to
order the
appropriate versions of HP NS / HP ARPA Services for the
networking
platform (HP LAN Manager or Netware) being chosen.
- SPX/IPX protocol:
NetWare client
NOTE: Can support TCP/IP concurrently. See the note
above.
Besides this software, the 4GL query and application development tools
and their generated applications reside on the client PC. Refer to the
related article in the "Technical Articles" section in this Communicator
for details on how the client processes function calls.
HP 3000 SERVER ENVIRONMENT
The HP 3000 must be a Series 900 with a LANIC card. The software
requirements are as follows:
* MPE XL 3.0 or later
* ALLBASE/SQL A.E1.16 or later
* ALLBASE/NET A.E1.16 or later
* Networking software depending on the protocol chosen.
- TCP/IP protocol:
HP ThinLAN 3000/XL
- SPX/IPX protocol:
NetWare/XL and HP ThinLAN 3000/XL
Refer to the related article in the "Technical Articles" section in this
Communicator for details about ALLBASE/NET, error handling, and support
tools for this product.
SUPPORTED 4GL QUERY AND APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT TOOLS
With HP ALLBASE/SQL PC API, you can use 4GL tools on the client PC to
develop SQL applications, generate reports, and query ALLBASE/SQL
databases on the HP 3000 server. You can also call C language functions,
for local processing of data, from the 4GL tool. Some of the tools,
geared towards end users, require no SQL coding at all. Other tools,
geared toward application developers, allow programmers to code their own
SQL.
HP ALLBASE/SQL PC API supports the use of the following 4GL products:
* Express Windows (from Gupta Technologies, Inc.)
This product is an application generator requiring no SQL or C
coding.
* PowerBuilder 2.0 (from Powersoft Corporation)
This product is an application generator requiring no C coding.
* SQLWindows (from Gupta Technologies, Inc.)
This product is an application generator requiring no C coding.
* SQLTalk/Windows (from Gupta Technologies, Inc.)
This product provides ad hoc querying of ALLBASE/SQL databases.
* ReportWindows (from Gupta Technologies, Inc.)
This product, included with SQLWindows, provides graphical report
writing capability.
* SQR (PeopleSoft, Inc.)
This product is a report writer.
APPLICATIONS
You can develop applications with a supported 4GL tool, or you can use a
pre-developed application. HP ALLBASE/SQL PC API supports the Human
Resources Management System (HRMS) from PeopleSoft, Inc.
The existing applications that were developed to access Gupta
Technologies SQLBase database can be ported with a little coding change
to access the ALLBASE/SQL database on the HP 3000. This is because minor
SQL differences and data type differences exist between the SQLBase and
ALLBASE/SQL DBMSs. These differences have been cataloged in the manuals
that come with the HP ALLBASE/SQL PC API product.
ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONALITY
By installing the ALLBASE Turbo/CONNECT product on the server, this
product allows client applications read-only SQL access (queries), into
Turbo/IMAGE databases residing on an HP 3000 database server.
DOCUMENTATION FOR THE PRODUCT
The product comes with the following two manuals:
* HP ALLBASE/SQL PC API Installation and Administration Guide
(B2463-90002)
* HP ALLBASE/SQL PC API User's Guide (B2463-90004)