****************** *** DataJoiner *** ****************** EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The migration toward a client/server strategy has left many businesses with important corporate data stored in disparate databases across heterogeneous systems throughout the enterprise. Accessing this data can be an extremely difficult task, especially when it requires relating data from heterogeneous sources. DataJoiner is the efficient, easy-to-use enterprise-wide solution. It is IBM's strategic offering to enable transparent, consistent, single-command access to heterogeneous multi-vendor data sources. It enables users to join data from disparate databases through a single SQL statement and a single interface, hiding the various database differences from the user and the user's application. The user does not even have to know where the data resides. Representing a new class of data access middleware, DataJoiner is a data delivery server within IBM's Information Warehouse family of products. This product addresses the needs of users who often require access to live data residing in various databases. Typically, those users suffer a competitive disadvantage due to the expense and long lead times required to develop responses to their queries. DataJoiner gives them global access to multiple data sources through simplified queries. A key to DataJoiner's efficiency is its use of IBM's advanced global optimization technology for efficiently performing heterogeneous queries. DataJoiner masks the differences in various vendor dialects of SQL. Further, DataJoiner provides additional functionality missing in some source Database Management Systems (DBMSs). CONNECTING THE ENTERPRISE TO REMOTE DATA Traditional data access methods have only provided point-to-point connectivity to one remote data source at a time, but that can be a critical limitation when multiple-source access is required. As a significant breakthrough, DataJoiner provides point-to-many points access to several remote data sources at the same time. The advantages of DataJoiner are many: o Transparency -- All data sources are accessed as if they were local. Users do not need to know the physical location of the data, saving considerable time and frustration. Further, SQL dialects, networking protocols, operating systems, data types, error codes, and functional differences become transparent to the application. o Heterogeneous join capability -- End users and application developers are able to join tables located in multiple data sources with a single SQL statement. The data sources can be IBM or non-IBM, relational or non-relational. o Global optimization -- IBM is the acknowledged leader in database optimizer technology, a process by which the system supports relational operations, such as joins, to improve query performance. DataJoiner incorporates our most advanced optimization techniques for highly efficient distributed join processing that "turbo charges" SQL performance for complex as well as simple SQL queries in a heterogeneous environment. o DataJoiner supports a broad range of standards and applications, including ODBC, XOPEN CLI and Client Application Enabler. Host languages for DataJoiner's ANSI SQL single-database API include popular programming languages such as C, FORTRAN, and COBOL. Supporting these standards makes it possible to connect multi-vendor application development, database, and query tools to DataJoiner. MULTIVENDOR SUPPORT DataJoiner is designed for the client/server environment, providing full support for client applications and multiple data sources residing on disparate platforms. Currently, DataJoiner supports the following client platforms and remote relational and non-relational data sources: CLIENT PLATFORMS: o DOS o Windows o AIX o OS/2 o HP-UX o Solaris DATA SOURCES: o DB2 for MVS o DB2 for VSE and VM (SQL/DS) o DB2 for OS/400 o DB2 for AIX o DB2 for OS/2 o DB2 for HP-UX o DB2 for Solaris Operating Environment o DB2 Parallel Edition o Oracle o Sybase o IMS o VSAM files PUTTING INFORMATION TO WORK THROUGHOUT THE ENTERPRISE As a multi-database middleware product, DataJoiner enhances the capabilities of IBM's Information Warehouse customers in several ways. Information Warehouse Architecture I identifies key interfaces and protocols that can be used to provide consistent access to data -- regardless of whether the data is relational or non-relational, local or remote, on IBM systems or on others. DataJoiner occupies an important place in the Information Warehouse Architecture in its use and support of Distributed Relational Database Architecture (DRDA) and other standard facilities. Further, Information Warehouse architecture identifies both embedded and callable (i.e. CLI) SQL interfaces. DataJoiner provides both of these interfaces. DataJoiner complements IBM's Data Replication Solution products, also a part of the Information Warehouse family. Whereas data replication products enable local access to asynchronous copies of a designated remote or local data source, DataJoiner enables access to live data at multiple data sources. Users can currently access Oracle and Sybase databases from DataJoiner. In the future, IBM's replication products will use DataJoiner to propagate changes to additional non-IBM data sources. DataJoiner also works synergistically with DataGuide, a comprehensive information catalog in the Information Warehouse family of products. DataGuide provides a graphical user interface to complete information listings about a company's data resources. Used as a complement to other Information Warehouse products or separately, DataJoiner simplifies multiple data source access, whether across multiple vendors' products or across the globe. For more information please call: Austria (0222) 21145 2500 Belgium 02/225.33.33 Canada 1 800 565-7948 ext. 974 Denmark 8030.4545 France 36 63 36 43 Germany 0130.4567 Italy 167-017001 Netherlands 030.384040 Portugal 01-7915111 South Africa 011-3209111 Spain (91) 900 100 400 Sweden 08-793 1900 Switzerland 01 436 70 70 Turkey (90)-212-2800900 U.K. (44) 0329 242728 U.S.A. 1 800 426-4785 ext. 10 IBM (c) International Business Machines Corporation 1994 IBM United States Santa Teresa Laboratory P.O. Box 49023 San Jose, CA 95161-9023 12-94 All Rights Reserved References in this publication to IBM products or services do not imply that IBM intends to make them available outside the United States. IBM, DataJoiner, DB2, OS/2, OS/400, AIX, Distributed Relational Database Architecture, DRDA, DataGuide, Information Warehouse and SQL/DS are trademarks or registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation. Other product and company names used in this publication are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.