Release Highlights - DataDirect® OpenAccess™ SDK, Release 6.0

Overview

DataDirect OpenAccess SDK is the industry's leading custom driver development kit, allowing you to easily create a custom driver for any data source within weeks. The resulting driver will work with any third-party application. Whether your data source is a proprietary file format or a proprietary API, OpenAccess SDK can be used to make it SQL accessible from ODBC, JDBC, OLE DB, or ADO.NET compliant applications. If your data source is already SQL compliant then OpenAccess SDK can be used to implement standards based interfaces for it.

To ensure timely and significant product upgrades, each new version of the OpenAccess SDK will leverage DataDirect’s existing investment in its industry standard line of DataDirect Connect® data connectivity products. Leveraging this company investment enables us to offer you new components and enterprise level features at an accelerated rate.

Continue reading to learn about all the major improvements to OpenAccess in Release 6.0. For information about releases prior to 6.0, visit the Release History page.

What’s New in 6.0?

100% Pure Java Type 4 JDBC Eliminates the Need for Additional Software

OpenAccess SDK provides the toolkit and the run-time software components needed to implement a JDBC driver for your data source within days so you can easily enable your data source to plug and play with applications written in Java.

Release 6.0 provides 100% Pure Java JDBC, implementing industry- and performance-leading technology from DataDirect Connect for JDBC. Type 4 or 100% Pure Java drivers are written entirely in Java, so they recognize database-specific networking protocols and can access the database directly without any additional software such as native APIs, database libraries, or other vendor-specific proprietary extensions.

100% Managed Code ADO.NET Provider for Best Security and Performance

OpenAccess SDK provides the toolkit and the run-time software components needed to implement an ADO.NET provider for your data source within days so you can easily enable your data source to plug and play with .NET applications. Release 6.0 allows you to create 100% managed code providers, implementing the same industry- and performance-leading technology from the DataDirect Connect for ADO.NET line of data providers.

100% managed code means the data provider works entirely within the .NET Common Language Runtime (CLR). The CLR provides numerous services and checks that enhance the scalability, reliability, and security of middleware. Unmanaged data providers use the database client libraries to communicate with the database, thereby calling unmanaged code—introducing security risks and dragging down performance.

Higher Level of Compliance to the ODBC, JDBC, OLE DB, and ADO.NET Standards

Release 6.0 is built on the same framework that is used to build the DataDirect Connect line of drivers for databases like Oracle and SQL Server. This results in drivers and providers that more fully comply with the respective standards.

Also, for release 6.0 we have used the extensive test suites that have been developed for over 15 years at DataDirect. This all means that the drivers built with the OpenAccess SDK will work with hundreds of third-party applications that have been written to use ODBC, JDBC, ADO, or ADO.NET.

Improved Performance and Scalability

The performance and scalability improvements in release 6.0 are due to changes in all parts of the SDK. The client API layer is faster because it is based on the DataDirect Connect framework, which is continuously tuned to deliver market leading performance. The replacement of the OpenAccess wire-level protocol used in versions 5.6 and earlier with the DataDirect SequeLink wire-level protocol adds significant capabilities and performance. And the OpenAccess SDK SQL engine has been enhanced to support large file systems to allow query results to extend beyond the 2GB limit. The combined effect of these changes is faster end-to-end query time and the ability to handle massive data sets.

Additional Security Features across All Platforms

Release 6.0 adds the ability to control access to the OpenAccess SDK Server at multiple levels of authentication. Beyond the data source specific authentication implemented by the SDK user, the client and server components can be configured to require host authentication, Kerberos, or IP range.

Remote Monitoring and Management

For the first time in the history of the OpenAccess SDK product, we have introduced the ability to manage and monitor an OpenAccess SDK Server remotely. Use the GUI or command line management console to start, stop, and monitor services.

Expanded Supported Platform — Java and C/C++ Support on 64-bit Platforms

For more information on supported languages and platforms, see the Platform Support page on our website.

True SSL for Data Encryption

SSL (Secure Socket Layer) is an industry-standard protocol for sending encrypted data over database connections. SSL secures the integrity of your data by encrypting information and providing client/server authentication. With Release 6.0, OpenAccess ODBC, JDBC, and ADO.NET components support SSL encryption to protect critical data that is transmitted between the database and the application, data that could otherwise be compromised.

Documentation

The documentation for OpenAccess SDK has been significantly improved and includes complete documentation for the new components leveraged from DataDirect’s existing connectivity product lines.

For information on releases prior to 6.0, visit the Release History page.