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Publishing Central Databases Widely with Transbase® CD

Transbase® CD is a special variant of the database system Transbase®, desi- gned and optimized for databases directly on CD-ROM or DVD-ROM.

The range of use of Transbase® CD offers many advantages for the develop- ment and the operration of applications on CD and DVD.

Transbase® CD provides for full SQL functionality (SQL 2003) Transbase® CD permits space saving distribution of database contents on CD/DVD-ROM Transbase® CD runs directly with the compressed database contents, thus minimizing local memory requirements. The integrated encryption and the privilege concepts provide an effective security for sensitive stored data. Transbase® CD offers the possibility to continuously update the data via internet using its update mechanism. Transbase® CD is perfect for applications which distribute central databases widely for autonomous operation.

Publication of data on CD/DVD-ROM

CD-ROM and DVD-ROM remain widely used for distributing information. These media prove themselves to be an important channel for distribution, even in the age of intensive internet usage. These media guarantee an auto- nomous use of the information in the event that use on-line is restricted or even impossible. This is an important aspect which has particular relevance to product information such as technical handbooks, service information and catalogues

Database operation direct on CD/DVD-ROM

For a long time SQL was considered too cumbersome and complex for these relatively slow media. Transbase® CD, however, is convincing with its full SQL functionality and impressive speed and performance.

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This permits not only simple and clear programming, but also the immediate use of all the more pleasing features of SQL database systems: Automatic net- workability, multi-user support, data security monitored by the system, trans- actions and the powerful descriptive query language SQL.

The high access speed is reached by means of efficient data structures and an integrated cache hierarchy in the main memory and on the hard disc. Even with a minimally configured size for the main memory and hard disc caches access times can be achieved which are hardly different from those of a pure hard disc based database. A Transbase® CD application on CD/DVD-ROM fre- quently runs faster than a similar application with another database system on hard disk.

Update Mechanism

Another unique feature of Transbase® CD is achieved by using the built-in hard disk cache: the virtual changeability of a database held on a CD/DVD- ROM. It is thanks to this feature alone that unrestricted SQL capability is pos- sible and it is a prerequisite for the retroactive updating of the distributed data status.

The update mechanism is a robust, repeatable operation, which in practice makes it possible to update the contents originally published on CD/DVD on a periodic basis, for example daily, weekly or monthly.

Transbase® CD calculates the changes as a compressed delta to the published database. While typically the changes only effect a tiny part of the entire data, the deltas are relatively small and can therefore be distributed over the inter- net in compressed form. After receiving the delta the database is updated. Thereafter the database can again be used fully autonomously.

Transbase® CD – Data storage

Transbase® CD offers many standard data types: integer, BCD coded, fixed point decimals, time and date, variable length strings and data types for user defined binary data of unlimited length. All coding is independent of the plat- form, so that even for differing platforms only a single database image is required.

Since it is often the case that multi media data is stored on CD/DVD ROMs Transbase® CD offer the BLOB data type which can support a size of up to 2 GB and is optimized to reflect the space requirement and access speed for CD/DVD ROM. Thus it is possible to store, for example, pictures, text or sound directly in the ROM database.

Transbase® CD works directly on encrypted and compressed pages. This means that only minimal resources are required on the target system. This has the

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additional benefit of effectively protecting the database contents against unauthorized access.

All character based data types are stored as UTF-8 codes, which offers full UNI- CODE equivalence. The UTF-8 code is very compact since the most used cha- racters (ASCII) are stored without an expansion factor, whereas only the very rare characters (UCS-4) are expanded to up to 6 bytes. The conversion to and from UNICODE is highly efficient and bijective, occurring automatically via the database interface. This makes it possible to store and publish data in the database in all the required language variants.

Platforms

Transbase® CD can be used on all available Windows, Linux and UNIX plat- forms. Thanks to the portable database format, it is also possible to have a mixed platform. For instance publication can be performed from a Solaris or Linux platform for Windows platforms.

The maintenance and the operation of the database by the end user are extre- mely simple and reliable, resulting in a high degree of stability for the system as a whole. Installation and administration of Transbase® CD can be built directly into the application via the API interface.

Thanks to the extremely low resource requirements and the high access speeds, Transbase® CD can be used in the same way and using the same inter- faces on embedded platforms. Here the data is often stored in flash devices, which are also supported by Transbase® CD.

Combinations

Transbase® CD in combination with Transbase® D

Hybrid applications, which combine online and offline use of a database, can also use the option of Transbase® D. The database queries can thus be shared and addressed to a local CD/DVD database and to a central on-line database. Thus the benefits of both online and offline operation can be combined, avoi- ding the disadvantages of purely online operation which result from limited bandwidth, high communication costs and reliability.

Transbase® CD in combination with Transbase® Hypercube

The option Transbase® Hypercube can be combined with Transbase® CD in order to make use of multidimensional and hierarchical indexing. This is espe- cially interesting for the publishing of data warehouses, which have to offer suitable search and aggregation possibilities. The most significant features of

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Transbase® CD, such as compressed, encoded storage, virtual changes and delta updating are hereby retained. Areas for application in combination with Transbase® Hypercube are all forms of application with particularly large volu- mes of data, for which analysis and evaluation based on various criteria are of foremost importance, e.g. for geodata, statistical databases or for address data.

Transbase® CD in combination with Transbase® Fulltext

The option Transbase® Fulltext can be combined with Transbase® CD in order to support full text searches of CHAR and CLOB columns. Search predicates can be formulated directly in SQL. Combination with other structured SQL predicates is possible and is used for the global optimising of queries. The space requirement is low and can be further reduced by stop word lists and positive word lists, or by omitting neighborhood searches.

Illustration 1:

Transbase® – Variants and Options

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Example Applications

Transbase® CD has been developed for the special requirements placed upon applications published on CD and DVD. Transbase® CD is currently set to use everywhere where central databases have to be published widely. In practice it is used particularly for applications in the area of cross media publication, Product Information Management (PIM), Electronic Parts Catalogues (EPC), Service Management, Document Management and all kinds of parts and service information systems and catalogues.

References

Transbase® CD is in use at national and international concerns in a broad range of branches of business. Among these are well known vehicle manufac- turers, broad areas of the automotive supply industry, renowned industrial companies as well as media and publishing companies.

The following is a selection of these:

BMW Group gt motive, Spanien Claas, DAF Trucks Robert Bosch GmbH Daimler AG Snap-on, USA Deutsche Automobil Treuhand TecDoc Informations System General Motors Volkswagen

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Phoenix Contact Hauni Maschinenbau Siemens Miele Viessmann AZ Direct

Read more about these selected references:

TecDoc Informations System – The DVD Parts Information System “TecDoc Case Studies: Catalog“ of the Automotive Supplier Industry on Transbase® CD Viessmann – The spare parts catalogue for heating systems (ETK) on There are case studies avai- Transbase® CD. Viessmann ETK guarantees the best maintenance and reli- lable regarding the use of able service. the database system AZ Direct – The address data application ConTo on Transbase® CD. The Transbase® CD. direct marketing supplier AZ Direct commits itself to the use of proven database technology for address data application with Transbase® CD.

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Services

Transaction Software provides fast and competent support during every phase of software development through to implementation. A designated contact person of the support team is available for you via telephone, e-mail or, if desired, on site. The support team is also pleased to offer support to you on all questions relating to porting central databases and regarding performance tuning of your application.

A training program for Transbase® CD software is offered, with practical material especially designed for developers. The Transbase® training program is split into a 2 day basics training and structured in-depth training. Administration and Application Development training is also offered.

You can have confidence in our experience of more than 20 years with data- bases.

Licensing Transbase® CD

For a development project relating to a published, distributed CD or DVD application the following are required.

Transbase® Development License Transbase® Runtime License Transbase® Premastering License

Transbase® Development Licenses are available for single, four, or for an unli- mited number of developers. For each target platform (Class I-III) the appro- priate developer’s license must be obtained. The Transbase® Development Licenses are not transferable. Transbase® Runtime Licenses can be distributed with the developed applicati- on. As a rule in this case, the count of Runtime Licenses is based on the num- ber of static users. A static user is defined as a workstation, from which access to a Transbase® database is provided, regardless of whether it is a stand-alone workstation or gains access via a local network or internet. Stand-alone and multiple workstation users are simply added together. With an increasing Contact number of users the license fees are degressive. The Transbase® Premastering License enables the creation and compression of Transaction Software GmbH ROM files and the use of the Update Service Mechanism. Willy-Brandt-Allee 2 81829 München, Germany Transbase® Evaluation Version Tel.: +49 89 / 627 09 - 0 Fax: +49 89 / 627 09 - 11 From our company website www.transaction.de, following a short registrati- on process you can request and download a free full version of Transbase®. [email protected] This version includes all variants and options of Transbase®. This version is limi- www.transaction.de ted to 60 days. Even during the evaluation period the support team is availa- www.transbase.de ble for you via telephone, e-mail or, if desired, on site for all questions rela- ting to Transbase® CD.

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