Interbase Software Corporation
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InterBase Software Corporation The InterBase Newsletter InterCom VOLUME 2, NUMBER 1, WINTER 1998 InterBase Releases Server for Novell NetWare 4.11 InterBase Porting to Linux On March 3, 1998, InterBase Software development, project management, and InterBase Software Corp. is nearing Corporation announced the availability of billing tasks. completion of a Linux port of InterBase Server, according to Mike Tossy, Director its InterBase 4.2.2 Server for Novell “We are extremely pleased to have the of Marketing. “We currently expect to be NetWare 4.11. InterBase Server is an 4.2.2 Server available to us,” said David embeddable database engine that able to offer this port by the end of June,” combines business-critical, relational said Tossy. “The first release will likely be database technology with ease of “InterBase Software based on InterBase 4.0. We will follow up installation, use and maintenance. later in the year with a port of InterBase 5.” InterBase 4.2.2 succeeds the current Corporation is meeting Linux is a freeware workalike of the UNIX InterBase 4.0 Server for NetWare 3.12. the needs of the embedded operating system. It has gradually grown in “The release of the InterBase 4.2.2 Server popularity on Intel hardware as an underscores the continued commitment to database VAR across affordable alternative to expensive RISC- our IT and VAR (value-added-reseller) multiple platforms” based UNIX platforms, and resource- customers using NetWare,” said Jim Weil, hungry Windows NT. president of InterBase Software InterBase users have requested a port of the Corporation. “This, along with the Robinson, Carpe Diem development database server to Linux for several years. December 1997 release of InterBase 5.0 manager, SAGE U.S., Inc. “A large portion The response to the announcement on the Server for Windows NT, Solaris, and of our customers are operating on NetWare InterBase list server was enthusiastic and HP-UX, illustrates that InterBase Software 4 platforms, and the 4.2.2 Server will allow uniformly positive. Corporation is meeting the needs of the us to fulfill the NetWare needs of our embedded database VAR across multiple growing customer base.” InterBase Software Corp. will announce a platforms.” Beta program for the Linux version in the The upgraded InterBase Server product is next few weeks. InterBase 4.2.2 Server for NetWare is includes the InterBase 5.1 Client for the already in use by SAGE U.S., Inc., a VAR 32-bit Microsoft Windows® platform. The based in Dallas, Texas that uses InterBase enhanced Client is enabled with a 32-bit to provide data management in its Carpe application interface to the IPX/SPX Diem software for time tracking of project Continued on page 2 Table of Contents 4InterBase Releases Server for Novell InterBase ports currently available NetWare 4.11 . 1 4InterBase Porting to Linux . 1 InterBase 4.0 Server • NCR UNIX SVR4 2.0.3 InterBase 5.0 Server 4New Release of Perl Package. 2 • DEC OpenVMS 6.2 • Microsoft Windows 3.1x • Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 • SCO ODT 3.0 4Q&A: Chip Handley . 2 • SCO OpenServer Release 5.0 • Microsoft Windows 95 • Red Hat Linux 5.0 (6/98) • IBM AIX 4.1.x RS/6000 • Solaris 2.5.1 on SPARC 4Upsizing Paradox Databases . 4 • SGI IRIX V.5.3 • HP-UX 10.20 InterBase 4.2.x Server 4Ask the InterBase Gurus . 6 • Data General DG/UX R4.11 • SunOS 4.1.4 • Novell NetWare 4.11 4New Tools . 7 • DEC Digital UNIX 3.2C • Microsoft Windows NT 3.51 NETWARE — Continued from page 1 network protocol. This capability is built on Microsoft Winsock,® thereby eliminating the third-party client networking component requirement of the previous InterBase 4.0 for NetWare. Both the 32-bit InterBase Client, and the existing 16-bit InterBase Client for Windows are certified to work with the new Server release, using either IPX/SPX or TCP/IP. Later this year, InterBase Software Corporation plans to follow up with an InterBase 5 Server for NetWare. Thereafter, InterBase projects two releases each year for the Novell platform, starting in the second and fourth quarters of 1999. Manager of Technical Services Chip Handley enjoys his work. New Release of Perl Package IBPerl is not a replacement for the InterBase client library; it is a wrapper B ILL KARWIN around the InterBase API, and it functions Q&A: Chip Handley An update of IBPerl, the popular Perl only when the InterBase client is installed. Each issue of InterCom features an programmer’s interface to the InterBase interview with a key InterBase IBPerl has been tested only on Solaris, but API is now on the InterBase web site: personality. This month, we interview the Perl port to Win32 is finally stabilizing, Chip Handley, Manager of InterBase http://www.interbase.com/ so IBPerl will soon work on Wintel. download/ Technical Services. IBPerl comes with full source code, and it Q: How long have you worked for Perl is a free interpreted scripting language is customizable. I invite Perl hackers to add InterBase? popular on UNIX platforms. It is well features and email them to me. Features on I will be celebrating my five-year known for its rich collection of contributed the wish list for the next update of IBPerl anniversary with InterBase next month. modules, especially its CGI programming include: interface for web server scripts. The home I have held the titles of Support Engineer, • Testing to ensure Win32 support page for Perl is: Support Supervisor, Release Manager, and • Compatibility with Tim Bunce’s DBI Client Services Manager. http://www.perl.com/ interface Q: What is it about InterBase that has IBPerl is a general-purpose, object- • Support for storing Bob data kept you here for 5 years? oriented interface to the InterBase client • Support for DDL statements I believe in and am sold on the IB API. Any Perl script can directly manipulate • Support for InterBase array data technology. I like the market and the variety data in a local or remote database. of technology I’m exposed to as a part of IBPerl is a contributed freeware offering, it—from operating systems and computing The new version of IBPerl has several not an officially supported part of the environments to our customers’ enhancements over the previous release: InterBase product. IBPerl comes with no applications. • Redesigned error handling implied liability on the part of Bill Karwin or InterBase Software Corp. Q: What makes the IB support team • Multiple concurrent connections unique? Bill Karwin is the Manager of Technical • Multiple concurrent transactions Publications for InterBase Software Corp., I’m proud to be a part of the Client Services • Multiple concurrent statement cursors and the author of IBPerl. He can be reached team because of the way we all work by email at [email protected]. together—we’re very much a team. We • fetch() method to retrieve rows of a work in a tiered problem-solving query return set directly into Perl lists or environment: there are 3 tiers, and hash lists responsibility for a call is shared among the • Support for fetching Blob data team. We also work closely with the InterCom 2 international Borland technical services designed to meet different customers providing back line assistance. Once the teams, helping them resolve issues with needs. decision has been made for InterBase as designated contacts and weekly phone One new option is a low-cost Internet the engine for the application, the calls. support program, which gives the customer developer should use one of the InterBase Q: I’ve noticed you use the term Client the best value on InterBase technical Support options and work directly with Services as well as Technical Services support. It allows the customer to submit InterBase Software Corp. when referring to your team. Why? incidents via email and guarantees you a Q: Whom should customers contact I sometimes use the term Client Services response within two business days. for support services outside the U.S.? because we also deal with customer Q: Does InterBase technical support Outside of the U.S., customers should training, consulting, pre-sales service, and cover the UNIX versions of InterBase? contact their InterBase Sales give escalated service levels to our overseas UNIX Support Contracts are available, as Representative for their local service customers. We therefore do more than just the majority of our mission critical provider. technical support, we are here to solve customers are running on UNIX platforms. Q: What does the future hold in store customer needs. Technical Services is the for you team? term most people are familiar with, Q: Does InterBase technical support My team is working towards using the web however. cover InterClient? InterClient is covered under all the to solve problems and proactively get Q: What option is best for a small- standard contracts at no additional charge. information to our customers. We will be volume customer or mid-range VAR? using the web for bug reporting and The best option for a small application Q: What is the best way for developers electronic support services, and we will be developer is to become an InterBase VAR, using Borland tools to get technical publishing a problem resolution database which offers, among other services, support? that customers can access. We are also in unlimited InterBase Hotline support. We Basic installation support for InterBase can the process implementing a new call also offer a variety of other options that are be obtained through the Borland Technical tracking system to better serve our Support Department with InterBase customers needs. TABLE 1. InterBase technical services offerings Service Description Ordering instruction Technical Support Account Management Offers a dedicated Support Engineer with guaranteed Contact your local InterBase Sales representative response time.