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Database tools ported to Linux




---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 7 Oct 1997 14:30:26 -0700
From: Jeff Cox <jcox@Raima.com>
To: 'Ira Abramov' <ira@scso.com>
Subject: RE: Database tools ported to Linux

Thanks for your response.  Without knowing more about what each of your
members is engaged in, I can only make some general comments.

First, our products are stripped-down database development tools.  Our
customers are usually skilled c/c++ developers who need to embed a
database "engine" inside their primary application.  Rather than design
a database from the ground up, they buy the tools from us with which to
quickly configure a database.

If you think about what such a developer needs, you will be able to
better appreciate our product features.  First, the database engine must
have a small footprint so that it leaves systems resources free for the
larger application.  Our file server, RDM++, for example, can be loaded
with less than 200K of memory.  Velocis, since it is a client server, is
of course larger but still relatively compact.

Second, it must be transparent so that the end user is not even aware
that their application is being powered by a third party database.  We
offer complete transparency.  As a related issue, the database engine
must be maintenance free.  In other words, we don't rely on the end user
having a database administrator who can clean up the mess periodically.
Everything is handled internally.

Third, it must expose a low level API.  SQL is generally considered too
blunt an instrument to configure really fast database applications.  We
offer an extensive library of almost 200 functions written in C for both
Velocis and RDM.  These operate at record-level in the database.  The
developer can use these low-level functions to design fast, efficient
database applications.  In the case of Velocis, we also offer an SQL API
which completely compliant with ODBC.  In both products we also offer a
C++ API.  In short, we try to give the developer as many options as
possible.

The above three points distinguish our products from the large
enterprise database products sold by Microsoft, Oracle, Sybase, IBM and
the like.  To distinguish our products from desktop applications such as
Access, Paradox etc, we note the following features:

First, the product must be ported to a wide range of operating systems.
Most developers want to have the option of porting their applications to
various operating systems.  We answer this need as our products are
ported to most flavors of Unix, WNT, 95, OS/2, Netware.  In addition,
RDM++ is ported to several realtime operating systems, but this is a
something of a separate issue.

Second, the product must be scaleable, because the target platform is
not always known.  Our products can easily scale from laptops to
super-computers, and from single users to hundreds of users.

Third, the product must be robust.  In other words, if the system
crashes while a transaction is occurring, the process of recovery must
restore the database to a state of complete integrity.

As a nice fourth feature on Velocis, the server is also extensible.  In
other words, through a feature called server extensions it is possible
to write your own C-API for the database.  In another sense, server
extensions are similar to "stored procedures", except they are written
in C.

Beyond the above points, it is worth noting that our products support
different types of database architecture.  For example, we support the
network model, in which data is accessed via pointers.  We support the
relational model, in which data is accessed via tables and indexes.  And
we support a combination of the two models.  In general, the network
model is applied where speed is critical, and where relationships among
the data are known in advance.  The relational model is preferable where
speed is not that critical, and where the relationships among the data
are not necessarily known in advance.  The combined model lets the
developer sample from both architectures to maximize both performance
and flexibility.

As a final note, I should also point out that RDM is sold runtime free,
with or without source code.  This is usually a popular feature in any
market.  Velocis does require runtime licensing, but we are very
flexible in how we structure our VAR agreements.

Well, it seems that even making general comments I am able to ramble on
for quite some time.  If you've read this far, I appreciate your
interest.  If any of your members would like to learn more about us,
they should feel free to contact me directly.

Thank you again for your interest.

Best Regards,

Jeff Cox

============================
Jeffrey Cox                                        
Regional Manager           
jcox@raima.com
Ph:  (206) 748-5272 ext. 325
Fax: (206) 748-5200
http://www.raima.com                         

Visit our totally new website at http://www.raima.com !!


>----------
>From: 	Ira Abramov[SMTP:ira@scso.com]
>Sent: 	Wednesday, October 01, 1997 2:02 AM
>To: 	Jeff Cox
>Subject: 	Re: Database tools ported to Linux
>
>On Tue, 30 Sep 1997, Jeff Cox wrote:
>
>> Our company, Raima corporation, manufactures software for embedded
>> database development.  Both of our principle products, RDM++ and
>> Velocis, have been ported to Linux.
>> 
>> I would like to be able to present our products to the members of your
>> group in an intelligent fashion (without spamming).  Could you make a
>> recommendation?  
>
>Linux users are usually known spam haters, but we were impressed with the
>gentle way you asked permission :-) I wish for more salespeople to take
>the time to implement this personal approach.
>
>forward me the message, so I'll forward it to our mailing list. if a
>thread starts, I expect your name will appear on the CC: at some point, so
>you could answer in the list too. I hope this helps.
>
>Ira
>
>
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Ira Abramov <ira(a)scso.com>  (mail ira-pgp(a)scso.com for the PGP key)
>
>