[Info-vax] SQL Relay

[Arne Vajhøj]

On 6/16/2021 10:04 AM, Jan-Erik Söderholm wrote:
> Den 2021-06-16 kl. 14:58, skrev Simon Clubley:
>> On 2021-06-15, Jan-Erik Söderholm <jan-erik.soderholm at telia.com> wrote:
>>> It's not a big deal to write some code using the SQL Relay APIs,
>>> it is the need to have an additional Linux or Windows server in
>>> between that I find to be an "issue".
>>
>> $ set response/mode=good_natured
>>
>> You may end up having to learn Linux after all Jan-Erik. :-)
> 
> Right...
> There is Linux in our TV set-top box, but I do not have to see it.

Note that SQL Relay can be setup for HA:

http://sqlrelay.sourceforge.net/sqlrelay/features/ha.html

> But seriously... I do not know how much there is in the "client" kit
> from Oracle today. But earlier it wasn't much more then an object library
> and some .h files for the SQL*Net APIs. Then a SQLNET.INI (or whatever
> the name was) with some host parameters for the servers...
> 
> And SQL*Net was earlier pretty version agnostic, so even old client
> kits worked OK using more modern Oracle servers.

Oracle client comes in various bundles and vary a bit for different
platforms but it can include: OCI (C API), OCCI (C++ API),
ODBC driver, OLE DB provider, ADO.NET provider, type 2 JDBC driver,
type 4 JDBC driver, embedded SQL precompiler C, embedded SQL
precompiler Cobol.

My guess is that the VMS people are only interested in
OCI (C API), type 4 JDBC driver and the two embedded
SQL pre-compilers.

Type 4 JDBC driver is not an issue as it is cross
platform.

That leaves OCI and the pre-compilers that rely on OCI.

So yes - not much is needed. And OCI may continue to
work for many many years, if the wire protocol does not
change.

But if OCI on VMS is not supported and the version
combo (client version, server version) is not supported,
then it becomes a business risk.

It may continue to work. But it could also break when
a new server version comes out (because they updated the
wire protocol).

If that happens either VMS will loose connectivity or
the server cannot be upgraded due to VMS.

CIO's will not like that risk.

Arne