Re: Odapter from HP

Gerrit CAP (gerrit_at_vtm.be) wrote:
: Does anybody has some more technical info about this ?

Odapter is the next generation OpenODB product from Hewlett Packard which essentially decouples the object manager (OpenODB) from the storage manager (Allbase/SQL). The feedback we received from our OpenODB customers is that they wanted more flexibility in determining which storage manager OpenODB uses. Thus the decision to delink the object manager from the current storage manager. All the features and functionality of OpenODB is evident in Odapter. The difference is in the storage manager and not the object manager.

With our first release of Odapter, you can now use Oracle 7 as the native storage manager rather than Allbase. What this means to you is that if you currently have an Oracle database, you can 'object-fy' it by using Odapter as a front-end. Like OpenODB, Odapter comes with class libraries for C++ and SmallTalk. So it is now possible to develop new object-oriented applications with C++ or SmallTalk using Odapter as the front-end and Oracle as the back-end. This will allow you to maintain your current legacy applications in the same database as new object-oriented applications.

Our intention is to provide Odapter on top of all the major third party database products (Oracle is the first). Please note that I am currently in the process of updating all the OpenODB information in the comp.object FAQ and in our Information Server to reflect our new name, pricing, strategy, and other technical information. For more info, please feel free to write me at: boronkay_at_cup.hp.com. The following article was release to the press on July 18th, 1994 and details the Odapter announcement:

      HP ANNOUNCES NEW OBJECT-ORIENTED SOFTWARE ADAPTER       FOR ORACLE7 RELATIONAL-DATABASE-MANAGEMENT SYSTEM    New Software Makes Oracle7 Databases "Object-friendly"

     PALO ALTO, Calif., July 18, 1994 -- Hewlett-Packard Company today announced HP Odapter, software that allows Oracle7 relational databases to store objects created by object-oriented (OO) applications. Consistent with HP's open systems and object strategies, Odapter allows software developers to use a wide variety of OO development techniques that are fully compliant with common, open data-management standards.

     Using Odapter, software developers can create purely object-based applications on top of existing Oracle7 relational-database-management systems (RDBMS) -- leveraging customers' current RDBMS investment and allowing OO applications to coexist with current application portfolios. Odapter also provides an easy and gradual migration path for customers who want to move to OO data models without disrupting current corporate database standards.

     HP believes that the Odapter/Oracle7 combination provides greater scalability and database functionality than any other object-storage approach currently available.

     As opposed to current object/relational techniques, which map objects' data components to RDBMS data, Odapter uses an approach that incorporates the data as well as its accompanying business processes and rules. This provides greater data-management flexibility as these business processes and rules change. Odapter's object model is compatible and tightly integrated with popular C++ and Smalltalk application-development environments.

"Odapter is the first product in the industry that gives
Oracle7 customers the best of both worlds: the features and commercial robustness of a proven RDBMS, and the flexibility and productivity of objects environments," said Douglas S. Dedo, marketing manager for HP's Cooperative Computing Systems Division. "Unlike other object database products, Odapter requires no compromises. Customers can develop pure OO applications while retaining their tried-and-true corporate database standards."

Enhanced Information Access

     Odapter's object model is specifically designed to use existing information gateways to manage distributed legacy data and applications. Using this capability in conjunction with its integrated object model, Odapter provides a single, consistent object view of diverse corporate data. Odapter also includes Enterprise Data Access-Objects, a class library that uses Information Builders' EDA/SQL gateway to provide relational views of more than 50 commonly used databases.

     In addition, applications can query Odapter's objects using object structured query language (OSQL), a semantic superset of the industry-standard SQL for relational databases. This similarity minimizes programmer learning curves and reduces application-development cycles.

Transparent Object Modeling, Interoperability

     When software engineers create new object classes using OSQL, Odapter instantly converts them to relational tables using efficient object-decomposition routines. For existing nonobject systems, Odapter uses an integrated object model to access and store data in their underlying relational tables. All business rules and processes -- represented as object functions -- are decoupled from object applications and the RDBMS so they can be processed efficiently.

     Since object models are stored within the Odapter environment, many different OO applications can share the same objects. HP believes decoupling objects from the application code is the only cost-effective way to manage OO applications that support many users and handle large data volumes.

     Odapter's complete object model allows different object languages and tools (such as C++ and Smalltalk) to interchange data. This enables companies with different object-oriented development projects to select the best tools for a particular project while allowing applications built with different tools to share data and business processes. In addition, even non-OO languages can use Odapter's object model.

     Using ParcPlace Systems' VisualWorks development environment, Odapter can automatically create Smalltalk classes from its OSQL object classes and transparently access them from Smalltalk. Odapter also is integrated with HP Distributed Smalltalk, a full implementation of the common object request broker architecture (CORBA) standard that supports the development and deployment of distributed object applications.

Scalable Data-management Model

     To use the robustness and scalability of existing high-end RDBMSs, Odapter uses a server-centric data-management architecture that processes business objects on the server rather than on each desktop client system. This greatly improves Odapter's end-user database performance by eliminating much of the raw data sent across the network and reducing the overall client system costs.

     Odapter's server-centric approach also makes it easier to tune its performance to match the specific types of operations performed and data types being handled.

"Today's object-oriented data-management systems don't
possess the scalability, security and robustness of high-end RDBMSs," said Dedo. "Unlike most object databases, Odapter allows programmers to represent and manipulate both relational and legacy data so that it looks and acts like objects."

Availability On Multiple Hardware, Software Platforms

     Odapter client software will be available on HP 9000, Sun Sparcstation and IBM RS/6000 UNIX(R) system-based workstations and Windows(tm)-based PCs; it will be available in a server configuration on HP 9000 servers and workstations running Oracle release 7.0 or later.

     In addition, Odapter is fully compatible with a wide variety of OO software-development environments and tools, including HP SoftBench; HP Distributed Smalltalk, ParcPlace Smalltalk and VisualWorks; IBI FOCUS and EDA/SQL; ProtoSoft Paradigm Plus; STEP Tools EXPRESS Tool Kit; Hitachi ObjectIQ; and HP's COMPASS class library.

     Through its professional services, education center and Worldwide Customer Support Organizations, HP provides comprehensive consulting, training and support services for customers who want to design, create and deploy object-oriented applications using Odapter. Received on Tue Jul 26 1994 - 18:47:19 CEST