Open Database Connectivity – known as ODBC – is a standard programming interface for database management systems (DBMS). An ODBC Database lets an application access its data regardless of the platform it is on or its internal architecture. ODBC driver support is typically provided by the database management system as a software layer called an ODBC driver.
Starting with version 10.1, RDM will be joining the group of leading-edge DBMS vendors that provide native ODBC support. Its significance is unequivocal in many respects. Let’s go down the list.
Simple, Standardized Interface
You will be able to program your application using the standard ODBC Database interface in order to access RDM. That will help simplify your development and testing process as there is an abundance of documentation and sample code about ODBC available both online and offline, not to mention the fact that a great many software developers are already familiar with the ODBC interface.
Remote, Multi-Platform Access
Our ODBC driver will provide remote data accessibility. This feature will allow your application (“client”) to access a centralized RDM Embedded database (“host”) regardless of the operating system architecture. For instance, you will be able to have one application running on a Windows 7 computer and another on a Linux computer, and yet be able to interact with an RDM database managed on an HP-UX server.
It will be made possible with our new tool called “remote server.” Instead of interacting with the host database directly, your client application will access the remote server via TCP/IP as it queries data on the host. The remote server will retrieve the requested data and send it back to the client. In doing so, the remote server will translate the data in the format understood by the client.
Use of Third-Party Tools
Last – excuse the cliché – but not least, our ODBC driver will be directly manageable from Microsoft ODBC Driver Manager (“ODBC DM”) on Windows. This will allow you to configure our ODBC settings using the built-in ODBC Data Source Administrator. You will also be able to access RDM Embedded with third-party ODBC-capable tools, such as Microsoft Access 2010 and SAP Crystal Reports. No need to write your own application when you simply wish to view your data quickly.
All in All…
The new, native ODBC support will be yet another enhancement to the already feature-rich RDM product, allowing you to choose between the fast and efficient network-model “core-level” access method and the ubiquitous and versatile ODBC interface depending upon your application requirements and development/deployment environment. We at Raima are excited for this new feature. Check back with the Raima blog for news about our upcoming RDM release, including more details about ODBC Driver and API support.
