Open Data Access OLE DB Data Provider for ClearPath MCP

The Microsoft Universal Data Access model is a platform for developing multi-tier enterprise applications that require access to diverse relational or non-relational data sources across intranets or the Internet. The Universal Data Access model is a collection of software components that interact with each other using a common set of system-level interfaces defined by OLE DB.

Universal Data Access components consist of the data provider, data consumer and service component.

• Data Provider – any software component that exposes an OLE DB interface to a data source
• Data Consumer – a portion of system or application code that uses the data that can be returned by an OLE DB interface. Even an OLE DB component can be a data consumer, for example, a data provider that interfaces with another data provider to access data
• Service Component – an OLE DB component that implements a common set of OLE DB functionality, such as query processing, on top of a data provider. Service components process and transform data, as contrasted with exposing data

OLE DB interfaces provide uniform access from applications to all kinds of data without moving that data from its origin. Whereas ODBC was created to access relational databases, OLE DB is designed for relational and non-relational information sources, including mainframe ISAM, flat files, e-mail systems, spreadsheets, Web, pictures and more.

OLE DB is important because it recognizes the need for higher processing volumes than ODBC can provide. Moreover, it proves credibility to the ongoing requirement to support access to non-relational data stores.

The OLE DB Data Provider for ClearPath MCP supports the mandatory interfaces, many optional interfaces and the Enterprise Database Server (DMSII) features consistent with the Microsoft OLE DB specification. Conforming to the Microsoft OLE DB 2.1 specification, it features:

• Read access, update access and distributed transaction support for Enterprise Database Server (DMSII) data. Distributed transactions enable the Enterprise Database Server to participate in two-phase commit transactions spanning multiple databases that support OLE DB technology. The databases qualified with MCP Release 7.0 include:
  • Enterprise Database Server
  • Enterprise Database Server and SQL Server
  • Enterprise Database Server and Oracle
• Read access to Enterprise Application Environment data, KEYEDIOII, KEYEDIO and flat file data stored in the MCP environment
• Integration of Enterprise Database Server and Enterprise Application Environment data with the full range of OLE DB-compliant tools and applications
• Interfaces to standard data consumers or service providers of other vendors
• Internationalization support for all coded character sets recognized by Enterprise Database Server, including 8-bit and 16-bit coded character sets, plus the Windows version of Unicode
• Extensive diagnostic facilities including error reporting, event logging and tracing

The OLE DB Data Provider for ClearPath MCP is qualified to work with the following OLE DB-compliant tools:

• Microsoft Office suite applications (through Visual Basic for Applications with ADO)
• Microsoft Access 2000 (through SQL Server 7.0 by means of an Access Project interface)
• Microsoft Visual Basic, Visual C++, Visual InterDev, or Visual Studio
• Microsoft SQL Server 7.0

The OLE DB Data Provider for ClearPath MCP is included in the Integrated Operating Environment of ClearPath and ClearPath Plus Servers. The OLE DB Data Provider for ClearPath MCP, ODBC Access for ClearPath MCP, and Application Data Access for ClearPath MCP products share eight Open Data Access connection licenses, which are included in the Integrated Operating Environment (IOE). Additional connections are available.