Centura is full of announcements today. Here's another.
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P R O D U C T S B U L L E T I N
SQLBase 7 ("Voyager") Released to Manufacturing
December 8, 1997
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The seventh generation of SQLBase, SQLBase 7, has been released for
manufacturing. SQLBase 7, previously code-named "Voyager", is a
small footprint embedded database that scales from information
appliances to the Web. With SQLBase 7, Centura has enhanced SQLBase
to meet the needs of our customers. SQLBase customers are typically
developers building packaged applications for resale or distributable
applications deployed at multiple sites.
Since the SQLBase 6.1 release, Centura has also produced two
maintenance releases with the main goal of making a fully stable,
reliable and highly sustainable database server. SQLBase 6.1.1 was
released in Dec 1996 and 6.1.2 in May 1997. SQLBase 7 therefore adds
new features to a reliable database engine.
WHAT'S NEW IN SQLBASE 7?
A complete product description for SQLBase 7 is available at
centurasoft.com.
These are the new features in this version of SQLBase:
- Continued support for Windows NT, 95, and 3.x (a NetWare version
will be delivered shortly).
- Improved management of embedded databases with controlled
database startup and shutdown, and operation in an invisible mode.
- A 100% native service for Microsoft Windows NT.
- External functions, which opens database applications to access
non-relational technologies, e.g., pagers and email.
- Multi-threaded API for building multi-tasking applications and
server-side Web applications.
- New Server Monitor for easy server management by end-users.
- ODBC 3 driver.
- Better "out of the box" experience, providing smart installation
and a new configuration utility called Connectivity
Administrator.
CD KEY TECHNOLOGY ADDED
The SQLBase 7 installer requires the person installing the product
to enter a 12-digit CD key. The CD key is provided to customers on a
card inside the SQLBase product package. Using CD keys enables us to
track our customer's usage of SQLBase products more effectively.
The information in the CD key is used to configure the database
server for the number of users licensed, e.g., 25 concurrent users.
It also records the license number of the SQLBase product being
installed. This license number can be easily found by the customer,
should he/she need it when contacting a Centura customer
representative. For example, now a sales representative can ask the
customer to find his/her license number, and look up their profile
quickly in our license database. This will result in faster
responsiveness to the customers' needs, because we can spend less
time in looking up customer information, and more time in actually
assisting them.
We have kept the special needs of OEM customers in mind, even with
this new technology. For OEMs who embed the SQLBase database within
their packaged applications, the CD key can be hidden. In this way,
the end-user who installs our OEM's application will never be asked
to enter a CD key.
SQLBASE 7 FOR NETWARE IN Q1 1998
The just released version of SQLBase 7 includes databases for
Windows NT, Windows 95, and Windows 3.x. A Novell NetWare version
will be released in the first calendar quarter (Q1) of 1998. CLS
subscribers in most regions, such as US, Canada, and Europe, will
receive the Windows version of SQLBase 7 immediately. In certain
regions, such as Australia and Asia, CLS subscribers will be shipped
both the Windows and the NetWare versions when the latter becomes
available. Even in these regions, CLS subscribers can individually
request their local office to be sent SQLBase 7 for Windows
immediately.
Customers who receive the Windows versions now, but really want to
use the NetWare version, can notify Centura. A "SQLBase CLS Update"
form in the product package can be faxed or mailed back to the local
Centura office. When SQLBase 7 for NetWare is released, a CD will be
sent to those customers (a small shipping fee may apply). SQLBase 7
for NetWare supports the NetWare Directory Services (NDS) protocol to
simplify administration of SQLBase servers on a Novell network.
JAVA AND REPLICATION TECHNOLOGIES
Two key features for SQLBase 7 are in beta currently. The first is
the SQLExchange replication to and from enterprise database servers
such as DB2 and Oracle. The second is a Level 4 JDBC driver for Java
programmers. Both these technologies are now in beta in the
BladeRunner" beta program.
More information on this beta program is available at
centurasoft.com.
TEST DRIVE SQLBASE 7 NOW!
A 45-day evaluation version of SQLBase 7, called the SQLBase Test
Drive, will be available for download from
centurasoft.com shortly.
For those customers who are evaluating embedded databases, we are
confident that you will enjoy your experience with SQLBase 7.
To our customers: THANK YOU for relying on SQLBase, the small
footprint embedded database that scales from information appliances
to the Web.
Product Management
Centura Software Corporation |
