System Overview

Express technology

Express provides Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) capabilities for use in data warehouses and data marts, both of which facilitate decision support and ad hoc data analysis. Managers, analysts, and planners use Express products and customized applications in areas such as marketing, sales, finance, and executive decision making.

Express databases and the Express language

Express stores data as multidimensional objects in Express databases. At run time, Express brings the necessary data from one or more Express databases into an Express cache for OLAP processing. In addition, Express can access data in relational databases, bringing it into the Express cache only when it is needed.

Express features the Express language. The Express language is a stored procedure language (SPL) that is used by client applications to store, process, retrieve, and navigate data in Express databases. The Express language is documented in Express Language Help.

Client applications use the Express language to access data in one Express database or several. Frequently, different types of data are stored in different databases.

Express database management products

Express database management technology is implemented in two products:

• Oracle Express Server (hereinafter referred to as "Express Server") uses state-of-the-art server technology and runs as a fully multithreaded service on Microsoft Windows NT and Unix platforms. It supports multiple instances, multiple users, and multiple simultaneous sessions, and provides access to both local and remote clients.

• Personal Express is a multithreaded Windows application. Unlike Express Server, Personal Express supports only a single user and provides access only to local clients. Personal Express does support multiple simultaneous sessions.

Oracle Express Server and Personal Express are collectively referred to as "Express."

User interface to Express

Neither Express Server nor Personal Express has its own user interface. Instead, user access to Express OLAP technology is available through a variety of client applications.