1. User's Guide
  2. Introduction to the Oracle Database Gateway for DRDA
  3. Features

1.8 Features

This is a list of important features that characterize Oracle Database Gateway for DRDA.

  • Heterogeneous Services Architecture

    Oracle Database Gateway for DRDA utilizes the Oracle Heterogeneous Services component within the Oracle database. Heterogeneous Services is the building block for the next generation of Oracle database gateways.

    For detailed information about heterogeneous services, refer to Oracle Database Heterogeneous Connectivity User's Guide.

  • Performance Enhancements

    Oracle Database Gateway for DRDA contains several internal performance enhancements. This product has shown major improvements in response time and CPU utilization for all relevant address spaces for a variety of workloads compared to version 10 gateways. The actual performance improvement at your site might vary, depending on your installation type and workload.

  • Fetch Reblocking

    The array size of the application for SELECT is effective between the application and the Oracle database. However, the array blocksize and the block fetch between the Oracle database and the gateway are controlled by two Heterogeneous Services initialization parameters: HS_RPC_FETCH_SIZE and HS_RPC_FETCH_REBLOCKING. These parameters are specified in the gateway initialization file. Refer to Oracle Database Heterogeneous Connectivity User's Guide for more information.

  • Oracle Database Passthrough Supported

    You can use the Oracle database DBMS_HS_PASSTHROUGH.EXECUTE_IMMEDIATE method to pass commands or statements available in your DRDA server through the gateway.

  • Retrieving Result Sets Through Passthrough

    Oracle Database Gateway for DRDA provides a facility to retrieve result sets from a SELECT statement issued with passthrough. Refer to "Retrieving Results Sets Through Passthrough" for additional information.

  • Support for TCP/IP

    This release of the gateway only supports the TCP/IP communication protocol between the gateway and the DRDA server. Refer to Oracle Database Gateway Installation and Configuration Guide for IBM AIX on POWER Systems (64-Bit), Linux x86-64, Oracle Solaris on SPARC (64-Bit), Oracle Solaris on x86-64 (64-Bit) and HP-UX Itanium, or Oracle Database Gateway Installation and Configuration Guide for Microsoft Windows depending on your platform.

  • Native Semantics

    This release of the gateway supports the ability to selectively enable or disable post-processing of various SQL functions by the DRDA server. Refer to "Native Semantics" for further information.

  • Columns Supported in a Result Set

    Oracle Database Gateway for DRDA supports up to 1000 columns in a result set.

  • EXPLAIN_PLAN Improvement

    The EXPLAIN_PLAN table contains the actual SQL statements passed to the DRDA server from the Oracle database through the gateway.

  • Heterogeneous Database Integration

    The gateway support for ANSI-standard SQL enables read/write access to DRDA databases. Even if your data exists on different platforms in different applications, new applications can use all data, regardless of location.

  • Minimum Impact on Existing Systems

    The gateway does not require installation of additional Oracle software on your OS/390 (MVS), AS/400, UNIX based, or Microsoft Windows target system. The database interface that it uses is provided by IBM and is built into the DRDA database products and network facilities that already exist on these platforms.

    Configuring an IBM system for DRDA access typically consists of defining the network resources involved and establishing access security definitions specific to the target database.

  • Application Portability

    The gateway's ability to interface with heterogeneous databases makes it possible to develop a single set of portable applications that can be used against both Oracle and IBM databases, and any other databases for which Oracle provides gateways.

  • Remote Data Access

    Location flexibility is maximized because the gateway architecture permits network connections between each of the components. The application can use the Oracle client-server capability to connect to a remote Oracle database through Oracle Net. The Oracle database can connect to a remote gateway using a database link. The gateway connects to a DRDA server through network facilities.

    The benefits of remote access are:

    • Provides a means to allocate the appropriate resource to a given task

      You can, for example, move application development off expensive processors and onto cost-efficient workstations or microcomputers.

    • Expands the number of available data sources

      Without remote access, you are limited to the data available in the local environment. With remote access, only your networks limit your data sources.

    • Provides a means to tailor an application environment to a given user

      For example, some users prefer a block-mode terminal environment, while others prefer a bit-mapped, graphics driven terminal environment. Remote access can satisfy both because you are not constrained by the interface environment imposed by the location of your data.

  • Support for Distributed Applications

    Because the gateway gives your application direct access to DRDA data, you eliminate the need to upload and download large quantities of database data to other processors. Instead, you can access data where it is, when you want it, without having to move the data between machines and risk unsynchronized and inconsistent data. Avoiding massive data replication can also reduce aggregate disk storage requirements over all your systems.

    However, if your system design requires moving data among the machines in a network, SQL*Plus and the gateway can simplify the data transfer. With a single SQL*Plus command, you can move entire sets of data from one node of the network to another and from one database to another.

    You can pass commands and statements specific to your DRDA database through the gateway to be executed by the DRDA database. For example, you can pass native DB2 SQL through the gateway for DB2 to execute. You can also execute stored procedures defined in non-Oracle databases.

  • Application Development and End User Tools

    Through the gateway, Oracle extends the range of application development and end-user tools you can use to access your IBM databases. These tools increase application development and user productivity by reducing prototype, development, and maintenance time. Current Oracle database users do not have to learn a new set of tools to access data stored in DRDA databases. Instead, they can access Oracle database and DRDA data with a single set of tools.

    With the gateway and the application development tools available from Oracle you can develop a single set of applications to access Oracle database and DRDA data. Users can use the decision support tools available from Oracle to access Oracle database and DRDA data. These tools can run on remote machines connected through Oracle Net to the Oracle database.

    When designing applications, keep in mind that the gateway is designed for retrieval and relatively light transaction loads. The gateway is not currently designed to be a heavy transaction processing system.

  • Password Encryption Utility

    Oracle Database Gateway for DRDA includes a utility to support encryption of plain-text passwords in the Gateway Initialization File. Refer to Chapter 15, "Security Considerations" in Oracle Database Gateway Installation and Configuration Guide for IBM AIX on POWER Systems (64-Bit), Linux x86-64, Oracle Solaris on SPARC (64-Bit), Oracle Solaris on x86-64 (64-Bit) and HP-UX Itanium or Oracle Database Gateway Installation and Configuration Guide for Microsoft Windows for details.

  • Support for DB2 UDB for z/OS Stored Procedures

    Oracle Database Gateway for DRDA supports the native stored procedures.

  • IBM DB2 Universal Database Support

    Oracle Database Gateway for DRDA supports IBM DB2 Universal Database.

  • DB2 z/OS ASCII and UNICODE Table Support

    Oracle Database Gateway for DRDA supports EBCDIC, ASCII, and UNICODE table for DB2 z/OS. The character set selection is defined during table creation.

  • Read-Only Support

    The current release enables the gateway to be configured as a read-only gateway. In this mode, the user will not be able to modify data or call remote procedures at the DRDA database.

  • Support for Graphic and Multi-byte Data

    The current release of the gateway adds support for DB2 GRAPHIC and VARGRAPHIC data types. Refer to Developing Applications for more information.

  • Support for DB2 Universal Database on Intel Hardware

    The current release of the gateway adds support for DRDA servers running on Microsoft Windows and Linux on Intel hardware.

  • Data Dictionary Support for DB2 Universal Database

    The current release of the gateway also provides Oracle data dictionary support for DB2 UDB.

Parent topic: Introduction to the Oracle Database Gateway for DRDA