Goal
Access data in a commercial SQL database (Oracle, DB2 SQL Server, Sybase, etc.) from standard desktop tools such as Crystal Reports and Microsoft Access.
Issues and Alternatives
The data may be stored in a packed format and access to it from these tools requires the data to be exposed in an unpacked way. In addition, we may want users to only have access to certain data.
Resolution
DataDirect OpenAccess SDK enables you to easily create a custom ODBC or JDBC driver or an OLE DB provider for a SQL compliant data source in which schema, connection management, and/or data needs to be modified, including data stored in a packed format.
Implementation
OpenAccess enables you to create a customizable infrastructure for managing the distribution of information from your storage to the end user's desktop.
You simply use OpenAccess SDK to build a custom driver for your database(s). Because you are using a software development kit, you have full control on how to process the query. OpenAccess includes a SQL processor for interfacing to non-SQL databases or to parse SQL queries and obtain information that can be used to build a modified SQL query. See Implement Custom ODBC or OLE DB Access to a SQL Compatible Database (.pdf) for more implementation details.
Benefits - Easily create a custom ODBC / JDBC driver or OLE DB provider for a SQL compliant data source, without having to perform unpacking operations
- Access commercial SQL databases from standard desktop tools
- Enforce security
- Execute query using the underlying RDBMS