As Published In July/August 2003

In This Issue:

Etagon Inc.
Quest
CipherSoft
Expand Beyond
Book Beat

Etagon's Origon Appliance Validated Against Oracle9i RAC

Etagon Inc. has announced that its Origon appliance, in combination with the Network Appliance storage filer, has been validated against Oracle9i Real Application Clusters (RAC). The Origon appliance for Oracle9i RAC is dedicated to the database tier of the enterprise. The combination of Oracle9i RAC with the Origon appliance provides increased clustering flexibility, fast deployment of multitier services, high availability and scalability, and shared resource allocation.

The core of the Origon appliance is Etagon's Centergon software, which enables the operation of cluster-based applications on blades and offers features needed to install and manage Oracle9i RAC. "We have developed a platform that fully leverages the performance and scalability features of Oracle's database clustering technology," says Rony Zarom, Etagon's chairman and CEO. "Customers can consolidate existing database servers on a single low-cost appliance for more efficient use of resources or deploy new complex multi-tier applications in a matter of minutes, all at a significant cost saving."

Web Locator Etagon www.etagon.com Quest www.quest.com Ciphersoft Inc. www.ciphersoftinc.com Expand Beyond www.xb.com

Quest Updates SharePlex for Oracle9i RAC

Quest Software has announced a new version of its SharePlex database replication product. Quest claims that SharePlex 4.5 is the first available database replication product to support Oracle9i Real Application Clusters (RAC) and Oracle Parallel Server (OPS). It also provides enhanced support for the Oracle E-Business Suite 11i. SharePlex is built on Quest Software's log-based replication technology, which gives enterprises improved flexibility during replication and data movement.

CipherSoft Unveils PL/SQL-to-Java Conversion Tool

CipherSoft Inc., a producer of conversion tools and services, has released a standalone tool for PL/SQL conversions. The new tool provides automatic migration of PL/SQL source code to open, standards-based technology such as Java, XML, and HTML. This conversion lets organizations move to a front-end system that takes advantage of Java's advanced features and offers an easy upgrade to a Web environment.

"Our mission is to provide customers with a rapid, secure, and cost-effective migration path to platforms such as J2EE, while protecting our customer's existing IT investments," says Jennifer McNeill, CipherSoft's president and CEO. "Our PL/SQL converter tool provides immediate access to the latest J2EE standards at the fastest speeds without compromise."

Expand Beyond Updates PocketDBA

Expand Beyond has released PocketDBA 2.1 for Oracle. PocketDBA provides secure, real-time control of heterogeneous database environments from a variety of devices, including wireless handhelds. Expand Beyond intelligent display technology gives users a consistent, optimized, Web-based interface across all platforms, from handhelds to laptops and desktops. According to the company, users will experience a 50-percent increase in screen rendering speed and response time compared with previous versions, due to architecture improvements. PocketDBA 2.1 is further enhanced by intuitive, comprehensive, logically grouped icons.

Expand Beyond is also offering the Mobile IT Ready Kit, which has everything an organization needs for a rapid wireless deployment.

Book Beat Oracle XSQL By Michael D. Thomas Wiley Publishing www.wiley.com ISBN 0-471-27120-9 For a comprehensive introduction to the world of "X" (XSQL, XSLT, XML, XPath, and so forth), read this text by Michael D. Thomas. The author's goal is to show readers how to publish dynamic Web content using XSQL. Thomas writes that one of the greatest problems with enterprise applications that run on the Web is data access. He explains how XSQL is uniquely suited to solving this problem and how it unites internet technologies. Thomas begins with a detailed description of XSQL, illustrating how the technology interacts with Oracle products and technology. He then provides valuable installation and configuration information, moving quickly to building small, sample applications. Along the way he provides sample code, parameter descriptions, and other reference information as well as a detailed discussion of XSLT, the technology used hand-in-hand with XSQL. As a bonus, all code samples and additional information can be found online at www.wiley.com/compbooks/thomas. Guerrilla Oracle: The Succinct Windows Perspective By Richard J. Staron Addison-Wesley www.awprofessional.com ISBN 0-201-75077-5 If you need to get up and going quickly on an Oracle database that runs on Windows, this book by Richard Staron could be just the ticket. Although there are many comprehensive Oracle texts for beginners, Staron provides just enough information about the database and relational database concepts to get the reader immersed in the Oracle database. The author begins with a short but interesting history of the database and Oracle. He then jumps right into installation and configuration of the database on Windows and lays out the most common tasks a database administrator will perform, with easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions. While explaining the tasks, Staron also provides valuable information about concepts such as data normalization and gives insight into why certain procedures are the way they are. Making the book even more valuable are tips for using the Oracle database on Windows and integrating the Oracle database with Web applications, and practical information about the database such as how to handle database licensing.