At 8:52 AM +1100 11/16/04, Alan McDonald wrote:

> > Also, the approach we've taken is to use embedded Firebird with
>> ASTA middleware
> > <http://www.astatech.com>
>> This allows us to deploy Firebird as an embedded server and still
>> have multi-user capabilities.
>>
>
>Can you explain this architecture please?
>Alan

Here's the generality and I'll direct you to the ASTA site for details.

ASTA is a middleware application written in Delphi. It allows you to
create client/server applications for the Internet (though we use it
on Intranets). It handles database transactions as well as real-time
messaging.

Example: You can use an ASTA component equivalent of a Delphi TQuery
component. ASTA moves the query over the Internet and securely
returns the data via an encrypted stream. Or, you can build business
logic into ASTA and ask things like "get me information for item 42"
and ASTA has the business logic to return the necessary information.
Additionally, you can set-up pipes that post messages from the
ASTA/Server to your client application when something interesting
happens on the server side.

ASTA is not limited to just database interfaces. For example, we use
the message posting capability to allow a client application to
monitor the progress of an FTP upload occurring in the server
application.


We build our application using ASTA and instead of distributing the
Firebird server interface DLL, we distribute the the embedded DLL
version. ASTA then talks directly to a local/embedded database.

Multiple clients can then communicate with ASTA.

Presto! Multi-user features while still using the embedded database.

Check out ATA in 60 seconds:
<http://www.astatech.com/astain60/index.asp>

and Developer Details:
<http://www.astatech.com/developer/>
for a jump start.

You can also see a sample of our applications at:
<http://www.AuricSystems.com/downloads>

Check out any of the AutoProcessor products, or the new Trevance.
The primary application in all these products is written with
Trevance. Each of the products has a remote viewing/control
application which is the Client side of this equation.

--Ray

--

Raymond Cote
Appropriate Solutions, Inc.
PO Box 458 ~ Peterborough, NH 03458-0458
Phone: 603.924.6079 ~ Fax: 603.924.8668
rgacote(at)AppropriateSolutions.com
www.AppropriateSolutions.com