tp@ndm20 (01/15/86)
I am currently looking for a database package to use in several
engineering application programs. The goal is to have all of our
applications using the same database for all data. If anyone has any
information I might be able to use (info, product references,
literature references, etc.) I would greatly appreciate it.
Any database vendors are welcome to contact me. I would especially
appreciate hearing from people who have done similar work.
I have heard that there are public domain versions of both Ingress
and RIM. If anyone knows where I can get them, I would appreciate
it.
The following are some of the constraints we are working under:
a) The applications are commercial systems, therefore we need
something that we can OEM. Royalties/relicensing fees are critical,
as we are attempting to keep our software modestly priced.
b) Our system is not a CAD system in the usual sense of an inter-
active drafting utility. This is a design system (civil engineering,
though that probably doesn't matter). Performance is still
important, however, and we may eventually expand to full CADD. I
have heard that there are few (if any) suitable databases for this
kind of work. Anything designed explicitly for CAD would be a big
plus.
c) The software must run or be made to run on several different
machines, including Harris H series, Harris HS series (Masscomp), and
Harris HCX series. We therefore MUST have source and the right to
port it. Ease of porting will be a big consideration, as time and
manpower are limited. (The HS and HCX series are unix, the H series
is not.)
d) Standard DB interactive query/reporting capability is a big plus,
but not a requirement. The main need here is something that can be
called as a subroutine/function package. We are willing to live with
the hassles of interfacing various languages. C is preferred,
FORTRAN is ok. Any other language is a possibility, depending on the
availability of compilers that will interface to C and FORTRAN on
various machines.
e) The database should allow control over levels of multi-user access
(i.e. different levels of data locking).
f) It would be very helpful to be able to access multiple databases
at the same time (not necessarily full access, but at least enough to
copy data).
g) No particular data model is preferred, except as it bears on the
performance of our particular applications. We tend to access items
in a random pattern, with some amount of locality. Items tend to be
re-used several times once they are referenced. It would be nice if
the system were optimized for this sort of behavior, so we wouldn't
have to put a "caching" front end on the database (1 disk hit per
item access is too slow).
I will of course summarize all info to the net (unless I am asked not
to). This is very early in the search process, so I don't have any
hard numbers on what we are willing to pay up front or in royalties.
If you are a vendor, please send me that information with your reply.
Thanks,
Terry Poot
Director of Software Development
Nathan D. Maier Consulting Engineers
3 Northpark East
8800 North Central Expressway, Suite 300
Dallas, Texas 75231
Phone : (214)739-4741
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