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Autumn 2001
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Northgate Information Solutions has launched its next generation data management system - Reality V9.0. Reality is a MultiValue database with a range of powerful integrated utilities for building, managing and accessing this database.
Northgate’s latest version brings to market a number of additional functions that provide users with unique cost and time efficiencies. In addition, a new licensing model enables customers to use all of Reality’s customised features at no extra cost, and due to the seamless upgrade procedure from earlier Reality releases customers do not need to rebuild existing data and applications, encouraging immediate end user benefits.
One of a number of enhancements that Reality V9.0 offers customers is RealWeb - a web-based solution that provides programmers with a significant number of Application Programme Interfaces (APIs). The APIs allow the customer to imbed legacy data or applications directly onto the Internet - significantly increasing application accessibility for their user base.
Via RealWeb, Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape browsers have dynamic read and write access to data held in the Reality database, enabling the customer to update pages, images and data accurately and quickly.
One of the key customisations on Reality V9.0 is its graphical front end. As it is now powered via Windows Explorer, Reality V9.0 is easier to use due to the graphical representations of the system administration tools. Therefore, users benefit from an improved Windows look, with the accompanying speed benefits. “Reality Explorer” also enables users to access the lowest level of data within files.
Russell Osborne, Head of Customer Development at Northgate said: “Web-enabled applications are becoming increasingly important to many businesses which is why we have introduced these new functions. The advantage to a programmer, a business user, or even a member of the general public, of being able to access information and change it quickly is crucial. As Reality V9.0 uses RealWeb, the many ease-of-use criticisms that have been aimed at similar products are not applicable to us.”
For mission-critical applications, Reality provides cumulative options for resilience to system or network failure. Transaction Logging allows recovery of a stand-alone system up to the most recent completed and logged transactions. Reality’s Shadow database extends this to maintenance of a standby database for rapid resumption of work after database failure. And finally Failsafe/Heartbeat takes this to another level, providing a standby system for immediate reconnection after system failure.
Reality V9.0 has been developed to include the latest technologies that businesses require - SQL for Reality enables JDBC/ODBC compliant applications, such as Microsoft products, to retrieve and write data on a Reality database. In addition, it includes powerful and efficient indexing capabilities, transaction logging, transaction handling and a remote tape utility.
Importantly, Northgate has recognised industry changes by making Reality Java compliant - programmers can now update legacy applications by wrapping Java around them. This means that many years of development of business logic can be reused without the need for extensive rewrites.
Northgate has issued more than 40,000 Reality licences in the UK, distributed to more than 500 customers. Reality is supplied as a stand-alone database/application environment, and also as the database manager for many Northgate products. It is supported on both Unix (Sun Solaris) and Windows NT/2000 platforms.
For more information about Reality V9.0 or any of Northgate’s products, contact them on (01442) 242323 or visit http://www.northgate-is.com.
Northgate Information Solutions Boundary Way, Hemel HempsteadLast Updated: 29 Nov 2001