StarPipes

Fast, robust data access solution

• TCP/IP access to SNA-bound DB2 databases
• High capacity replacement for IBM DDCS or DB2 Connect gateways
• Simple installation and Remote management application
• Dynamic RDB routing
• Multi-threaded design
• Four levels of tracing
• Standards-based

StarPipes enables Microsoft Windows client and server-based applications to access IBM DB2 databases using TCP/IP, while maintaining SNA on the mainframe. StarPipes represents a high capacity, high performance, alternative to IBM's data access solution. StarPipes gives users unmatched choice in selecting their network protocol for remote database access with an easy migration path to direct TCP/IP connectivity with DB2.

Enhances StarSQL 
StarPipes operates with StarQuest's StarSQL software—an ODBC driver for Windows that uses IBM's DRDA database interoperability protocol to connect to any DB2 relational database. Users get direct database access to remote DB2 databases from client applications that are ODBC-enabled, including Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access, Cognos Impromptu, Business Objects, Visual Basic, Visual C++, PowerBuilder and hundreds more.

Platform Options to Meet Your Needs
StarPipes runs in a variety of platforms, Windows NT/2000/XP, UNIX or AS/400 to provide unprecedented configuration options to meet customer needs. 

Designed for the corporate departmental and branch users, StarPipes for Windows NT provides state-of-the-art NT architecture for high capacity, robust, and fast database connections. StarPipes for Windows NT offers unparalleled remote management flexibility including the ability to add routes, kill connections and trace applications.

On an AS/400, StarPipes operates on top of the standard TCP/IP layer of OS/400 and transforms DRDA messages from TCP/IP format to SNA format for memory-to-memory transfer to DB2/400. 

On UNIX, StarPipes operates on top of a standard Socket TCP/IP layer and transforms DRDA messages to SNA format for re-transmission to a local or remote DB2 database.

Easy to Configure
StarPipes eases the configuration of StarSQL clients. Clients need only enter the TCP/IP address of the StarPipes server when configuring an ODBC data source. All SNA connectivity is addressed at the StarPipes host with TCP/IP to SNA routes which can  be added dynamically to StarPipes. The StarPipes Management Console allows routes to be added remotely as well as enabling remote stop and start of the server and remote trace and kill of ODBC connections. 

When replacing an existing IBM DDCS or DB2 Connect installation, StarPipes can reuse the existing SNA configurations. 

Get Fast Performance, Direct Access
StarSQL and StarPipes use standard protocols to provide the fastest possible connection between a desktop application and DB2 data. StarSQL takes ODBC application requests and transforms these into a DRDA data stream, which can be read directly by DB2. StarPipes provides the routing function necessary to move the TCP/IP packets, sent from the desktop or server, on to the SNA network to connect to the DB2 host. The result is a very efficient, highly robust, production quality direct access path to DB2 data from the desktop.

Security and Compatilility for the Enterprise
StarPipes supports security enforcement facilities of DRDA that limit database access by userid and password using existing host-based security software. StarPipes implements DRDA-over-TCP/IP in accordance with IBM's DRDA Level 3 specification. Customers may convert to Level 3 support without changing any of their DRDA TCP/IP clients. 

System Requirements

Operating Systems

• Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP3 or later
• Microsoft Windows 2000
• Microsoft Windows XP
• OS/400
• HP-UX 10.20 or later
• AIX 4.3.3 or later
• Solaris 7 or later

SNA Gateways

• Microsoft SNA Server v2.11 or later
• Microsoft Host Integration Server
• IBM Communications Server for Windows NT and Windows 2000 v5.01 or later
• IBM Communications Server for AIX v4 or later
• Sun SNAp2p v8.0 or later
• HP SNAplusLink and SNAplusAPI3.0 or later

ODBC & JDBC Clients

• StarQuest StarSQL v2.1 and later
• StarQuest StarSQL for Java
• Other drivers - contact StarQuest Customer Support for information

Databases Supported

• DB2/MVS (DB2 for OS/390) 2.3 and above
• DB2/400 Version 2.2 and later
• SQL/DS (DB2 for VM & VSE) Version 3.3 and later
• DB2 UDB v5.0 and later for Windows NT, UNIX, and OS/2

Licensing and Pricing Information
Licenses for StarPipes for Windows NT Server, UNIX (AIX, Solaris, HP-UX), AS/400, and Cisco routers are available. And include StarSQL Enterprise Edition, an ODBC driver for the client. For pricing information, contact StarQuest at sales@starquest.com, or call 1-415-669-9619.