StarPipes for Windows

Fast, robust data access solution

  • TCP/IP access to SNA-bound DB2 databases
  • High capacity replacement for IBM 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 and UNIX 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. In addition, StarSQL provides a high performance JDBC driver that provides access to DB2 databases from Java applications.

Platform Options to Meet Your Needs

StarPipes runs on Windows (2000, XP, Vista, Server 2003, or Server 2008) or AS/400 to provide unprecedented configuration options to meet customer needs. 

Designed for the corporate departmental and branch users, StarPipes for Windows provides state-of-the-art Windows architecture for high capacity, robust, and fast database connections. StarPipes for Windows 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. 

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 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 Compatibility for the Enterprise

StarPipes supports security enforcement facilities of DRDA that limit database access by user ID 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

Refer to StarPipes System Requirements for a detailed list of the configurations that StarPipes supports.

Licensing and Pricing Information

For pricing information, contact StarQuest at contact@starquest.com, or call 1-415-669-9619.