Features
CONNX is a unique client/server connectivity programming toolset that makes it possible to use computers in real-time interactive operation with many databases. CONNX is an SQL Gateway which enables you to use SQL to access your relational and non-relational business data.
The CONNX data access engine is unique in that it not only provides access to the databases, but it presents them as one enterprise-spanning relational data source. CONNX also offers additional security, metadata management, enhanced SQL capability, views, heterogeneous joins, bidirectional data conversion, and enables read/write access to the data.
CONNX can be used to unlock your organization's legacy data and makes it accessible to web-enabled front ends and critical applications at a fraction of the time and cost required for conventional in-house implementation.
Data Access and Integration
CONNX offers real-time, read/write SQL access, using open data access standards, to virtually any legacy or relational data source. It can join multiple data sources (no matter where they reside), giving you a single view of your data, as if it exists in a single relational database.
With CONNX, a single metadata model can be created that spans all enterprise data sources and applications requiring data access. The result is an enterprise-wide view of data that provides a reusable standards-based framework for information access.
The CONNX SQL Engine can be distributed throughout multiple processors and multiple platforms - from z/OS, to UNIX, to Windows - to scale for large enterprise requirements. The CONNX Data Dictionary Manager is the graphical interface for integrating and presenting enterprise information from multiple sources. Adapters for ODBC, OLE DB, JDBC, .NET, or Java applications provide simple and efficient access to legacy data through CONNX Data Dictionaries (CDDs).
CONNX integrates enterprise data sources, whether relational or non-relational, making them appear as a single SQL-accessible database. CONNX includes adapters for the most common enterprise databases, a high-performance distributed SQL processing engine, and support for industry-standard programmatic access methods. CONNX enables Enterprise Information Integration (EII), a cornerstone of Service-Oriented Architectures (SOA) and Business Intelligence (BI) solutions, as a data services layer presenting data from multiple sources.
CONNX is a simplified data access solution that preserves and enhances database systems by providing heterogeneous, secure, and real-time access to disparate databases through a single driver. This means that disparate data sources can be treated as one relational database, allowing the enterprise complete database flexibility. The CONNX product line provides access to several types of databases through open data access technologies including SQL, ODBC, OLE DB and JDBC. CONNX is compatible with any ODBC and JDBC compliant front-end application, thus providing flexibility for end users. CONNX also supports a vast amount of database-specific data types for data conversion.
The CONNX Distributed SQL Engine
CONNX has a distributed SQL engine which enables the distribution of query processing between the client and the server. Most of the CPU-intensive query processing, such as data conversion and sorting, is performed on the PC. All data retrieval is performed on the server. In the case of desktop databases, such as DataFlex or Access, all processing is done on the PC because there is no server component.
The CONNX Distributed SQL Engine provides:
Efficient Workload Distribution: The workload on the data server is minimal, because CPU-bound tasks are moved to the client. This results in a reduction of load on the data server and better performance across the enterprise.
Fast Performance: CONNX utilizes this engine by distributing query processing between the client and the server without sending duplicate data across the network. As a result, the work is done on the machine that is best suited for the task.
Scalability: CONNX is easily adaptable to all environments, enabling organizations to scale from project to enterprise; from two-tiered to n-tiered; and from one to many data sources. Thus, the amount of resources available to CONNX increases as you add clients.
Cross-Platform Joins: With a single SQL statement, CONNX allows your applications to join related data across systems as if all data existed in one relational database. When performing joins, significantly less data is sent across the network because no duplicates are transmitted.
Business Views: CONNX supports the creation of data views across and within data sources, allowing related data from different sources to appear as one logical table and enabling the simplification of complex structures.
Security: CONNX respects all existing database security and provides additional user group, row, field, table and database security.
Enterprise database security information is maintained in the distributed SQL-processing client, and provides access control on a per user, per group, or application basis. No custom development is required, while deployment time is reduced to a minimum.
The following table shows the workload distribution as implemented with CONNX:

Client PC | Server
Meta Data Retrieval (CONNX CDD) | Indexed Retrieval
First Pass SQL Optimization | Non-Index Retrieval
Partial Joins | Partial Joins
Sorting | Data Compression (If Requested)
Grouping | RPCs (Remote Procedure Calls)
Extended SQL Functions | Database Security (Client)
CONNX Security |

Data Connectivity Provided by CONNX
CONNX provides connection to both relational and non-relational data sources, transaction systems and legacy applications through open data access standards across all major computing platforms.
The following table lists the supported data sources:

Relational Data | Non-Relational Data | ODBC and OLE DB
DB2 | C-ISAM | ODBC Compliant Data Sources Data Source
Informix | D-ISAM/DISAM96 | Database-Specific ODBC driver
Oracle | Codasyl DBMS | OLE DB Compliant
PostgreSQL | IMS | Any OLE DB Data Source
RDB | MicroFocus | Adabas D
SQL Server | DataFlex |
Sybase | POWERFlex |
| RMS |
| VSAM |
| Adabas |

Web Enablement
CONNX web enables enterprise data with the use of any standards-based development platform (such as Microsoft ASP.NET, IBM WebSphere, and Apache Tomcat). Custom applications can be created or turnkey applications can be used for Internet-based solutions. The CONNX SQL interface allows users to seamlessly plug into any application, report writer, or development tool that is ODBC-, JDBC-, OLE DB- or .NET-compliant. As a result, direct access is available to data from any preferred reporting or development tool, which allows new applications to be built with modern Web development tools, such as WebLogic, WebSphere or .NET.
Using CONNX web services:
makes it easy to enable application users to access company data via the Web without IT involvement.
makes it easy to Web enable any of the 40+ databases for which CONNX provides connectivity. Direct heterogeneous access is available to those databases from a number of platforms. As a result, joins can be performed across different data types.
Ad-Hoc Reporting
CONNX provides quick and easy access to information from legacy and relational databases using virtually any tool that is compatible with ODBC and OLE DB, including the CONNX desktop Query/Reporting Tool InfoNaut Professional.
InfoNaut is a desktop query/reporting tool that enables end users to quickly and easily access information from enterprise and legacy databases without IT involvement. In addition, end users are able to view reports in a readable format. Queries and SQL statements created in InfoNaut can be saved. The standard version of InfoNaut is delivered with the product.
The major features of InfoNaut are:

Feature | Description
Develop SQL Syntax | Use the query builder to graphically build SQL statements.
Test database connections | Verify connectivity to a specific database.
Statistics | View the CONNX query plan in order to optimize performance and ensure that table indexes are being executed correctly.
Universal SQL Syntax | Follows the ANSI 92 SQL standards.
Cross Platform Joins | Perform joins between tables and disparate databases.

InfoNaut Professional has additional features enabling the end user to save queries and SQL statements created in InfoNaut Professional as XML files, Microsoft Query .dqy files, Microsoft Excel .xls files, HTML pages, Active Server Pages (.asp), .csv files, .sql files, and .txt files.
The Report Writer feature enables users to create reports from table information or queries. Reports can be used for simple or formal presentations and can be quickly customized using a wide range of formatting tools.
Reports created with the InfoNaut Report Writer can be saved as Adobe Acrobat .pdf files, HTML pages, Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, Rich Text Format files, .tif files, .csv files, and .txt files.
ACEINT is a command-line query/reporting tool that enables end users to quickly and easily access information from enterprise and legacy databases without IT involvement. ACEINT is delivered as a part of the Embedded SQL components.