Progress
DataServer for
Microsoft SQL Server
Guide


Introduction

The Progress DataServer for Microsoft® SQL Server™ allows you to develop and deploy Progress 4GL or WebSpeed applications that access a SQL Server™ database. The DataServer for SQL Server™ supports Microsoft SQL Server™ Versions 7 and later. The Progress DataServer for ODBC supports earlier versions of SQL Server™. In this manual, any reference to the term MSS or data source refers specifically to the SQL Server™ database. The DataServer itself is fully ODBC-2.0 compliant. It also complies partially with the ODBC 3.0 standard by supporting extensions for running stored procedures.

The DataServer for SQL Server™ allows you to access your MSS data source with the Progress 4GL and develop applications within the Progress Application Development Environment (ADE). The ADE is a set of tools that helps you to maintain data sources and develop applications with graphical user interfaces. In addition to providing you with the ADE tools, the DataServer allows you to implement the Progress database features and Progress 4GL extensions in applications that run with the data source. Some of these tools and features are:

Note that using the DataServer to access an MSS data source does not provide you with access to all Progress 4GL, WebSpeed, and database features. For details, see Programming Considerations."

Two versions of the DataServer are available:

NOTE: To install and use an ODBC driver successfully, your system must meet the driver system requirements for connecting to data sources. These system requirements are documented in the DataDirect Connect Reference available on the Progress product CD in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. You can view and print this book using Acrobat Reader, version 3.0 or higher, licensed from Adobe Systems. You can download the Acrobat Reader software from the Adobe Web site at no charge. The URL for the Acrobat Reader is: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html.

This manual documents both versions and uses the term DataServer for SQL Server™ to refer to features and functionality that are common to both. Features and functions that are specific to the Personal DataServer or the Enterprise DataServer are noted as such.

This chapter describes the DataServer for SQL Server™ and discusses how Progress and WebSpeed applications work with it to access data sources through the ODBC standard. It discusses the following topics:

Subsequent chapters provide additional information about using the DataServer. If you are using the DataServer with WebSpeed and with applications written in SpeedScript, all information regarding Progress 4GL applies to your application.

NOTE: Do not attempt to use the DataServer without first reading the programming guidelines in Chapter 2. Also, be sure to follow the step-by-step instructions in Chapter 3, “Configuring the DataServer,” and Chapter 4, “Connecting the DataServer,” for installing, configuring, and connecting to a data source.


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