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Access Service User's Guide DirectConnect for AS/400

Chapter 1 Introducing DirectConnect for AS/400

Description of AS/400

Description of AS/400

DirectConnect for AS/400 is Open Server-based software that supports DB-Library, CT-Library, and Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) application programming interfaces (APIs).

DirectConnect for AS/400 consists of a server and one or more service libraries. The server provides the framework in which the service libraries operate.

In addition, DirectConnect provides access to non-Sybase data and can be used with other Sybase products, such as ASE/CIS (formerly OmniConnect), Sybase Adaptive Server, and Replication Server.

Description of the Access Service Library

The access service library, the program component of DirectConnect for AS/400 that accesses AS/400 data, consists of one or more access services. The following figure shows the relationship of DirectConnect for AS/400 access service library and its access services with the components of the client workstation, LAN, and AS/400 environment.

This guide contains information about access service libraries, and how you configure properties in the access services to access and retrieve AS/400 data in the format you need.

Description of access services

An access service provides access to non-Sybase data sources, such as the AS/400. It is a logical server application, used with an access service library, to which clients connect. As shown in Figure 1-1 , each DirectConnect Server can have multiple access services.

An access service:

• Transforms SQL

• Converts datatypes

• Supports RPCs

• Transfers data between the AS/400 and other servers, if the servers are accessible through Open Client

• Supports Catalog Stored Procedures (CSP) and system stored procedures

• Supports AS/400 stored procedures

Using DirectConnect Manager for Microsoft Windows NT, Windows 95, and Windows 98, you can dynamically configure access service configuration properties, instead of editing the access service library configuration file.

The following figure shows the relationship between the access service libraries, the DirectConnect server, AS/400, and the AS/400 database.