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Connect vs. SequeLink: Which is the Right DataDirect Product for You?
DataDirect Technologies offers two families of products for ODBC, JDBC, ADO, and .NET data connectivity: DataDirect Connect and DataDirect SequeLink.
While both are great products for data connectivity, there are distinct differences between the two product lines. You need to choose the right product for optimal performance based on your application architecture and requirements. This document will help you in determining the best product for your architecture.
Reasons for Choosing DataDirect Connect
Most of our customers choose the DataDirect Connect family of data connectivity components because of its architecture, wire-protocol design, and performance.
Architecture
Both Connect and SequeLink are Native Optimized drivers and as such are fully compatible with the underlying data connectivity specifications, such as JDBC, ODBC, and .NET. Both families are implemented completely in the native code of the specific architecture (e.g., all Java, all C#, etc). That means our Connect data provider for Microsoft ADO.NET will contain only code that runs inside the .NET Common Language Runtime (therefore always running as managed code.) Likewise, our JDBC drivers will be coded as 100% pure Java.
The Connect and SequeLink families differ in how they are installed. The Connect family only requires a single component installation, which can be either as a client or on a server. This offers the most direct connection between an application and its data source. SequeLink has a different installation requirement. SequeLink has a server portion that must be installed on the database server. There is also a client component that is either installed on a client machine or on a mid-tier server such as an application server. Applications connect to the SequeLink server, the intermediate layer located on the database server, through the thin, non-database specific client, and through the SequeLink server, connect to the data source.
Since data connections with Connect are simple and direct, they require less administration and fewer resources and offer much better performance. They are the best option when customers want to limit server side installations and reduce the work demands on DBAs (a common concern among our customers particularly for installing drivers for DB2 on z-Series/OS/390).
Wire-Protocol Design
The Connect family of data connectivity components is built entirely on wire protocol technology. The wire protocol-level drivers and data providers eliminate the need for the database vendor’s native API and client component. This removes a communication layer and streamlines the driver model, resulting in dramatic performance increases and much easier installation and maintenance. For example, with our wire-protocol ODBC drivers, there is no need to install database client libraries such as Oracle Net for Oracle and ct-Lib for Sybase.
We currently offer wire protocol Connect drivers for ODBC, JDBC, and ADO.NET to access Oracle, MS SQL Server, Informix, Sybase and DB2.
Performance
Because of their architecture and wire-protocol design, the Connect family of data connectivity components offer tremendous performance advantages over traditional data connectivity components. In general, the Connect family offers better performance than the SequeLink family.
Reasons for Choosing DataDirect SequeLink
Some of our customers choose the DataDirect SequeLink family of data connectivity components because of its centralized monitoring and management capabilities and its access to a greater range of databases.
Centralized Monitoring and Management
SequeLink allows you to configure and manage your data access environment from a single point of control. One thin universal client is installed and configured on the desktop or application server, regardless of the brands and types of databases to be accessed. Installation is streamlined and configuration across clients can be remotely managed through server-side data sources. Centralized management allows for streamlined administration, faster development, live monitoring of users at runtime and event traceability across a virtually unlimited amount of different data stores, interfaces, and operating systems in the enterprise. These capabilities reduce costs, improve productivity and provide higher Reliability, Availability and Serviceability (RAS).
Access to greater range of data sources
If your application needs to access data from databases outside of the current major ones (Oracle, DB2, MS SQL Server, Sybase, and Informix), SequeLink can help you with that. With the SequeLink socket server, you can connect any SequeLink client to any data provider for which an ODBC driver is available, providing access to an even greater range of data sources. With this deployment option, SequeLink provides all the benefits of a single, universal client component along with value-added services such as security, administration and portability, while extending access to virtually all data in the enterprise.
The SequeLink socket server protects investments in existing data and systems by allowing organizations to access additional data through the SequeLink environment, from personal databases such as dBASE, Microsoft Access and text files, to older legacy systems like VSAM and IMS. As future demands for data change, the SequeLink socket server assures the flexibility to rapidly incorporate new systems.
