 






     Software
     Product
     Description

     ________________________________________________________________

     PRODUCT NAME:  VAX Rdb/ELN, Version 2.3             SPD 28.03.09
                     (Relational Database Management System)

     DESCRIPTION

     VAX Rdb/ELN is a relational database management system designed
     for dedicated applications on systems running in the VAXELN
     application environment.

     VAX Rdb/ELN applications are developed using the VAXELN Toolkit
     on a host VMS system. The resulting bootable, VAXELN-based
     Rdb/ELN applications are then moved to the VAXELN target system
     using disk media or an Ethernet Local Area Network (LAN) link.
     The application program executes on the target system as a dedi-
     cated database system. The network link to the host development
     system may be used for remote debugging.

     Users are expected to have the necessary hardware to provide
     both host development and target execution environments. Rdb/ELN
     cannot be run in the development environment other than for
     debugging purposes. Debugging an application in this manner is
     not a feature of VAXELN, as VAXELN applications cannot run on
     VMS.

     Features

     Data Definition Language (DDL) Compiler (ERDL)

     o  Defines databases, relations, views, fields, and indexes

     o  Modifies definitions of fields and relations

     o  Deletes definitions of relations, fields, views and indexes

     o  Restructures databases on-line, without unload/reload

                                  DIGITAL               February 1991

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     VAX Rdb/ELN, Version 2.3                            SPD 28.03.09
      (Relational Database Management System)


     o  Adds comments to definitions of relations, views, fields, and
        indexes

     Data Manipulation Language (DML)

     o  Uses block structured data manipulation statements, similar
        to VAX DATATRIEVE

     o  Performs standard data manipulation operations: store, re-
        trieve, update, and delete

     o  Performs standard relational operations: select, join, and
        project

     o  Can access multiple databases in the same program

     o  Manipulates data using:

        -  Interactive DML statements in ERQL (Relational Query
           Language)

        -  Precompiled DML statements in VAXELN Pascal and VAX C
           programs

        -  VAX DATATRIEVE from a VMS system with Rdb/VMS capability

     o  Optimizes queries automatically using:

        -  Index selection on one or more fields in a relation

        -  Join order

        -  Join by sort/merge

        -  Multi-index selection

        -  Automatic elimination of duplicate records using the
           "project" feature

     o  Performs atomic transactions completed by commit or rollback

     Data Dictionary

     o  Stores data definitions in the database file itself, in the
        form of relations

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     VAX Rdb/ELN, Version 2.3                            SPD 28.03.09
      (Relational Database Management System)


     o  Allows retrieval and modification of data definitions

     Database Utilities

     o  Provide Logical backup/restore

     o  Conversion utility provides a standard backup format which
        allows a Data base to be restored to either a Rdb/VMS format
        or an Rdb/ELN format.

     Relational Database Query Language (ERQL)

     o  Supports all data manipulation operations: store, retrieve,
        update, and delete

     o  Provides on-line help

     o  Executes in both development and target environments

     Concurrency and Integrity Controls

     o  Full concurrent access (storage, retrieval, update, and
        deletion) in a multi-user environment

     o  Concurrent access by multiple applications to the same
        database

     o  Ability to trade off between high consistency and high con-
        currency for each application

     o  Ability to change from high consistency to high concurrency
        and back within a program

     Integrity

     o  Rollback of failed transactions, both automatic and program-
        controlled

     o  Validity checking at the field level using a VALID IF clause
        in the field definition

     Languages

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     VAX Rdb/ELN, Version 2.3                            SPD 28.03.09
      (Relational Database Management System)


     o  Precompiler support for VAXELN Pascal and VAX C with use of a
        generic precompiler

     Physical Storage Characteristics

     o  Each database is kept in a single file. Individual database
        files cannot span multiple disk volumes.

     Relation Structure

     o  Duplicate records can be eliminated using the ``unique in-
        dex'' feature.

     o  Ordering of fields on storage or retrieval is not required.

     Storage Structure

     o  B-Tree indexes on relations

     o  Periodic reorganization of database NOT required

     Datatypes

     o  ASCII text

     o  Varying text

     o  Date

     o  Signed word (16-bit) integer

     o  Signed longword (32-bit) integer

     o  Signed quadword (64-bit) integer

     o  Single precision floating point (F_floating)

     o  Double precision floating point (G_floating)

     o  Segmented strings for storing large amounts of unstructured
        data, such as documents, voice, or graphics

     Remote Database Access

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     VAX Rdb/ELN, Version 2.3                            SPD 28.03.09
      (Relational Database Management System)


     Application programs developed to access VAX Rdb/ELN databases
     and running under VAXELN on a given node in a DECnet network
     can:

     o  Access VAX Rdb/ELN databases on the same node

     o  Access VAX Rdb/ELN or VAX Rdb/VMS databases on other nodes in
        the network

     During Application development cycles, the Rdb/ELN database
     may be built and verified under VMS. This database may, un-
     der limited conditions, be accessed remotely from an Rdb/ELN
     application.

     Limits and Parameters

     o  Maximum number of relations and views in a database: 32,767

     o  Maximum number of bytes in a record: 32,767

     o  Maximum index key size: 200 bytes

     o  Maximum length of a database object name: 31 characters

     o  Maximum size of database file: limited by physical device

     Documentation

     o  VAX Rdb/ELN Installation Guide

     o  VAX Rdb/ELN Reference Manual

     o  VAX Rdb/ELN Guide To Application Development

     o  VAX Rdb/ELN Technical Overview

     o  VAX Rdb/ELN Release Notes

     o  VAX Rdb/ELN Guide to Data Manipulation

     o  RDML Reference Manual

     HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS

     VAX, MicroVAX or VAXstation configuration as specified in the
     System Support Addendum (SSA 28.03.09-x).

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     VAX Rdb/ELN, Version 2.3                            SPD 28.03.09
      (Relational Database Management System)


     SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS*

     For Development Systems:

     VMS Operating System

     VAXELN Toolkit

     DECnet-VAX

     * Refer to the System Support Addendum (SSA 28.03.09-x) for
     availability and required versions of prerequisite/optional
     software.

     ORDERING INFORMATION

     For Rdb/ELN:

     Software Licenses: QL-D07A*-**
     Software Media: QA-D07A*-**
     Software Documentation: QA-D07AA-GZ
     Software Product Services: QT-D07A*-**

     For the Rdb/ELN Runtime System:

     Software Licenses: QL-D08A*-**

     *  Denotes variant fields. For additional information on avail-
        able licenses, services and media, refer to the appropriate
        price book.

     SOFTWARE LICENSING

     The availability of this purchase option does NOT imply that VAX
     Rdb/ELN supports the use of a single shared database by all the
     CPUs in a VAXcluster.

     Single-Use License Option for VAX Rdb/ELN Target Systems

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     VAX Rdb/ELN, Version 2.3                            SPD 28.03.09
      (Relational Database Management System)


     If you have VAX Rdb/ELN installed on a CPU fully licensed for
     that product and you wish to use the VAX Rdb/ELN Target System
     portion of it on an additional CPU, you can purchase a Single-
     Use License for Target System. This license gives you the right
     to use only the Target System and does not include software war-
     ranty. Additionally, a VAXELN Target System License is require
     for execution.

     This software is furnished under the licensing provisions of
     Digital Equipment Corporation's Terms and Conditions. For more
     information about Digital Equipment Corporation's licensing
     terms and policies, contact your local Digital office.

     LICENSE MANAGEMENT FACILITY SUPPORT

     This layered product supports the VMS License Management Facil-
     ity.

     License units for this product are allocated on a CPU-capacity
     basis.

     For more information on the License Management Facility, refer
     to the VMS Operating System Software Product Description(SPD
     25.01.xx) or the License Management Facility manual of the VMS
     Operating System documentation set.

     For more information about Digital's licensing terms and poli-
     cies, contact your local Digital office.

     SOFTWARE PRODUCT SERVICES

     A variety of service options are available from Digital. For
     more information, please contact your local Digital office.

     SOFTWARE WARRANTY

     Warranty for this software product is provided by Digital with
     the purchase of a license for the product as defined in the
     Software Warranty Addendum of this SPD.

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     VAX Rdb/ELN, Version 2.3                            SPD 28.03.09
      (Relational Database Management System)



     [R]

     [TM]  The DIGITAL Logo, DATATRIEVE, VMS, VAX C, Rdb/VMS, VAX,
           VAXstation, VAXserver, MicroVAX, VAXELN and VAX Rdb/ELN
           are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation.

































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