New Features and Upgrading Guide
   CHAPTER 1. Adaptive Server Anywhere 6.0.2     

New features

In addition to bug fixes, Adaptive Server Anywhere version 6.0.2 includes new features in both the software and the documentation.

  New software features

• UltraLite deployment option     UltraLite databases for small devices such as the PalmPilot and Windows CE computers can be deployed with this option.

       For information, see the book UltraLite Deployment Option.

• SQL Remote performance enhancements     A major enhancement of the Adaptive Server Anywhere Message Agent (dbremote) operational model for scanning the transaction log and sending messages greatly improves the range of achievable replication turnaround times. Minimum lag times between entering data at one site and its replication to another site were limited in earlier versions to times on the order of ten minutes. With the new model, minimum lag times on the order of seconds can be achieved in some circumstances.

  When the Message Agent message-sending process runs in continuous mode, it now stays (hovers) at the end of the active transaction log while waiting for more data to be committed, instead of rescanning the transaction log each time. This allows you to poll more frequently, which can significantly reduce time for replication.

       For more information, see Tuning Message Agent performance.

• Backup and Restore SQL statements     Adding BACKUP and RESTORE as SQL statements provides server side backup and automation of backups using SQL scripts.

  The BACKUP statement provides direct backup to tape.

       For more information, see BACKUP statement.

• Security features     New security features have been added.

  • Auditing     Database administrators can keep track of activity performed on a database by turning on the AUDITING option. The record of activities is kept in the transaction log. By turning on auditing, you increase the amount of data saved in the transaction log to include login attempts, accurate timestamps of all events, all permissions checks, and all actions requiring DBA authority.

         For more information, see Auditing database activity.

  • Minimum password length     Database administrators can specify a minimum password length, to discourage easily discovered passwords.

         For more information, see MIN_PASSWORD_LENGTH option.

• Locating servers     A command-line utility is provided for troubleshooting connections.

       For more information, see The DBPing utility.

• Starting databases from jConnect connections     Database connections over TDS, including connections from Java applications over jConnect, can start a database on a server.

       For more information, see Supplying a URL for the server.

• getObject and setObject methods from Java client applications     From Java applications connecting through jConnect 4.0, you can now retrieve objects from a table and insert objects into a table without the explicit serialization and deserialization required in previous releases.

       For more information, see Inserting and retrieving objects.

• ODBC 3.51     The ODBC driver has been updated to ODBC 3.51.

• Administration utility enhancements     Options have been added to the administration utilities to provide additional features.

  • dbtran     If you use the new -d switch, dbtran puts each operation as it occurs in the transaction log file. This makes transaction log output easier to read. This has been added primarily for auditing purposes.

         For more information, see The DBTRAN command-line utility.

  • dbtran     You can run dbtran against a running database server instead of against a log file. This feature has been added to increase the security of the transaction log—there is now no need to access the transaction log directly.

         For more information, see The DBTRAN command-line utility.

  • LTM and SQL Remote Message Agents     New command-line options allow you to tune message logging from these utilities.

         For more information, see The Log Transfer Manager, and The Message Agent.

  • New LTM options     New command line options enable you to replicate only backed up transactions (backup_only), and to shut down as soon as all data is replicated (continuous).

         For more information, see The LTM configuration file.

  New documentation features

In addition to documenting the new features, some additional material has been added to the online documentation.

• Security features     A chapter has been added, which collects together information on Adaptive Server Anywhere security features, including auditing.

       This chapter is Using Security Features.

• Using subqueries     A chapter has been added, which describes in more detail how to use subqueries.

       This chapter is Using Subqueries.