Los Angeles Ð NeXTSTEP can now communicate directly with some of the world's largest parallel multiprocessor computers, thanks to a new adapter that connects NeXT's DBKit with the Teradata relational database system.
The adapter, developed by the NCR Professional Services Division, makes it easier for developers to create graphical object-oriented applications that access massive databases stored on Teradata mainframes.
The adapter requires an NCR DBC/1012 computer with a LAN connection or an NCR System 3600 computer with Teradata database support.
The DBC/1012 and System 3600 are massively parallel supercomputers that can accommodate over 100 central processing units and more than a terabyte of on-line storage.
The systems are built specifically for running large, fault-tolerant database systems.
"I've been a beta tester [of the DBKit adapter] for over a year," said Michael Koved, manager of finance at Bank of America's acquisition analysis department in San Francisco. "Overall, it's great. It's robust and provides tremendous functionality. It's a tool for me to get at credible information and use very powerful tools on NEXTSTEP."
The adapter is available for NEXTSTEP running on both Motorola and Intel-based hardware, including NCR's System 3333 computer, and requires NEXTSTEP release 3.0 or greater and Teradata database software release 4.1.0 or greater, said Juan Hernandez, a spokesperson for NCR.
In addition to the DBKit adapter, NCR also provides users with a Teradata Call Level Interface library and "include" files, for developers who wish to bypass NeXT's DBKit and directly access data stored on their supercomputer, as well as full on-line documentation.
The adapter is priced at $995 for a single-user license, $5000 for a ten-user license, and $25,000 for an enterprisewide license. A demo version is also available.
NCR Corporation: 310/524-7241; Juan.Hernandez@ElSegundoCA.NCR.COM.