Virtual DB 3.0 offers unified view

A virtual database management system that draws information from many sources but responds to users as a single system was upgraded this week and put in a package that can be implemented in 30 days.

Virtual DB 3.0 from Enterworks can draw data from 70 different sources, including a variety of relational databases, and offer a unified view through a Web browser. The data is extracted and stored in an object-oriented format in Virtual DB; this allows different data types and formats to be grouped together as needed, said Lenley Henswarling, vice president of marketing.

In addition to reaching more data sources, Virtual DB features a Java user interface and compliance with Common Object Request Broker Architecture and Internet InterOrb Protocol; this enables Virtual DB and remote objects to communicate with each other over the Internet.

Enterworks also added a Virtual DB query language based on SQL92, the standard query language for relational databases, called VQL. The language allows users to insert, update and delete data as if they were dealing with a relational system, Henswarling said.

A virtual database is one answer to the problem of bringing data together from diverse sources to supply the needs of new Web applications. "We push it mainly as a data integration engine. We can play the data where it lies," Henswarling said.

The system is priced at $50,000 with gateways for a few data sources; additional gateways cost $25,000. It is available in a SmartStart package, which comes with consulting and implementation services for $108,000. Enterworks guarantees operation within 30 days.