From Database to Web Browser: The Solutions to Data Access
Raymond Rihao Ling, David C. Yen, David C. Chou · Journal of Computer Information Systems · 2001
The ability to access corporate data from the Web is the powerful engine of E-commerce. There are several underlying reasons of the importance of data access solutions. Evolved from static hypertext retrieval and CGI applications, database access solutions are more advanced and specialized, which can be categorized into three types. Microsoft's Universal Data Access is a platform, application, and tools initiative that defines and delivers both standards and technologies providing access to information across the enterprise. Universal Data Access provides high-performance access to a variety of data and information sources on multiple platforms and an easy-to-use-programming interface that works with practically any tool or language. OLE DB and ADO are two basic building blocks of UDA. When choosing appropriate solutions to data access, there are four main criteria used in the decision-making process: technical feasibility, operational feasibility, economic feasibility, and legal feasibility. Database-to-Web technology contributes to drive today's fast forwarding information technology.