Product overview

PRODBX elements

The active components of the PRODBX suite are a number of connection clients talking to each other through a dispatcher application. The way they communicate with each other is configured with the configuration manager and distributed to the clients. Activities of the clients are logged by the dispatcher and can be examined using the logging manager.

NT, 2000 or XP oriented platforms also run the transaction handler module. This is the intermediate module that enables your network to run real-time data exchange.

All PRODBX clients talk to the PRODBX dispatcher using ANSI-SQL commands, no matter what type of plugin you're using. This means that some non-database oriented PRODBX clients are using their own SQL interpreter/generator. Further in this document we call the ANSI-SQL commands PRODBX transactions.

PRODBX transactions are communicated with other PRODBX nodes by selecting one of the following transport protocols:

• DCOM: This is the standard Windows way applications communicate with each other. DCOM is available starting from Windows NT 4, and Windows 98/2. Windows 95 and 98/1 need to install extra software to be downloaded from the microsoft site. DCOM is also made available on non i386 platforms. Contact your supplier for further detail.
• XML (MAIL): PRODBX transactions are packed in XML files and sent as attachment using SMTP mail protocol. For slow modem connections PRODBX can be configured to automatically ZIP the XML files which reduces traffic with 90%.
• XML (HTTP): PRODBX transactions are packed in XML files and sent/received to/from an internet web server running IIS (Internet Information Server). This solutions assumes the PRODBX dispatcher to run on a server based machine. 

The connection client holds the main engine of PRODBX.