Investigation of the Microsoft Vista operating system has begun. Preliminary finding is that it may be impossible to protect your data from access by foreign interests if you use that platform.

When used as a standard single-user tool, CoreReader requires far less power than is in today's average workstation.

However, little CoreReader has grown into a heavy-weight wrestler. If you plan to use him as a virtual database server, then you will need the hardware to support a database server. Also, if you run his high speed job server, he may stomp on an under-powered infrastructure.

One of CoreReader's test machines is an old 120 megahertz computer. If you can tolerate slow response and a slow GUI, CoreReader runs fine on it.

The usual minimum would be around twenty megabytes for a CoreReader installation.

The installation process can require up to twenty megabytes of free space. After installation, the system may take as much as ten megabytes. Then add enough to support the kind of work that will be done. Small queries might require only kilobytes, but heavy work could deliver megabyte sized queries to disk.

As noted above, when he started out, 16 meg of RAM was sufficient. But he has grown into a heavy-weight. He may still perform well with that much RAM if he runs alone, but since this is a heavy duty database app, the more that you have, the better.

When a data set is retrieved, CoreReader must manipulate multiple copies of it in RAM. A large data set can require megabytes.

If you have a resource hog, such as Ms. Access or a web browser, do not run it with CoreReader. If you run Ms. Access with CoreReader, even 128 megabytes may not be enough.

CoreReader will query any data source on any operating system on any computer. The only requirement is a communication link to it from the CoreReader computer.

CoreReader currently runs from the Microsoft platform. Tests thus far are going quite well on Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows 2000 workstation, Windows 2000 server, Windows XP, and Windows Vista.

The industry standard ODBC connection components always install with CoreReader. ODBC is fast, lightweight, and dependable. It is all that is needed for all of CoreReader's functions and for most data sources.

If you also need to make OLEDB connections, you may find that you already have OLEDB on your system. Simply tell CoreReader to make an OLEDB connection, and he will tell you if it is not on your system.

If you must have OLEDB, you can use the large CoreReader install, which includes OLEDB. Or, you can download MDAC from the Ms. site which will install OLEDB on your computer. Regardless of where you get OLEDB, some older Windows 95 and 98 systems require the installation of DCOM for OLEDB which can also be downloaded from the Ms. web site. Or simply use ODBC.

( The billionaires are already pushing a replacement for OLEDB called ADO.NET to increase their fortunes. Forget it. We don't need it and I've drawn the line. )

For those who are new to databases:

Every data source or database server has its own software communication links that function like power sockets. CoreReader makes data connections by plugging into those sockets on demand.

( One of the CoreReader test computers has seventeen data sockets between which CoreReader switches on command. He can handle any number. )

Data sockets consist of various pieces of software, which are known as drivers, providers, etc. If you have lost your sockets, many can be found on the internet. Additionally, there are some extremely smart people creating generic sockets, some of which are free. See the documentation.

CoreReader is competitive with some costly products, so when talking to manufacturers about sockets and servers, you may get better service if you do not mention CoreReader.

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Copyright 2001 - 2010 John Ragan.