The gateway installs on the same platform running Adabas and requires no client-side footprint.

Nor does it require coding by client-side developers. Rather, Adabas administrators define data to be exposed directly from Adabas to the development platform.

Thus, there's no need to build a connectivity bridge from the database to Java or .Net.

The gateway supports the Eclipse open-source development environment, meaning both Adabas and client-side developers can work in the same environment.

This enables, for example, SDOs (Service Data Objects) that are defined in the gateway to be tested, versioned and maintained in an open-source CVS (Concurrent Version System) repository.

Developers can build SDOs to get information such as employee or product data out of Adabas.

Developers can write a Web service to fetch particular nuggets of information and deliver them back as XML documents.

Also, the gateway can expose Adabas data or logic as a Web service to be consumed by AJAX or BPM (business process management) tools.

Next up in the Adabas 2006 release schedule will come a new version of Software AG's Event Replicator tool, which it rolled out in July 2005.

To read more about the Event Replicator tool, click here.

Event Replicator lets users push Adabas changes out to databases including Adabas, DB2, Oracle, SQL Server and Sybase, as well as to XML-based applications, in real time.

Whereas the July version of Event Replicator ran only on IBM mainframes, other versions are due to roll out later this year.

Also due out under the Adabas 2006 product launch is support for the storage of unstructured multimedia, including voice, video and pictures.

The unstructured support will allow for the storage of XML blobs—for example, the storage of XML data in relational fields.

This use of blobs isn't comparable to storage of native XML such as IBM is doing in its upcoming hybrid SQL/XML database, code-named Viper.

However, Software AG already has its Tamino native XML database.

The Adabas 2006 SOA Gateway is scheduled for general availability March 31.

It's priced according to what type of platform is hosting Adabas and number of processors (or MSUs) deployed.

The gateway supports Adabas Version 7.4 and higher on the mainframe, and Version 5.1 and higher on open systems.

This article was originally published on eWEEK.com.