Microsoft Extends SQL Server Reach: This is cool, though only SQL geeks would care.
“Microsoft Corp. will extend the distributed capabilities of its SQL Server 2000 database to over 50 popular, proprietary databases and packaged applications, such as SAP R/3, SAP BW, J.D. Edwards, Siebel and PeopleSoft.”
Now they just need a good Linked Server driver for Exchange.
not quoted above, the next line from the story -- "The Redmond, Wash., company will accomplish this by hooking up with iWay Software, the duo announced on Tuesday."
This has been available for a while, through various ADO/OLE-DB providers, including iWay's, some of which bridge to ODBC drivers. OpenLink Software -- http://www.openlinksw.com -- delivers another such kit, complete with their own OLE-DB Provider for ODBC, which resolves a number of issues still found in Microsoft's own bridge provider.
Or, one could opt for a product that was written with more attention to the need to unify such disparate data sources -- a true Virtual DBMS, such as the Virtuoso Universal Server -- http://www.openlinksw.com/virtuoso -- and which can handle connections through a myriad of data access mechanisms and protocols....
