Following find the "Top 15" SIGIMAGE enhancment requests, resulting from the
tabulation of all ballots faxed in prior to and submitted at IPROF-96.  A
total of 59 valid ballots were counted.  Twenty-three valid ballots were
faxed in before the meeting;  36 were submitted on site.  Hardcopies of all
the raw ballots and the complete ranking of all enhancement requests are
being sent to the HP Database Lab.
 
Three people faxed in an early ballot *and* voted again at IPROF.....
 Consensus was:  One person, one vote.  Therefore for the three people who
voted twice, the last ballot (at IPROF) was taken as the final version and
counted;  the earlier fax-in was discarded.  The SIGIMAGE balloting
procedure followed the traditional method:  Each member had a maximum of
$100 to "spend", divided up any way they would like.
 
Of the "Top 15" enhancement proposals, the clear number one winner was
"Provide a 32-bit ODBC Driver for Image/SQL";  it received a total of  550
 votes (dollars).  Note that 32-bit ODBC is also the current number one
enhancement request on the SIGALLBASE list.
 
During discussions with the HP Database Lab after IPROF, it was agreed that
we should NOT forward the 32-bit ODBC request to the Interex System
Improvement Committee (SIC) for inclusion in the SIC ballot that will be
going out to all Interex members shortly.  Therefore the SIC has been sent
numbers two through 11 on the following list, as the current SIGIMAGE "Top
10".  Rational:
 
(a)   The 32-bit ODBC project at the HP Database lab is funded, staffed, and
in process.
 
(b)   At the IPROF-96 SIGIMAGE meeting HP projected delivery of this
enhancement shortly after the upcoming August HP World Conference in
Anaheim.
 
(c)   If 32-bit ODBC was included on the SIC ballot, results would not be
available until the project is far advanced.
 
(d)   Enhancements at the stage 32-bit ODBC is at are traditionally moved to
the SIGIMAGE "Now/Soon Available" list.  It has now been so moved.
 
With that introduction, I will not keep you in suspense any longer:
 
 
**********************************************************
**     The SIGIMAGE "TOP 15" from IPROF-96    **
**********************************************************
 
# 1   --  550  votes.  On ballot as item 35.
        Provide a 32-bit ODBC Driver for Image/SQL.  >>>>
 
# 2   --   486  votes.  On ballot as item 20.
        Extend Image/SQL data access to include MPE and
        KSAM files.  >>>>
 
# 3    --   476  votes.  On ballot as item 1.
        Ability to add/drop Image/SQL datasets, indexes, and
        items through SQL.  >>>>
Currently this can be accomplished only by doing an Image unload/reload or
by using a database tool.  The ability to perform these tasks online is part
of standard SQL functionality for a Relational DBMS.
 
# 4    --   370  votes.  On ballot as item 22.
        Provide date/time datatypes in Image/SQL.  >>>>
 
# 5   --   289  votes.  On ballot as item 21.
        Provide support for Binary Large Objects (BLOBS) in
        Image/SQL.  >>>>
This does not necessarily mean that BLOBS would have to be stored internally
in Image.
 
# 6   --   281  votes.  On ballot as item 9.
        Provide ability to retain and reuse attach parameters across a
        detach/re-attach of an Image/SQL database to a DBE.  >>>>
 
# 7   --   254  votes.  On ballot as item 5.
        Support SQL NULL items in Image/SQL.  >>>>
The concept of NULL items is part of standard SQL functionality.
 
# 8   --   249  votes.  On ballot as item 12.
        Provide a DBQUIESCE intrinsic in Image/SQL.  >>>>
The current limited DBQUIESCE implementaion is focused on the needs of
database backup products.  This request is to extend the functionality so
that other database tools and/or applications can utilize the feature
without having to fully disable user access.
 
# 9   --   248  votes.  On ballot as item 38.
        Provide the ability to do "FIND FIELDA = FIELDB" in
        Image QUERY.   >>>>
 
# 10   --   219  votes.  On ballot as item 14.
        Allow tracking files to be associated with
        Image/SQL databases.   >>>>
Various database tools need to be able to determine what files are
associated with a given database name.  This request would allow tools such
as backup products to properly store/restore all files needed for a
particular database implementation (such as the schema, third-party indexes,
etc.).
 
# 11 --   199  votes.  On ballot as item 2.
        Provide a read-only DBLOCK mode in Image/SQL
        (repeatable read).   >>>>
This would allow concurrent reads, while forcing database writes to wait
until all read-only locks are released.  The concept of a read-only lock is
part of standard SQL functionality.
 
# 12 --   194  votes.  On ballot as item 23.
        Ability to specify flags and settings in DBSCHEMA.  >>>>
 
# 13 --   190  votes.  On ballot as item 19.
        GETUPDATE to update record(s) without DBGET.  >>>>
This is a proposal for a new intrinsic that would essentially perform record
retrieval and update in one call, which would save the overhead of
conducting parameter checking multiple times.
 
# 14 --   172  votes.  On ballot as item 15.
        Provide a Measurement Interface for Image/SQL
        performance data.   >>>>
This would involve providing a facility to measure and record database
performance data.
 
# 15 --   145  votes.  On ballot as item 36.
        Provide a MULTIFIND update / delete function
        in Image QUERY.   >>>>
 ------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Ken Sletten
SIGIMAGE Chair
=====================================
Interex email:    [log in to unmask]
direct  email:     [log in to unmask]
 
smail:     Ken Sletten
                NUWC Division Keyport
                Code 332, Building 894
                Keyport, WA  98345-7610
 
tel:   360-396-2525   fax:   360-396-7861 / 2851
=====================================