Firebird News

Tuesday, November 02, 2004

IBReplicator V2.0.0.8 (Beta)

IBReplicator V2.0.0.8 (Beta) is available for download.

IBReplicator Features

Database replication synchronizes data when and where you want it!

A tailored solution
IBReplicator uses Firebird's/InterBase's own native API for all replication, so there is no reliance on middleware and drivers. IBReplicator is, therefore:
  • Fast: Replication occurs directly between servers: there are no intervening layers of processing from database engines or drivers, for example. Our tests indicate that actual replication speeds range from five operations per second over a 28.8 dial-up connection to 200 operations per second between two 200Mhz Pentium machines on a 10BaseT network, where an "operation" is an insert, update or delete.
  • Small: IBReplicator consists only of the necessary code; there is none of the overhead associated with any form of middleware.
  • Inexpensive: IBReplicator does not rely on any other software, so we pay no royalties, which means a cheaper product for you.
Furthermore, IBReplicator can take advantage of Firebirds/InterBase's advanced, non-standard features:
  • Advanced datatypes: IBReplicator can replicate data of all types, including BLObs and arrays.
  • Event-alerters: Replication can occur in response to database events.
  • Two-phase commits: IBReplicator uses InterBase's two-phase commit to ensure that source and target databases are always synchronized.
  • Internationalisation: International character sets are supported.

Ease of use
A replication tool is, by it's nature, a complex piece of software, especially if it is a highly configurable one, like IBReplicator. Nonetheless, careful design has ensured that our replication server is exceptionally easy to install and use:

  • Point-and-click configuration: This tool allows you to select which tables and fields are to be replicated, and to view and edit optional settings; it also generates the required triggers on the source database for you.
  • Minimal configuration: Target databases need no configuration at all.
  • Performance monitor: This tool provides a real-time graph showing how replications are going.

Powerful replication strategies
Just how data should be replicated depends on the what you're trying to do, so our replication server offers you great flexibility as you configure your replications:

  • Multiple source and target databases: IBReplicator allows you to publish the data in many databases, and to subscribe many databases to each of them.
  • Flexible replication timing: Replication can occur either synchronously or asynchronously, i.e. on request, at timed intervals, or in response to database events.
  • N-way replication: Each target database can also be a source database in its turn, with replication being controlled by different instances of the replication server, or even by the same one.
  • Conflict resolution: IBReplicator provides three ways to handle cases where replicated data conflicts with extant data in the target database:
    • Priority-based
      Databases can be given priorities, and the database with the higher priority takes precedence.
    • Time-stamped
      Either the earliest or the latest change takes effect.
    • Master/slave
      The source database always takes precedence.

Remote replication
Our replication engine doesn't have to be running on either the source or the target database server for replication to occur; it can be running on any machine on your network or intranet.

Operation logging
IBReplicator can record its transactions in a log which can be either a window onscreen or a disk file.

Sophisticated database operations
IBReplicator uses a variety of techniques to get the most out of an Firebird/InterBase server, and to give you all the flexibility you need to configure a replication that fits your needs:

  • Optimizations: Only transactions that must be replicated are, in fact, replicated. For example, if an insert is immediately followed by an update of the same row, then only the insert is replicated, but with the more recent data.
  • Multi-segment primary keys: IBReplicator recognizes primary keys made up of multiple columns, and allows each column to be of any InterBase datatype.
  • Complete transactions: Only committed transactions are replicated (and the replication server may bundle multiple transactions into super-transactions for reasons of efficiency).

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