ADO.NET DATA CONNECTIVITY RESOURCES

ADO.NET FAQs 

What is the Microsoft .NET Architecture?
What is ADO.NET?
How Does ADO.NET Work?
Why Do Application Developers Need ADO.NET?
Why Should Application Developers Care about Managed Code?
What's the Difference Between DataDirect's Implementation of ADO.NET Data Provider Technology vs. Competing Alternatives?
Which Version of the .NET Framework Does DataDirect Technologies Support?
ADO.NET Performance
ADO.NET Diagnostics
ADO.NET Security
Additional reasons to consider migrating to DataDirect's ADO.NET Data Providers for use with your .NET Framework Application
Where Can I Learn More About ADO.NET and the .NET Framework?
24x7 Support

What is the Microsoft .NET Architecture?

The Microsoft .NET architecture is the programming model for the .NET platform. The .NET Framework provides a managed execution environment, simplified development and deployment and integration with a wide variety of programming languages.

The .NET Framework has two key parts:

The .NET Framework class library is a comprehensive, object-oriented collection of reusable types that you can use to develop applications. The .NET Framework class library includes ADO.NET, ASP.NET, and Windows Forms.

The common language runtime (CLR) is the core runtime engine for executing applications in the .NET Framework. You can think of the CLR as a safe area - a "sandbox" - inside of which your .NET code runs. Code that runs in the CLR is called managed code. It is fully protected from the outside environment and highly optimized within, taking advantage of the services that the CLR provides such as security, performance, deployment facilities, and memory management, including garbage collection.

What is ADO.NET?

ADO.NET is the data access component for the .NET Framework.

ADO.NET leverages the power of XML to provide disconnected access to data. ADO.NET is made of a set of classes that are used for connecting to a database, providing access to relational data, XML, and application data, and retrieving results. ADO.NET data providers contain classes that represent the provider's Connection, Command, DataAdapter and DataReader objects (among others).

The following figure shows how ADO.NET fits into the communication between a Web client and the DBMS.

How Does ADO.NET Work?

ADO.NET makes it possible to establish a connection with a data source, send queries and update statements to the data source, and process the results.

ADO.NET has several key components:

Application or component; processes and calls ADO.NET functions to submit SQL statements and retrieve results.

DataSet; as in-memory cache of data which functions like a disconnected XML data cache. The overall functions of the DataSet closely recall those of an in-memory database. The DataSet is designed to run in the application space wherever the logic requires local data. This helps increase scalability of systems by reducing load on the major database backends and enabling local processing of data across whatever tier the application requires. For flexibility, the DataSet provides XML and relational interfaces of the data to the developer.

DataReader; which provides a direct, read-only SQL interface to the backend. The DataReader is a component of the data provider.

ADO.NET Data Provider; connects an ADO.NET application to the backend data store. The data provider comprises the Connection, Command, DataReader and DataAdapter objects. The data provider supplies connection information through the Connection object.

The following figure shows a scenario in which the application and the ADO.NET data provider are both built with managed code. The application can connect to a database using either a DataSet and a DataAdapter or using a DataReader.

Why Do Application Developers Need ADO.NET?

ADO.NET provides a comprehensive caching data model for marshalling data between applications and services with facilities to optimistically update the original data sources. This enables developer to begin with XML while leveraging existing skills with SQL and the relational model.

Although the ADO.NET model is different from the existing ADO model, the same basic concepts include provider, connection and command objects. By combining the continued use of SQL with similar basic concepts, current ADO developers should be able to migrate to ADO.NET over a reasonable period of time.

Why Should Application Developers Care about Managed Code?

Code that runs within the CLR is called managed code. Code that runs in the native OS and not the CLR, such as client libraries, COM components, etc. is called unmanaged code. You can mix managed and unmanaged code within a single application.

Unlike 100% managed code, unmanaged code reaches outside the CLR, increasing complexity, reducing performance and opening potential security risks. While some vendors promote their .NET data providers as "built with managed code", they do not promote the fact that the data provider must call to the client libraries to make a connection to the database, introducing unmanaged code.

The following figure shows the difference between using a managed data provider that calls the client library and using a Wire Protocol managed data provider that connects to the DBMS with no intervening unmanaged code.

DataDirect Connect for .NET data provider uses Wire Protocol technology, eliminating the need to call client libraries, simplifying development and dramatically reducing configuration and support issues.

The built-in advantages of Wire Protocol technology gives DataDirect Technologies ADO.NET data providers a big advance over competing data providers. DataDirect ADO.NET data providers are built from 100% managed code.

To learn more about the importance of managed code, visit this link.

What's the Difference Between DataDirect's Implementation of ADO.NET Data Provider Technology vs. Competing Alternatives?

View a competitive matrix chart for Sybase.

View a competitive matrix chart for DB2.

View a competitive matrix chart for Oracle.

DataDirect ADO.NET data providers offer the following advantages over other ADO.NET data providers:

DataDirect Technologies offers the only 100% managed code ADO.NET data providers for all major databases, including:

By using 100% managed code, you can take advantage of the numerous built-in services of the CLR, enhancing the performance of your managed application. In addition, because no calls are made outside of the .NET Framework, you get automatic memory management and built-in security checks

DataDirect works closely with Oracle, IBM, Microsoft, Sybase, and other database vendors. This allows DataDirect to gain early access to new database versions and insight into product and architectural direction.

DataDirect Connect for .NET is tested against Microsoft's proprietary ADO.NET test suites. To supplement that testing and further ensure the quality of our data providers, we have developed our own extensive test suite.

DataDirect data providers support interoperability features, including:

• Escape syntax for stored procedure executions
• Scalar functions
• Outer joins

Which Version of the .NET Framework Does DataDirect Technologies Support?

DataDirect Connect for .NET 2.2 data providers support versions 1.0 and 1.1 of the .NET Framework. You can download all supported versions of the Microsoft .NET Framework from the Microsoft web site. You can also download the .NET Redistributable, which provides the software that you and your customers need to run .NET Framework applications.

DataDirect Connect for .NET 2.2 has been certified for running on the .NET Framework 2.0. Any applications built with Visual Studio .NET 2005 (using the .NET Framework 1.x functionality and ADO.NET 1.0 interfaces) are now supported.

DataDirect Technologies will fully support ADO.NET 2.0 functionality in the Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 in an upcoming release.

ADO.NET Performance

The CLR was designed from the start to provide optimized performance. By using 100% managed code, you can take advantage of the numerous built-in services of the CLR to enhance the performance of your managed application.

Because of the runtime services and checks that the CLR performs, applications do not need to include separate versions of these services.

Performance and scalability may be impacted by many different factors, from application architecture to tuning options to the software itself. Using 100% managed code eliminates the need to call COM components. In managed code, all the data, logic and processing reside within the CLR. 100% managed code eliminates dependencies on native vendor code.

Applications built from managed code can call COM components and other unmanaged code. However, the cost can become very expensive because of extra security checks.

To learn more about optimizing DataDirect's ADO.NET data providers for high performance data connectivity, visit this page.

ADO.NET Diagnostics

The .NET Trace class provides a set of methods and properties that help you trace the execution of your code. You can use the properties and methods in the Trace class to instrument release builds.

Instrumentation allows you to monitor the health of your application running in real-life settings. Tracing helps you isolate problems and fix them without disturbing a running system.

In Visual Studio .NET projects, the Trace class is enabled by default. This means that code is generated for all Trace methods in both release and debug builds. End users can turn on tracing to help identify the problem without the program having to be recompiled.

The .NET Framework 2.0 includes Tracing support for the Microsoft ADO.NET data providers for fine-grained debugging of data access components across multiple tiers and into .NET Framework managed code, as well as native code.

DataDirect Technologies ADO.NET data providers have always supported tracing. Each of our data providers can trace the input arguments to all of its public method calls, as well as the outputs and returns from those methods (anything that a user could potentially call). The DataDirect ADO.NET data providers deliver additional tracing capability, including tracing input arguments to all public method calls and tracing outputs and returns from those methods (anything that a user could potentially call). Each call contains trace entries for entering and exiting the method. Provider-specific methods allow the data providers to trace all method calls to a user-specified trace file.

The DataDirect ADO.NET data providers contain PerfMon hooks that let you monitor the number of connections, connection pools and the number of connections in connection pools.

Data Connectivity Security with ADO.NET

Microsoft devoted significant effort toward addressing security in regard to ADO.NET and the CLR itself, providing tremendous advances for the platform. Code access security (an important feature of the .NET Framework) helps to limit access to protected resources.

Systems administrators can define a security policy that very precisely identifies which functions users or assemblies will be allowed to access. By contrast, an application that includes unmanaged code cannot take advantage of these security capabilities.

Microsoft's MSDN document, "Secure Coding Guidelines for the .NET Framework", states;

"Some library code may need to call into unmanaged code. Because this requires going outside the security perimeter for managed code, due caution is required... because any managed code that affords a code path into native code is a potential target for malicious code. Determining which unmanaged code can be safely used and how it must be used requires extreme care."

With managed code, the application does not have direct access to pointers, machine registers or memory. 100% managed code is fully controlled by security policies within the .NET Framework. The .NET Framework enforces security by causing potentially dangerous actions to fail with a security violation exception. Buffer overruns, which are a common type of security hole, are virtually impossible with 100% managed code.

Additional reasons to consider migrating to DataDirect's ADO.NET Data Providers for use with your .NET Framework Applications

DataDirect Technologies has enjoyed a long-standing strategic technology relationship with Microsoft. We continue to collaborate with Microsoft on the development of the ADO.NET specification, extending and improving the standard for all major databases. The result of this relationship is DataDirect Connect for .NET, the only business class suite of data providers built with 100% managed code.

In addition, DataDirect Connect for .NET provides:
- Only suite of .NET data providers to offer SQL leveling functionality, delivering easier portability between databases, simplified testing, and fewer lines of code to maintain.
- Quality assured by rigorous product testing and use of both the Microsoft test suite and DataDirect's own large test suite.

DataDirect Connect for .NET - Oracle

To learn more about DataDirect Connect for .NET for Oracle databases, visit this page.

DataDirect Connect for .NET - DB2

To learn more about DataDirect Connect for .NET for DB2 databases, visit this page.

DataDirect Connect for .NET - Sybase

To learn more about DataDirect Connect for .NET for Sybase databases, visit this page.

DataDirect Connect for .NET - SQL Server

Where Can I Learn More About ADO.NET and the .NET Framework?

24x7 Support

DataDirect offers US based, highly knowledgable, technical support that is available 24x7, ensuring rapid response to customer inquiries (see the DataDirect SupportLink website for more information.)

ADO.NET Definitions

This directory contains a brief listing of common terminology and associated definitions, descriptions and examples associated with application development within the Microsoft .NET Framework. The list may provide an initial introduction to the basics of ADO.NET programming.

Click on the hyperlinks below to navigate to comprehensive descriptions accompanying the selected term:

.NET Architecture

The programming model for the .NET platform.

The .NET Framework provides a managed execution environment, simplified development and deployment, and integration with a wide variety of programming languages.

The .NET Framework has two key parts:

1. The .NET Framework class library is a comprehensive, object-oriented collection of reusable types that you can use to develop applications. The .NET Framework class library includes ADO.NET, ASP.NET and Windows Forms.
2. The common language runtime (CLR) is the core runtime engine for executing applications in the .NET Framework. You can think of the CLR as a safe area - a "sandbox" - inside of which your .NET code runs. Code that runs in the CLR is called managed code.
   
   

ADO.NET

The data access component for the .NET Framework.

ADO.NET leverages the power of XML to provide disconnected access to data. ADO.NET is made of a set of classes that are used for connecting to a database, providing access to relational data, XML, application data and retrieving results.

ADO.NET is made of a set of classes that are used for connecting to a database, providing access to relational data, XML, application data, and retrieving results. 

ASP.NET

The component of the Microsoft .NET Framework used for building, deploying, and running Web applications and distributed applications. 

Assembly

A compiled representation of one or more classes.

Each assembly is self-contained, that is, the assembly includes the metadata about the assembly as a whole.

Assemblies can be private or shared:

• Private assemblies, which are used by a limited number of applications, are placed in the application folder or one of its subfolders. For example, even if the client has two different applications that call a private assembly named formulas, each client application loads the correct assembly.
• Shared assemblies, which are available to multiple client applications, are placed in the Global Assembly Cache (GAC). Each shared assembly is assigned a strong name to handle name and version conflicts.
  

Assembly Cache

A code cache used for side-by-side storage of assemblies.

The assembly cache is made of two parts:

• The global assembly cache contains assemblies that are explicitly installed to be shared among many applications on the computer.
• The download cache is a directory inside the assembly cache that stores code downloaded from the Internet or intranet site and isolated to the application that caused the download. This isolation prevents code downloaded on behalf of one application from affecting other applications.

Code Access Security (CAS)

The component of the Microsoft .NET Framework used for building, deploying and running Web applications and distributed applications. 

Common Language Runtime (CLR)

The core runtime engine in the Microsoft .NET Framework. The CLR supplies services such as cross-language integration, code access security, object lifetime management and debugging support. Applications that run in the CLR are sometimes said to be running "in the sandbox." 

Download Cache

The subdirectory in assembly cache that stores code downloaded from Internet or intranet sites, isolated to the application that caused the download. This isolation prevents code downloaded on behalf of one application from affecting other applications. 

DTC (Distributed Transaction Coordinator)

In Microsoft Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP and the Windows Server 2003 family, the DTC is a system service that is part of COM+ services.

COM+ components that use DTC can enlist .NET connections in distributed transactions. This makes it possible to scale transactions from one to many computers without adding special code. 

Expose

To host and make available a Web service so that it can be used by other applications or services. 

Garbage Collection

A process in the CLR that automatically frees allocated objects when there are no longer any outstanding references to them. The developer does not need to explicitly free memory assigned to an object. 

Global Assembly Cache (GAC)

The part of the assembly cache that stores assemblies specifically installed to be shared by many applications on the computer. Applications deployed in the global assembly cache must have a strong name to handle name and version conflicts. 

Isolation Level

An isolation level represents a particular locking strategy employed in the database system to improve data consistency. The higher the isolation level, the more complex the locking strategy behind it.

The isolation level provided by the database determines whether a transaction will encounter defined behaviors in data consistency.

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) defines four isolation levels:

1. Read uncommitted (0)
2. Read committed (1)
3. Repeatable read (2)
4. Serializable (3)
   
   

JIT Compiler

The "just-in-time" compilation that converts Microsoft intermediate language (MSIL) into machine code at the point when the code is required at run time. 

Locking Level

Locking is a database operation that restricts a user from accessing a table or record. Locking is used in situations when more than one user might try to use the same table at the same time. By locking the table or record, only one user at a time can affect the data. 

Managed Code

Code executed and managed by the .NET Framework, specifically by the CLR. Managed code must supply the information necessary for the CLR to provide services such as memory management and code access security. 

Microsoft .NET Framework

The Microsoft .NET Framework has two key parts:

1. The .NET Framework class library is a comprehensive, object-oriented collection of reusable types that you can use to develop applications. The .NET Framework class library includes ADO.NET, ASP.NET and Windows Forms.
2. The common language runtime (CLR) is the core runtime engine for executing applications in the .NET Framework. You can think of the CLR as a safe area - a "sandbox" - inside of which your .NET code runs. Code that runs in the CLR is called managed code.

Microsoft Intermediate Language (MSIL)

A CPU-independent set of instructions that can be converted to native code. MSIL includes instructions for loading, storing, initializing and calling methods on objects, as well as instructions for arithmetic and logical operations, control flow, direct memory access, exception handling and other operations. 

Namespace

A logical naming scheme for grouping related types.

The .NET Framework uses a hierarchical naming scheme for grouping types into logical categories of related functionality, such as the ASP.NET technology or remoting functionality. Design tools can use namespaces to make it easier for developers to browse and reference types in their code.

A single assembly can contain types whose hierarchical names have different namespace roots, and a logical namespace root can span multiple assemblies.

In the .NET Framework, a namespace is a logical design-time naming convenience, whereas an assembly establishes the name scope for types at run time. 

No-touch Deployment

A feature of the .NET Framework, similar to browser-based application deployment, that lets clients download the assemblies they need from a remote web server.

The first time an assembly is referenced, it is downloaded to the download cache on the client and executed. After that, when the client accesses the application, the application checks the server to find out whether any assemblies have been updated. Any new assemblies are downloaded to the download cache on the client, refreshing the application without any interaction with the end user. 

Side-by-side Execution

The ability to install and use multiple versions of the same assembly in isolation at the same time. Allowing different versions of assemblies to coexist and to execute simultaneously on the same computer enables robust versioning. 

Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP)

A simple, XML-based protocol for exchanging structured data and type information over the Internet. SOAP is currently the de facto standard for XML messaging.

SOAP consists of:

• An envelope that defines a framework for describing message structure.
• A set of encoding rules for expressing instances of application-defined data types.
• A convention for using SOAP with HTTP.\ 

Strong Name

A name that consists of an assembly's text name, version number and culture information (if provided), with a public key and a digital signature generated over the assembly.

Assemblies with the same strong name should be identical. Strong names provide a strong integrity check, because the .NET Framework security checks to be sure that the contents of the assembly have not been changed since it was built. 

Universal Description, Discover, and Integration (UDDI)

A platform-independent framework that provides a way to locate and register Web services on the Internet.

The UDDI specification calls for three elements, similar to a telephone book:

1. White pages; which provide business contact information
2. Yellow pages; which organize Web services into categories (for example, credit card authorization services)
3. Green pages; which provide detailed technical information about individual services.

The UDDI specification also contains an operational registry. 

Unicode

A standard that software can use to support multi-lingual character sets.

The .NET Framework uses UTF-16 Unicode encoding to represent characters. .NET applications use encoding and decoding to map character representations between Unicode and non-Unicode formats. The .NET Framework also provides UTF-8, ASCII, and ANSI/ISO encodings. 

Unmanaged Code

Code that is executed directly by the operating system, outside of the CLR.

Unmanaged code includes all code written before the .NET Framework was introduced. This includes code written to use COM, native Win32 and Visual Basic 6. Because it does not run inside the .NET environment, unmanaged code cannot make use of any .NET managed facilities. 

Web Forms

An ASP.NET feature that can be used to create the user interface for Web applications.

The Web Forms page works as a container for the static text and controls you want to display. The programming logic for the Web Forms page resides in a separate file from the user interface file. This file is referred to as the "code-behind" file and has an ".aspx.vb" or ".aspx.cs" extension, depending on whether the code-behind file was written in Visual Basic or Visual C#. 

Web Services

A set of modular applications or "services" that can be accessed within a network (e.g., the Internet, an intranet, or extranet) through a standard interface, typically XML. 

XML Web Services

See "Web services", above.

ADO.NET Tutorials: 

 ADO.NET and Oracle Examples

Simplify your NHibernate Deployment, by Eliminating the Oracle Client

Getting Started with Linq and Entity SQL Queries to Oracle 11g Using the ADO.NET Entity Framework

Getting Started with ASP.NET to Oracle 11g Using the ADO.NET Entity Data Framework

Using DataDirect Connect for ADO.NET with Oracle RAC

Go to the complete .NET for Oracle code example library.

 ADO.NET and DB2 Code Samples

Code Examples - DB2

Go to the complete .NET for DB2 code example library.

 ADO.NET and Sybase Examples

Using DataDirect Connect for ADO.NET with Sybase

Go to the complete .NET for Sybase code example library.

 ADO.NET and Microsoft SQL Server Examples and Code Samples

SQL Escape Sequences for .NET

Code Examples - Microsoft SQL Server

 Interoperability

Using the Microsoft Enterprise Library Data Access Application Block (DAAB) in Your Application

Interoperability and .NET

Achieving Database Interoperability through SQL Leveling Across Data Access APIs

Converting an ADO.NET Application to Use DataDirect Connect for ADO.NET Providers

 100% Managed Code, ADO.NET No-Touch Deployment, .NET Performance and .NET Security

Enterprise Security Features in DataDirect Connect — Secure Architecture, Kerberos, and SSL

The Importance of Using 100% Managed Code

ADO.NET No-Touch Deployment - FAQs

Connection Pooling in ADO.NET Applications

Failover Support in DataDirect ADO.NET Data Providers

 Optimizing ADO.NET Performance and .NET Security

The Importance of 100% Managed Code

Designing Performance-Optimized .NET Applications

 U.S. Daylight Saving Time Changes

Support for 2007 Daylight Saving Time (DST) in ADO.NET products

Support for 2007 Daylight Saving Time (DST) Change in DataDirect SequeLink

ADO.NET White Papers

Data Connectivity white papers are not always separated out by specific product line. Below is a list of the most recent Data Connectivity white papers. To view all Data Connectivity white papers, please visit our Resource Library.

Database Middleware: Struggling with Performance?
Read this white paper to learn how to influence performance and how to optimize efficiency for data requests and responses.

Solution Guide: Data Access for Microsoft SQL Server Business Intelligence Suite
Leverage other data sources such as Oracle, DB2, and Sybase with Microsoft SQL Server Business Intelligence (BI) solutions to get the most from your SQL Server 2005 or 2008 investment.

The Essential Series: Managed .NET Connectivity
This article discusses the architectural distinctives of a well-designed .Net connectivity product. It looks at the features required to minimize resource utilization on the host system and provide optimal scalability within an enterprise ecosphere.

A Research Note from Nucleus Research: ISVs Save with DataDirect Drivers
DataDirect’s investment in innovation in data connectivity enables ISVs
to reduce the cost, risk, and complexity of delivering and supporting applications for customers and enables them to focus their efforts where they can be most effective.

Service-Oriented Data Access: Building Interoperable, Robust & Reusable Data Services
In this white paper, Jason Bloomberg explains the role of data in a SOA, the data issues you face when attempting to layer a service-oriented approach on top of existing data sources, how to solve data integration challenges and address potential data access pitfalls, and how to architect a data services layer to reap the full benefits of SOA.

Data Access Middleware Security Simplifies Business Process Applications
Ira Winkler, founder of ISAG and well-known security expert, wrote the report, which documents his assessment and establishes the need for security features as an integral part of database drivers and providers. The report also provides important information if you’re looking to implement Single Sign-on (SSO) or data encryption.

Vendor Selection Criteria - An Application Architect's Guide
This guide details the various database connectivity options that are available and provides information about the factors that influence the selection of the option that is best for your critical system.

Nucleus Research: ROI Evaluation Report of Data Connectivity Products
This report provides case studies and detailed examples of the economic and technical benefits from addressing data connectivity requirements at design time.

Database Connectivity for Critical Business Systems: An Application Architect's Guide
This paper discusses the technical benefits you should look for in database connectivity components, and the financial and business implications of your database connectivity choice.

What You Don't Know About Data Connectivity CAN Hurt You
This paper provides an overview of data connectivity, details its effect on application quality, and explores various alternative solutions.

ADO.NET Webinars

Data Connectivity webinars are not always separated out by specific product line. Below is a list of the most recent Data Connectivity Webinars. To view all Data Connectivity webinars, please visit our Resource Library.

Move Mountains without Sacrificing Performance
Bulk Load for Oracle,SQL Server, DB2 and Sybase
October 21, 2009
If your business has mountains of data that need to move into and out of Oracle, SQL Server, DB2, or Sybase, you may be stuck with an under performing approach and don't even know it. In this webinar, we will: Describe and illustrate the performance bottlenecks, technical pitfalls, and functional limitations of standard approaches; and demonstrate the best approach for moving large amounts of data as fast as possible.

Progress DataDirect Technology Briefing: Considerations for Maximum Performance
As you consider data access from different programming frameworks and languages, you need to consider many performance factors. learn how you can avoid some of the common pitfalls before you start your next project. Join us for an overview of data access in different environments and learn how you can avoid some of the common pitfalls before you start your next project.

High Availability Isn't Good Enough: Enhancing Application Architecture for Oracle, SQL Server, DB2 and Sybase for ISVs
May 28, 2009
In this webinar, we will explore the challenges of designing applications and complex systems for high availability. We will also show how to increase the uptime of your environment by having smarter data access components while lowering your IT costs.

Architectural Considerations for Building High Performance Database Applications
August 26, 2009
Join Rob Steward, VP of R&D, as he discusses the data architecture considerations for various technology scenarios such as Web–based apps, server-based apps, SOA, event–based applications and more.

Microsoft Deprecates Its Oracle Data Provider for .NET – Now What?
July 16, 2009
Join DataDirect to learn the right strategies for evaluating and testing .NET providers for Oracle and take advantage of the simplest way to migrate to a new data provider for Oracle. And while you're at it, ensure that your Oracle .NET applications get a instant performance and functionality boost.

Real-Time Data Virtualization: The New Era of Data Consumption 
June 30, 2009
Next generation webinar that will introduce you to an Information-as-a-Service or Data Services strategy that virtualizes data access, integration, and consumption from multiple, fragmented data sources in real-time on behalf of multiple data consumers throughout the organization.

Bullet Proof Your Data Access on the .NET Framework 
December 17, 2008
Join Stephen Wynkoop, Microsoft SQL Server MVP and Rob Steward, DataDirect VP of R&D as they bring different perspectives to the technologies surrounding .NET data access.

Improving .NET Application Performance and Reliability 
February 27, 2008
This webinar will discuss how the DataDirect Connect for ADO.NET providers allow full leverage of the .NET Framework for applications that rely on SQL Server, Oracle, DB2 and Sybase. This is critical since the ADO.NET providers that Oracle, IBM and Sybase are not 100% managed.

Building Data-Rich Service-Oriented Business Applications in a Heterogeneous Environment
January 24, 2008
Learn how to break the ties of traditional business intelligence and business activity monitoring solutions by exposing real-time, flexible access to heterogeneous data sources - providing far more value to the business than the static, summary data that older tools typically provide.

Converting Your Applications to DataDirect Connect for ADO.NET
September 26, 2007
This webinar will walk you through the steps necessary to convert your applications so that they can fully leverage the benefits of the Common Language Runtime. These benefits are tied to the fact that the DataDirect Connect for ADO.NET database provider is 100% managed.

Designing your Data Architecture for Performance
August 1, 2007
This presentation introduces best practices for measuring and benchmarking the performance and scalability of your application's database access code. It discuss how you can create an environment that accurately simulates your production system, and how you can design tests that accurately measure performance and scalability.

Develop, Deploy and Execute SSIS packages for non-SQL Server Databases
July 12, 2007
To help you learn more about the specific technical features and benefits of Connect64 for SSIS, DataDirect is offering this free webinar which will include a demonstration of the product in use as well as a technical Q&A session.

Developing Interoperable .NET applications with DataDirect Connect for ADO.NET
June 28, 2007
This technical webinar will explain how you can develop applications that can support any database, while reducing the cost of developing, deploying and maintaining those applications.

Introducing Connect for ADO.NET Version 3.1 – New Feature Overview
May 16, 2007
This webinar will introduce the latest Connect for ADO.NET, version 3.1 release to customers and prospects interested in getting the most out of their .NET applications.

ADO.NET Performance Tips & Tricks
March 13, 2007
This technical webinar will help you measure and improve your application performance. We'll discuss how advancements in database and hardware technologies have moved the performance and scalability bottleneck from the database engine to the database middleware.

Reducing Development & Deployment Costs Time and Cost with DataDirect Connect for ADO.NET 
January 30, 2007
This webinar will discuss the development and deployment capabilities that are supported by the DataDirect Connect for ADO.NET database providers. These extensive capabilities help ensure that you can develop applications in a timely fashion and deploy and maintain those applications with minimal cost.

Extending .NET 100% Managed Code Advantages to Oracle, DB2 and Sybase Environments
December 5, 2006
This webinar will discuss how the DataDirect Connect for ADO.NET providers extend the value of the .NET Framework to applications that rely on Oracle, DB2 and Sybase. This is critical since the ADO.NET providers that Oracle, IBM and Sybase are not 100% managed.

Leveraging the ADO.NET 2.0 Common Programming Model & MetaData Capabilities 
October 31, 2006
This webinar takes a hands-on look at the Common Programming Model and the new Metadata capabilities of ADO.NET 2.0. The following topics will be discussed; what's new in ADO.NET 2.0, using the Common Programming Model in ADO.NET 2.0, and using the new Metadata capabilities of ADO.NET 2.0.

Nucleus Research Webcast Replay: Achieving ROI through Data Connectivity
August 10, 2006
View a replay of the webcast by Nucleus Research, an ROI-focused technology research and advisory firm. Nucleus Research conducted in-depth interviews with DataDirect customers in leading organizations to gather ROI data on the costs and benefits associated with data connectivity technology.

ADO.NET Podcasts

Data Connectivity podcasts are not separated out by specific product line. Below is a list of the most recent Data Connectivity podcasts. To view all Data Connectivity podcasts, please visit our Resource Library.

Designing your Data Architecture for Performance
In this podcast, we discuss the considerations that should be included in your overall data architecture and relate that to different technology scenarios – client/server apps, server-based apps and SOA.

Additional ADO.NET Resources

ADO.NET Code Samples
Get an ADO.NET example for creating DB2, Oracle, SQL Server, and Sybase database tables.

Developer Forums
This is a collaborative community where visitors share their experience with each other to get the most out of using DataDirect Connect for ADO.NET. If you need further assistance with this product, please visit our Support page, where you'll find an extensive knowledgebase, FAQs and much more.

More Useful Links

ADO.NET Data Provider Articles

Product Review: "Use Managed Database Providers" Visual Studio Magazine.
Reviews the DataDirect Connect for .NET data provider and mentions the thorough documentation and knowledgeable support staff.

"Increased Database Performance" DataDirect Product Review in FTPOnline.
Reviews the author's experience with using a DataDirect Connect for .NET data provider and includes a recommendation to package code examples with the data providers.
NOTE: Subsequent releases have included C# and Visual Basic code examples for all of the data providers.

"Introduction to ADO.NET" SitePoint article
Provides a good high-level introduction to ADO.NET with code examples and comparisons to ADO, to help ADO programmers get their bearings.

ADO.NET Best Practices article. DevX.com article
Discusses a number of best practices with emphasis on the use of connections and connection pools.

Microsoft .NET Framework

MSDN - Improving .NET Application Performance and Scalability
This guide in the MSDN Library is a valuable resource to help improve the performance and scalability of your application. Includes helpful chapters on ADO.NET and SQL Server.

• Chapter 12 - Improving ADO.NET Performance
• Chapter 14 - Improving SQL Server Performance

Channel 9
This lively site contains video interviews with developers and personalities from the Visual Studio and .NET teams, as well as links to related wikis.

MSDN - Information about .NET data providers

Search for Visual Studio .NET Partner Products

Download the Microsoft .NET Framework from MSDN

Download the currently supported versions of the .NET Framework

NET Framework Developer's Guide
Accessing Data with ADO.NET Section of the .NET Developer's Guide that provides detailed information about using ADO.NET.

Microsoft Visual Studio .NET case studies
Microsoft maintains a collection of case studies of companies and organizations that use Visual Studio .NET and the .NET Framework.

ADO.NET Related Blogs

Jonathan Bruce's Web Log

Bob Beauchemin's Blog

Other ADO.NET Related Web Links

An example of a Web service implemented with .NET / TerraServer USA
The TerraServer USA page exposes map and aerial photograph information, courtesy of the Microsoft TerraService project. The TerraServer USA project exposed additional information such as schools and homes for sale in the area of a selected photograph; however, many of those links are no longer maintained.

Listing of ADO.NET providers in FTPOnline Product Catalog

Unicode Consortium
The Unicode Consortium is responsible for defining the behavior and relationships between Unicode characters, and providing technical information to implementers. The Consortium cooperates with ISO in refining the specification and expanding the character set. It has liaison status "C" with ISO/IEC/JTC 1/SC2/WG2, which is responsible for ISO/IEC 10646.