While doing a review of BI software with SAS developers we talked about some of the issues related with heterogeneous joins – linking up tables from two different databases. I prematurely commiserated with the SAS guys – saying this was a dogs breakfast and their performance must really take a hit. The looked at me a bit quizzically – as if I was way off base.
Turns out SAS uses ODBC/JDBC drivers all over the place. Not only that, SAS are using DataDirects Wired Drivers – so called because they supposedly equal in performance native database calls.. Still sceptical I let the matter slide.
Recently I have done some reviews of IBMs DB2 software and have had occasion to use ODBC drivers. Again, they turned out to be Wired Drivers from DataDirect again. Finally while preparing to do an assignment with Hyperions ESSBase OLAP engine, lo and behold up popped Wired Drivers as preferred interface element again.
I am still waiting for the Hyperion thing to happen – but if it does we are going to measure the performance of the Wired Direct ODBC drivers versus the standard set and see if there is any noteworthy improvement. Stay tuned.
(c)JBSurveyer 2005