The ASTA Vision

An introduction to the world of ASTA, an orientation of how the pieces fit together to deliver abundant business value over a wide range of scenarios and applications. ASTA open up a world of possibilities for your product, particular if it needs to (or might ever need to) operate over a wide area network, such as the Internet.

Comparing ASTA and Web Applications

How do ASTA applications compare to browser-based applications? When is ASTA the right solution, and why? A discussion of the costs and benefits of deploying an thin-client, zero-install ASTA application vs. a Javascript/DHTML based browser application. ASTA applications deliver a high performance, rich user experience, but require a small application download. For B2B applications, which often involve a relatively small universe of users who use a system intensively, the tradeoff can be strongly in favor of ASTA.

The ASTA Architecture

An explanation of the architecture of the core ASTA feature set: database connection pooling, server-side and client-side SQL processing, automatic SQL generation, transaction processing, asynchronous message, etc.

Strategies for ASTA Application Design

There are a number of common "models" around which an ASTA application can be designed. This paper describes each, comparing their merits and describing scenarios where each is appropriate. ASTA supports both rapid development (with extremely easy to use features) and meticulously designed, n-tier business logic and presentation separation; moreover, it allows the developer to mix and match models as needed.

ASTA and Firewalls

Corporate firewalls can make life difficult for internet application developers, so ASTA has a variety of solutions to working through a firewall. Solutions include HTTP tunneling, proxying, SOCKS support, and ISAPI-runner support. This paper describes the available solutions, and discusses when each is appropriate.

ASTA and Linux / Kylix

As soon as Inprise releases its Delphi-like product for Linux, ASTA will be ready with support for Linux based servers and clients. This paper discusses the technical issues involved in moving between Windows and Linux environments.

ASTA Application Deployment Strategies

Writing the perfect application is only part of the battle; deploying it to end users can be very challenging with tradition client/server drivers, configurations, etc. ASTA supports several models of extremely easy deployment, including single-EXE deployables, ActiveX controls, etc. ASTA also has in-the-box support for automatic client EXE updating - an ASTA application can update itself to its current version when loaded, merely by configuring the server for this feature.

ASTA ISAPI support

ASTA now supports client application running as ISAPI DLLs. This can be used to provide web-based access to backend ASTA functionality, so your middle tier business logic can be seamlessly reused by native client application and browser-based web applications.

ASTA Licensing Explained

ASTA has a variety of licensing options to support small and large companies, vertical market application developers, commercial (packages) application developers, and more. This paper explains what each licensing option means, and how to choose the best license for your needs.

Comparing ASTA and MIDAS

Some of ASTA's functionality is similar to the Borland MIDAS technology. This paper compares and contrasts these two middleware alternatives, describing areas of similar function and differences in scope. ASTA offers a number of substantial features that have no MIDAS counterpart.

ASTA Java Support

ASTA offers a JDBC driver with enhanced messaging classes which allow Java client applications to access data and business logic on ASTA servers. This capability is very useful for companies who need the cross-platform capabilities of Java on the client side, but the high performance and straightforward operation of true native server / middle tier components. This paper explains how these Java is used with ASTA, differences between Java based access and native client access, and other aspects of Java-ASTA development.

ASTA XML Functionality

ASTA can store and retrieve data in XML format for enhanced interoperability with a wide range of external systems. This paper described present capabilities as well as future concepts for deeper XML support.

Moving Existing Applications to ASTA

Many development projects don't begin with a clean sheet of paper; rather they begin with an established code base and user base who needs features that the current application architecture is not ready to provide. By supporting multiple paradigms of n-tier development, ASTA facilitates moving exist client/server or desktop-database applications to the n-tier world. This paper discusses the strategies involved in making the move to ASTA, as well as supporting tools that ASTA includes to partially automate the migration process.

ASTA Scalability

A major reason to choose to a multi-tier application architecture is to support a large number of users. ASTA's built in database connection pooling, "anchor server" clustering, and lightweight client session model facilitate excellent scalability characteristics. This paper presents application design strategies for optimum scalability, scalability and system specification guidelines, and case studies of existing field-proven ASTA application which support a large number of users.

ASTA Secure Sockets

A pending addition to the ASTA family is a security suite which provides for secure transmissions of data over untrusted networks such as the Internet. This paper is an introduction to security theory and explanation of how ASTA supports "strong encryption" with little effort from the developer or user.

ASTA and Wireless devices

Wireless devices and PDAs are rapidly becoming a very popular way to access data remotely, and ASTA is gearing up to support such access in several different ways. For example, an ASTA client application can "HotSync" to a palm-based client application. An ASTA ISAPI application can provide WAP/WML based data access. As wireless devices become more sophisticated it be possible to put an ASTA client application directly on the wireless device. ASTA's wire protocol is simple, lightweight, and well suited to communication with remote devices.

Database Replication

An ASTA "extended suitcase" toolset is in development; it will support ASTA client applications with a substantial, persistent client side data cache which can be synchronized automatically with data on the ASTA server. This paper describes the range of features to be offered and how these features can be used to enhance the end user experience. This "disconnected" mode will allow complex ASTA applications to be made available to (for example) notebook computer users. By using ASTA middleware, the application developer's effort will be much less than if they developed a disconnected mode application without ASTA.

Message Queuing and Switching

Underneath the easy to use, database oriented ASTA feature set is an asynchronous messaging system - ASTA includes a form of MOM (Messaging Oriented Middleware) that will soon be expanded and enhanced to form an message queue and switching server. This paper described both the current messaging feature set and the new capabilities in development.

Patch Manager

The ASTA product includes automatic "client update" functionality, which works by sending a new EXE file from the server to the client as needed to keep the client up to date. This paper describes the architecture of the upcoming ASTA patch manager, which will facilitate sending only the "delta", the minimum set of changes necessary to update an existing in-the-field EXE files to their current version. With this add-on, ASTA will offer an even more efficient means of keeping client applications seamlessly updated with minimum bandwidth use.

SIMPL Scheduling Integration

ASTA integration with the SIMPL event-scheduling component set will be available soon. This paper describes the event management capabilities of the powerful and flexible SIMPL scheduling mechanism, and how this can be used to add new kinds of functionality to ASTA based applications.