InterBase Descriptions
The introduction of harmonious cooperation among heterogeneous hardware and software systems
carries the potential for great increases in productivity and improvement in applications processing.
However, the use of these heterogeneous systems is hampered by the absence of an integrated system
that would allow the development of global applications requiring communication and cooperation
among the pre-existing systems.
The InterBase System overcomes this heterogeneity barrier. It integrates pre-existing systems over a
distributed, autonomous, and heterogeneous environment to support global applications while
retaining local autonomy. One of the fundamental underpinning of this system is the InterBase
Parallel Language (IPL). This language provides an interface for users to write global applications
over such an environment. IPL supports flex transactions and provides commitment constructs that
allow users to define their own commitment protocols; both features are superimposed upon the
element pre-existing systems. A Distributed Flexible Transaction Manager serves to interpret IPL
Programs and to coordinate their executions. The system presented is modular and is ideally suited to
heterogeneous hardware, software, and network environments, particularly multidatabases.