An access system for databases distributed on EARN

We describe a system intended to access databases distributed on EARN network. This system has been developed at CNUCE by the ASTRA project team. ASTRA is a joint project between CNUCE - CNR and IBM Europe to implement a service to distribute, within the EARN network, public domain software produced by IBM study contracts in Europe. The project began in February 1988. The service started, in test mode, the january 1, 1989. The first version accessed the IBM study contracts database and other italian databases located on EARN network. The databases were managed an IBM information retrieval system of IBM named STAIRS/CMS. Afterwards we deciced to interface some other I.R.S systems and a DataBase Management system based on the relational model. Today the system interface uses the same query language as the following host IRS or DBMS system: STAIRS/CMS, produced and distributed by IBM . ISIS, produced and distributed by LAD at UNESCO Paris. SQL/DS produced by IBM for the VM/370 operating system. The SQL/DS relational DBMS is accessed via stored parametric queries in Standard SQL language. The service is completely free of charge. The system is composed by several ASTRA Database Servers exchanging common requests and database requests of the users. The service is available to all networks which can communicate with EARN using the RFC822 mailer.