Universal data access with OLE DB

OLE DB is Microsoft's new data access API designed to enable access to all kinds of data sources, both database and non database, regardless of format or location. OLE DB builds on Microsoft's Component Object Model (COM), which is the foundation for OLE and ActiveX. OLE DB is core to Microsoft's Universal Access strategy. OLE DB aims at providing an environment for business applications to access all kinds of data sources in an integrated way, including desktop data such as spreadsheets, text processing documents, and electronic mail; server data stored in the file system, indexed sequential files, relational, hierarchical and network databases; and data computed by middle tier business objects. Most database companies are pursuing a Universal Storage strategy which provides access to all kinds of data types such as text, spatial, video, and audio, and insist on placing all kinds of data used in an organization inside the database. However, the reality is that a vast amount of mission critical data in a corporation is stored in a combination of database and non database data sources for functionality and performance reasons. Therefore, Microsoft is pursuing a Universal Access strategy which provides an infrastructure that enables the integration of a wide variety of data sources so that applications can be written in an efficient, safe and disciplined manner without losing the advantages of a centralized database system. The paper provides an overview of OLE DB and describes how OLE DB enables the Microsoft Universal Access approach to managing data.