Sybase IQ is a high-performance decision support server designed specifically for data warehousing. This cross-platform product runs on several popular Unix, Linux, and Windows platforms.
Sybase IQ is part of the Adaptive Server® family that includes Adaptive Server Enterprise for enterprise transaction and mixed workload environments and SQL Anywhere, a small footprint version of Adaptive Server often used for mobile and occasionally connected computing.
Sybase database architecture provides a common code base for Sybase IQ and SQL Anywhere, with workload optimized data stores. You use the IQ store for data warehousing. These products share a common command syntax and user interface, allowing easier application development and user access.
Sybase IQ can integrate data from diverse sources—not just IQ databases, but other databases in the Adaptive Server family, as well as non-Sybase databases and flat files. You can import this data into your IQ database, so that you can take advantage of IQ's rapid access capabilities. You can also query other databases directly, using Sybase IQ's remote data access capabilities.
Data warehouses are collections of data designed to allow business analysts to analyze information. They are typically distinct from production databases, to avoid interrupting daily operations. Data warehouses are often used as data stores on which to build decision support systems (DSS). A decision support system is a software application designed to allow an organization to analyze data in order to support business decision making.
All of Sybase IQ's capabilities are designed to facilitate DSS applications. A unique indexing system speeds data analysis. Query optimization gives you rapid responses, even when results include thousands or millions of rows of data. Concurrent data access for multiple query users, and the ability to update the database without interrupting query processing, provide the 24–hour, 7–day access that users expect.
Sybase IQ multiplex is a highly scalable shared disk grid technology that allows concurrent data loads and queries via independent data processing nodes connected to a shared data source. For details and syntax, see Using Sybase IQ Multiplex.
This book explains how you manage a Sybase IQ system. It is intended for database administrators and others who need to understand database creation, load, and operation issues. “About this book” describes other documentation helpful to administrators.
