Data Access for Applications

Applications can access data using ODBC/JDBC, file read/write, and web services/SOAP.

Applications can use the data access method that best suits their needs:

ODBC and JDBC. Database applications accessing relational data in Data Federation typically use an ODBC or JDBC interface, making a call to a database operation or a data service just as they would make a call to a stored procedure in the database, or querying a SQL view as if it were a table in the database.
File Read/Write. Applications that expect data in flat file form or XML format can simply read the file by referencing the appropriate entry in the data catalog. Like end users, applications can take advantage of standard file system protocols (NFS for UNIX, or CIFS/SMB for Microsoft Windows) to read the files transparently.
Web Services/SOAP. Applications can make SOAP requests (accompanied by the appropriate user authentication) to perform Data Federation actions such as requests for data.