Introduction to NonStop SQL/MP

About This Manual
113425 Tandem Computers Incorporated vii
This manual introduces the NonStop SQL/MP relational database management
system, which uses the standard Structured Query Language (SQL) approved by the
American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the International Standards
Organization (ISO) to describe and manipulate data. NonStop SQL/MP can be used
for online transaction processing (OLTP), decision support systems (DSS), scalable
electronic commerce applications, and other business applications.
NonStop SQL/MP provides high performance, high availability, and scalability for
production applications, open access to popular personal computer software tools, and
the ability to distribute data over geographically distributed Tandem NonStop
systems.
Manual Organization This manual contains a general overview of NonStop SQL/MP. If you are a
nontechnical reader, you will learn how NonStop SQL/MP can help your business or
organization manage its data more effectively. If you are interested in the technical
aspects of database management, this manual will help you understand how
NonStop SQL/MP works. The manual is organized as follows:
Section 1 summarizes NonStop SQL/MP features and explains how a business or
organization can benefit from using NonStop SQL/MP. This section is meant for
nontechnical readers.
Section 2 explains how to develop simple queries and briefly describes the
relational model and the logical database architecture. This section is meant for
nontechnical and technical readers.
Section 3 describes the physical architecture of a NonStop SQL/MP database, the
basic internal components of NonStop SQL/MP, and run-time features and
benefits such as parallel query execution. This section is intended for technical
readers.
Audience This manual is intended for anyone interested in a broad overview of
NonStop SQL/MP. Only a minimal understanding of computer software technology
and database management techniques is required to understand the concepts
presented in this manual. For a general understanding of Tandem software, you
should read Introduction to Tandem NonStop Systems. For a list of definitions of the
terms used in NonStop SQL/MP, you should read NonStop SQL/MP Glossary.