Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) is the new Microsoft programming framework which combines and extends different technologies used earlier to develop distributed application such MSMQ, COM+, ASP.NET Web Services, Web Services Enhancements (WSE), .NET remoting.

While Microsoft offers a new service-oriented programming model, we offer complete solution based on it. The primary goal of DatumNode Service is to simplify developing service-oriented and database driven applications. DatumNode Service is not only instrument for building connected distributed applications but, unlike others, it offers new approach to building such applications that will accommodate the needs of enterprise level development.

Why DatumNode Service?

Software development has changed greatly during last few years. Present day requirements of the development at the enterprise level include: supporting different protocols of application-to-application communication, security and integration with database management systems.

There are numerous tools and integrated programming environments of different vendors using to build connected systems. As for Microsoft the most advanced technology is WCF. It offers real outstanding opportunities for distributed applications development. In spite of all advantages WCF brings developers (supporting almost any major communication protocols, combining existing and new technologies in new programming model, etc) anyone who decide to use it (as well as and other similar technologies) at software enterprise-level development will face at least two serious problems. Like any other new technologies WCF requires significant resources to study and implementation which grow high with the size of organization. Also typical organization (depending on its size) often has more than one system which needs to interact with different databases as well as with other applications exposing them some of its functionality by means of web services. According to this, many organizations are always trying to deve lop or buy some solution that will automate development of connected database driven applications. We offer complete solution based on the latest Microsoft technologies that will greatly simplify and accelerate you development of distributed systems.

In general DatumNode Service is a common entry point to all applications that need to interact with different databases. Among the most important advantages that DatumNode Service offers are:

• Database Abstraction Layer. Unlike others we offer not only a tool that will simplify development but also a new approach in building connected systems. It provides a convenient way of exposing inner database structure to any kind of business-logic. So developers or other external users of DatumNode Service don’t know anything about databases, connection strings, tables or stored procedures instead they deal with abstract business layer - solutions, projects, entities, commands.

• Manageability and Productivity. DatumNode can greatly reduce cost of ownership (TCO) and supporting existing systems. Work with databases is becoming much more flexible. Developers don’t concern about how they will connect and work with different databases simultaneously and the most important – how they do this in an effective way. All details of the connection to database are hidden from the developers or other external users and are stored in central repository – DatumNode Metabase. DBA’s can take full control over whom and how connects to database by setting up different connection parameters: logins and passwords, connection pooling and lifetime etc. Also, using DatumNode Explorer DBA can set different additional parameters which influence productivity directly: max\min request timeout, connection lifetime, maximums records per call and many others.
  Based on new Microsoft technology - WCF and using advanced caching algorithms DatumNode Service doesn’t make any significant overhead in retrieving data from database in contrast it is even faster that in case of accessing database directly from client applications. DatumNode Service can be easily scaled and implemented as a cluster solution according to the needs of enterprise.

• Security. Security aspect is always a point of concern in almost any client-server or n-tier applications. Database and application servers as well as hosting operation systems offer different options for authentication and authorization. That is not an easy task to integrate them in some generic security system across an enterprise. The good news is that DatumNode Service also offers complete solution there. It implements a role-based security. DatumNode Service supports Users, Roles, Permissions, Access Control Lists (ACL’s), permission inheritance, authentication and authorization. Due to WCF our security infrastructure is completely expandable - you can write custom “access-checker” class which will implement required logic for authentication and authorization.