Database Search Tool

[Bill Vigna]

Hello,

I am in dire need of a batch match tool to run against multiple Oracle Databases.
Currently we are using Discoverer. I am working with very unsophisticated
users and I need something that will be very easy to use with a GUI interface
that will allow ANY user to query the complete data warehouse

The search capabilities should include;
§ NAME Search (fuzzy and exact)
§ Phone Search (foreign and domestic)
§ Organization Search
§ Address Search
§ Date of Birth Search (range and exact) and several others.

We currently have DISCOVERER but DISCOVERER is only an interim and is too
restricting when the user is attempting to query multiple data sources.
I am about to look at Infomaker, but I am also looking for other software
tools to help. Can anyone help me? Please?

[Q*bert]

Visual Basic (Not as much fun to deploy though)
Cold Fusion?
ASP?
Java?

Any one of these could query multiple databases and return a result set.
I know it might not be exactly what your after but it's just an out of the
box thought.

Q*bert
!@#*&^
"Bill Vigna" <ftttf71@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>Hello,
>
>I am in dire need of a batch match tool to run against multiple Oracle Databases.
> Currently we are using Discoverer. I am working with very unsophisticated
>users and I need something that will be very easy to use with a GUI interface
>that will allow ANY user to query the complete data warehouse
>
>The search capabilities should include;
>§ NAME Search (fuzzy and exact)
>§ Phone Search (foreign and domestic)
>§ Organization Search
>§ Address Search
>§ Date of Birth Search (range and exact) and several others.
>
>We currently have DISCOVERER but DISCOVERER is only an interim and is too
>restricting when the user is attempting to query multiple data sources.

>I am about to look at Infomaker, but I am also looking for other software
>tools to help. Can anyone help me? Please?
>

[Bill Vigna]

Thanks. But it has to have be pretty much out of the box ready to go. I'm
not a developer either...just a business analyst looking for a solution.
I appreciate the quick repsonse though.

"Q*bert" <luke_davis_76@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>Visual Basic (Not as much fun to deploy though)
>Cold Fusion?
>ASP?
>Java?
>
>Any one of these could query multiple databases and return a result set.
> I know it might not be exactly what your after but it's just an out of
the
>box thought.
>
>Q*bert
>!@#*&^
>"Bill Vigna" <ftttf71@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>Hello,
>>
>>I am in dire need of a batch match tool to run against multiple Oracle
Databases.
>> Currently we are using Discoverer. I am working with very unsophisticated
>>users and I need something that will be very easy to use with a GUI interface
>>that will allow ANY user to query the complete data warehouse
>>
>>The search capabilities should include;
>>§ NAME Search (fuzzy and exact)
>>§ Phone Search (foreign and domestic)
>>§ Organization Search
>>§ Address Search
>>§ Date of Birth Search (range and exact) and several others.
>>
>>We currently have DISCOVERER but DISCOVERER is only an interim and is too
>>restricting when the user is attempting to query multiple data sources.
>
>>I am about to look at Infomaker, but I am also looking for other software
>>tools to help. Can anyone help me? Please?
>>
>

[Q*bert]

Bill,

MS Access...

Using linked tables you can get at all the information within the databases
and use the search features built into access to examine the data. It offers
easy portablility to Excel documents to as you filter and query the data.
Access would allow ad-hoc querying and is relatively simple to use.

Don't get me wrong, someone will have to take some time linking the appropriate
tables. Setting up security and desiging some search forms(if necessary.)But,
you would have to do this with any tool you choose to use as they will need
to know where your db's are, how to login to them etc.

Access is pretty simple to use and could offer the functionality your after.

Yet another out of the box thought by,
Q*bert
!@(*$


"Bill Vigna" <ftttf71@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>Thanks. But it has to have be pretty much out of the box ready to go.
I'm
>not a developer either...just a business analyst looking for a solution.
> I appreciate the quick repsonse though.
>
>"Q*bert" <luke_davis_76@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>Visual Basic (Not as much fun to deploy though)
>>Cold Fusion?
>>ASP?
>>Java?
>>
>>Any one of these could query multiple databases and return a result set.
>> I know it might not be exactly what your after but it's just an out of
>the
>>box thought.
>>
>>Q*bert
>>!@#*&^
>>"Bill Vigna" <ftttf71@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>Hello,
>>>
>>>I am in dire need of a batch match tool to run against multiple Oracle
>Databases.
>>> Currently we are using Discoverer. I am working with very unsophisticated
>>>users and I need something that will be very easy to use with a GUI interface
>>>that will allow ANY user to query the complete data warehouse
>>>
>>>The search capabilities should include;
>>>§ NAME Search (fuzzy and exact)
>>>§ Phone Search (foreign and domestic)
>>>§ Organization Search
>>>§ Address Search
>>>§ Date of Birth Search (range and exact) and several others.
>>>
>>>We currently have DISCOVERER but DISCOVERER is only an interim and is
too
>>>restricting when the user is attempting to query multiple data sources.
>>
>>>I am about to look at Infomaker, but I am also looking for other software
>>>tools to help. Can anyone help me? Please?
>>>
>>
>

[Bob]

Bill,

You should be careful using MS Access. Like Q*bert says, it is easy to use,
but there are risks involved. First, letting unsophisticated users use Access
may not solve your problem. Someone that is techical savvy will have to
setup an Access database and provide links to the tables. Next, queries
will have to be built. By linking directly to the tables, you risk causing
a database performance nightmare. Trust me, seen it happen, had to fix it.
(someone launched a runaway query) Second, you said that Discoverer is
too restricting when trying to access multiple data sources. As a DBA I
setup database links between the dataqases that need to share information.
This provides the mechanism necessary for good information flow. As the
Discoverer System Administrator, I administer our Discoverer installation
which sits on top of an Oracle Applications database. By far the most troublesome
situation in which to setup Discoverer, in my opinion. At times it has seemed
to be restrictive, but I create custom folders for the users based upon queries
that I receive from one of our developers.

Summarizing, I think that you may find that you will run into more trouble
with trying to implement Access, than trying to expand Discoverer. If Discoverer
and the database links are setup correctly, it should not be restrictive.

One thing to keep in mind if you do choose to use MS Access, create a user
in the data warehouse that has select only privileges. Then connect to that
user from Access. It would be a nightmare if you linked straight to a table,
and someone changed some data, or deleted some data. One other thought,
it would also be a good idea to create views that users would query from
Access. That way all of the joining is done on the data warehouse side.
You would see a performance benefit this way.

Regards, Bob

"Q*bert" <luke_davis_76@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>Bill,
>
>MS Access...
>
>Using linked tables you can get at all the information within the databases
>and use the search features built into access to examine the data. It offers
>easy portablility to Excel documents to as you filter and query the data.
>Access would allow ad-hoc querying and is relatively simple to use.
>
>Don't get me wrong, someone will have to take some time linking the appropriate
>tables. Setting up security and desiging some search forms(if necessary.)But,
>you would have to do this with any tool you choose to use as they will need
>to know where your db's are, how to login to them etc.
>
>Access is pretty simple to use and could offer the functionality your after.
>
>Yet another out of the box thought by,
>Q*bert
>!@(*$
>
>
>"Bill Vigna" <ftttf71@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>Thanks. But it has to have be pretty much out of the box ready to go.

>I'm
>>not a developer either...just a business analyst looking for a solution.
>> I appreciate the quick repsonse though.
>>
>>"Q*bert" <luke_davis_76@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>Visual Basic (Not as much fun to deploy though)
>>>Cold Fusion?
>>>ASP?
>>>Java?
>>>
>>>Any one of these could query multiple databases and return a result set.
>>> I know it might not be exactly what your after but it's just an out of
>>the
>>>box thought.
>>>
>>>Q*bert
>>>!@#*&^
>>>"Bill Vigna" <ftttf71@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>Hello,
>>>>
>>>>I am in dire need of a batch match tool to run against multiple Oracle
>>Databases.
>>>> Currently we are using Discoverer. I am working with very unsophisticated
>>>>users and I need something that will be very easy to use with a GUI interface
>>>>that will allow ANY user to query the complete data warehouse
>>>>
>>>>The search capabilities should include;
>>>>§ NAME Search (fuzzy and exact)
>>>>§ Phone Search (foreign and domestic)
>>>>§ Organization Search
>>>>§ Address Search
>>>>§ Date of Birth Search (range and exact) and several others.
>>>>
>>>>We currently have DISCOVERER but DISCOVERER is only an interim and is
>too
>>>>restricting when the user is attempting to query multiple data sources.
>>>
>>>>I am about to look at Infomaker, but I am also looking for other software
>>>>tools to help. Can anyone help me? Please?
>>>>
>>>
>>
>

[Q*bert]

Bill is correct someone technical savvy will need to setup the links to the
databases, and he brings up a good point in setting up a user who has read
only permissions and using predefined views to get at the data.

The only issue I have is that from a peformance standpoint, yes Access may
cause some issues in the instances of runaway queries, but the same would
hold true for other tools if the user has ad-hoc query capability. The issue
becomes more of a training issue at that point then a tool choice.

I also look at it form the stand point of how live does the data need to
be? Coulnd't a batch job dump/pull data to the Access db and allowing users
to peform local queries impacting the production db only during off hours?
Plus it eliminates the concerns about updating production data.

As with any decision, weigh the maintenance/Support issues associated to
the decisions, the added turmoil the decisions can make, and look at the
benefits each provide.

One last thought is to have a web developer do it all there so the results
can be queried though the web. Added cost is a developer to tie all the
systems together, develop the canned reports with the ability for individuals
to select criteria. Big advantage is that the developer will begin to understand
the needs and perhaps design an ad-Hoc reports that allow dynamic generation
so that the end user is eventually designing thier own web reports, though
a web interface. Since the developer has control on how updates are done,
security risk from that is minimal.

In all....
It's all a matter of preference, time, cost impacts and familiarity.
<No Relavance>
I can't argue on behalf of Discover as I have not used the tool; but I am
sure that it offers many benefits that Access can not, just as Access offers
many that it can not.</No Relavance>

Q*bert


"Bob" <dbafrench@mysun.com> wrote:
>
>Bill,
>
>You should be careful using MS Access. Like Q*bert says, it is easy to
use,
>but there are risks involved. First, letting unsophisticated users use
Access
>may not solve your problem. Someone that is techical savvy will have to
>setup an Access database and provide links to the tables. Next, queries
>will have to be built. By linking directly to the tables, you risk causing
>a database performance nightmare. Trust me, seen it happen, had to fix
it.
> (someone launched a runaway query) Second, you said that Discoverer is
>too restricting when trying to access multiple data sources. As a DBA I
>setup database links between the dataqases that need to share information.
> This provides the mechanism necessary for good information flow. As the
>Discoverer System Administrator, I administer our Discoverer installation
>which sits on top of an Oracle Applications database. By far the most troublesome
>situation in which to setup Discoverer, in my opinion. At times it has
seemed
>to be restrictive, but I create custom folders for the users based upon
queries
>that I receive from one of our developers.
>
>Summarizing, I think that you may find that you will run into more trouble
>with trying to implement Access, than trying to expand Discoverer. If Discoverer
>and the database links are setup correctly, it should not be restrictive.
>
>One thing to keep in mind if you do choose to use MS Access, create a user
>in the data warehouse that has select only privileges. Then connect to
that
>user from Access. It would be a nightmare if you linked straight to a table,
>and someone changed some data, or deleted some data. One other thought,
>it would also be a good idea to create views that users would query from
>Access. That way all of the joining is done on the data warehouse side.
> You would see a performance benefit this way.
>
>Regards, Bob
>
>"Q*bert" <luke_davis_76@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>Bill,
>>
>>MS Access...
>>
>>Using linked tables you can get at all the information within the databases
>>and use the search features built into access to examine the data. It
offers
>>easy portablility to Excel documents to as you filter and query the data.
>>Access would allow ad-hoc querying and is relatively simple to use.
>>
>>Don't get me wrong, someone will have to take some time linking the appropriate
>>tables. Setting up security and desiging some search forms(if necessary.)But,
>>you would have to do this with any tool you choose to use as they will
need
>>to know where your db's are, how to login to them etc.
>>
>>Access is pretty simple to use and could offer the functionality your after.
>>
>>Yet another out of the box thought by,
>>Q*bert
>>!@(*$
>>
>>
>>"Bill Vigna" <ftttf71@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>Thanks. But it has to have be pretty much out of the box ready to go.
>
>>I'm
>>>not a developer either...just a business analyst looking for a solution.
>>> I appreciate the quick repsonse though.
>>>
>>>"Q*bert" <luke_davis_76@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>Visual Basic (Not as much fun to deploy though)
>>>>Cold Fusion?
>>>>ASP?
>>>>Java?
>>>>
>>>>Any one of these could query multiple databases and return a result set.
>>>> I know it might not be exactly what your after but it's just an out
of
>>>the
>>>>box thought.
>>>>
>>>>Q*bert
>>>>!@#*&^
>>>>"Bill Vigna" <ftttf71@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>Hello,
>>>>>
>>>>>I am in dire need of a batch match tool to run against multiple Oracle
>>>Databases.
>>>>> Currently we are using Discoverer. I am working with very unsophisticated
>>>>>users and I need something that will be very easy to use with a GUI
interface
>>>>>that will allow ANY user to query the complete data warehouse
>>>>>
>>>>>The search capabilities should include;
>>>>>§ NAME Search (fuzzy and exact)
>>>>>§ Phone Search (foreign and domestic)
>>>>>§ Organization Search
>>>>>§ Address Search
>>>>>§ Date of Birth Search (range and exact) and several others.
>>>>>
>>>>>We currently have DISCOVERER but DISCOVERER is only an interim and is
>>too
>>>>>restricting when the user is attempting to query multiple data sources.
>>>>
>>>>>I am about to look at Infomaker, but I am also looking for other software
>>>>>tools to help. Can anyone help me? Please?
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>
>