A new release of AT&T Co’s Tuxedo transaction processing system began shipping from the Unix Software Operation last week, boosting the viability of Unix systems for use within transaction processing environments. Tuxedo provides a standard interface for database management systems and has a new application programming interface for controlling transactions. The new release also enables the distribution of transaction processing applications across local area networks. Tuxedo’s two major components, both incorporating the transaction model recommended by X/Open’s XTP committee (CI No 1,348), can be licensed and deployed separately: these are the System/T Transaction Manager, providing communications and co-ordination; and the System/D database management system. System/T uses the XA interface, which controls transactions for compliant databases including the two-phase commit protocol, while still retaining the native SQL interface. Oracle Corp said it was working with both Pyramid Technology Corp and Sequent Computer Systems Inc to put the new release on the machines built by the two manufacturers (CI No 1,344). Other endorsements for the product were forthcoming from Unisys Corp, Amdahl Corp, AT&T’s Computer Systems Division, and from database vendors Informix Software and Sybase Inc. New York City-based financial services company Transvik Inc said it had selected Tuxedo System/T for all its transaction processing applications, and had ported the product over to VMS to provide a smooth migration path to Unix.
