Introducing SQL Anywhere Studio
The Architecture of Database Applications
In multi-tier computing, application logic is held in an application server, such as Sybase EAServer, which sits between the database server and the client applications. In many situations, a single application server may access multiple databases in addition to non-relational data stores. In the Internet case, client applications are browser-based, and the application server is generally a Web server extension.
Sybase EAServer stores application logic in the form of components, and makes these components available to client applications. The components may be PowerBuilder components, Java beans, or COM components.
Application servers can also provide transaction logic to their client applications—guaranteeing that sets of operations are executed atomically across multiple databases. Adaptive Server Anywhere is well-suited to multi-tier computing, and can participate in distributed transactions coordinated by Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator. Both Sybase Enterprise Application Server and Microsoft Transaction Server use DTC to provide transaction services to their client applications.
For more information, see Three-tier Computing and Distributed Transactions.