Access OLAP Services from C++ Builder

Question

Hello,
I want to write an application, which is accessing OLAP Services (in Borland C++ Builder). Oracle OLAP Services provides only JAVA API, not C++.
What do You thing about my idea?
I think about writing my own tier - an Java application running on database machine. My application will comunicate with Java application by http or other protocol, pass and receive XML strings representing data retrieved and queries. Java application will use JAVA OLAP API to operate on OLAP Services.
Do You have other ideas?
Slawek

Answer 1

Hi Slawek,
I think this is a fine idea. It makes sense to define a simple interface between components that are written in different languages. XML seems like a good choice. You will have to be careful about the design of your XML schema to ensure that it can be generated and parsed efficiently for good performance.
You might want to think aboud a couple of architectural alternatives to writing your own middle tier:
1) You can install Java code in the RDBMS and run it in the embedded JVM. So you could load the layer that translates between your XML schema an OLAPI along with the OLAPI jar files into the RDBMS, and define a PL/SQL interface to call it. Then your C++ code could use OCI to call the PL/SQL interface. Because the XML strings could be lengthy, you might wish to use a CLOB rather than a simple string type in the interface.
2) You could use the Java Native Interface (JNI) to run your Java code in the process with your C++ code. Because you're only passing XML strings, the JNI interface should be straightforward. Then OLAPI would use JDBC to communicate with the RDBMS.
Geo