# What's New in Virtuoso 4.5?

Virtuoso 4.5, is the latest version of OpenLink Software’s next-generation Universal Server Platform. Virtuoso facilitates the development and deployment of a new generation of Enterprise-wide, Internet-, Intranet-, and Extranet-based solutions. Virtuoso capabilities include handling of Disparate Databases & Data Sources, Web Service Composition and Business Process Integration and as well as Business Collaboration.

# New Features

#### WebDAV Repository

- WebDAV - Virtuoso 4.5 introduces an entirely new implementation of its WebDAV repository including, dynamic collections, file meta data support, dynamic views of view of files organized by meta data and meta data values.
  - SmartDAV Folders - A SmartDAV folder is a dynamic collection created in DAV whose contents are determined at run time by automatically categorizing uploaded files or resources based on a DAV Extension type (DET). Virtuoso DET support provides a mechanism to create a new dynamic collection, based on its own methods for reading or writing data.
  - Metadata Extraction - Automatic retrieval of metadata, so it is now possible to retrieve basic metadata from resources (Support for metadata includes RSS < 1.0, RSS 1.0, RSS 2.0, Atom; Microsoft Office Document, vCard)
  - Security Enhancements - Additional ACLs and added security for SmartDAV Folder collections and filter searches
  - Interoperability - Virtuosos WebDAV repository has undergone interoperability testing on a number of 3rd party WebDAV Clients (Dreamweaver, InfoPath, Frontpage, and Microsoft Office).
  - API Updates - Additional API calls to allow fast integration and development.

Visit Virtuoso 4.5 online tutorials

### SQL Database Engine Enhancements

- SQL Cost Model - Virtuoso 4.5 includes substantial improvement to the SQL cost model, yielding dramatically better SQL optimization choices in certain cases.
- SQL Inverse Function - Virtuoso introduces an SQL extension for creating functions that are inverses of each other which include mapping data and foreign Key Relations: Example dollar_to_euro and euro_to_dollar would be examples of inverse functions.
- Information Schema Views - The INFORMATION_SCHEMA Views are system views that provide some information about the system meta-data making it easier to query Virtuoso system tables. Virtuoso 4.5 includes a number information schema vies based on the ISO SQL92 standard to allow users more flexibility when developing SQL queries across database engines and guarantee consistent results when using these views instead of directly querying system tables which may change from release to release.
- SQL Compiler Optimizations
  - Improved support for indirect grants in SYS_ROLE_GRANTS
  - Improved handling the sub expression matches in regular expressions
  - Improved handling of negations in the where clause of select Union statements

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### XML Database

- XML Parser - Optimization and better error reporting in XML Parser.
- XQuery Functions Updates - Support for XQuery Function fn:collection and check our latest tutorial

Visit Virtuoso 4.5 online tutorials

### Web Services

- BPEL4WS - BPEL offers the promise of reducing the cost and complexity associated with process integration of proprietary EAI and BPM solutions, which are expensive to develop, maintain, and extend across diverse, heterogeneous environments. `V` irtuoso 4.0 now supports BPEL for Web Services (BPEL4WS) and provides the deployment and execution of business processes defined in BPEL 1.1 through the OpenLink BPEL Process Manager.`Virtuosos BPEL implementation offers a seamless addition to Virtuoso's database federation, XML and web services features. It builds on the strength of having a local high performance relational data store for process persistency and does not require any third party application server infrastructure or databases``.`
- WS Interop - WS-RM and WS-Security and BPEL4WS have gone through an extensive interoperability by testing other vendor's implementations and through active participation of WS-Interop forums.

Visit Virtuoso 4.5 online tutorials, BPEL and Web Services Interop Sites

### Web Application Server

- HTTP Server Settings
  - New function for controlling the lifetime of http threads, allowing on-going processing from clients provided through the HTTP Server HTTP_IGNORE_DISCONNECT that when set will cause it not to rollback the transaction on a disconnect.

Visit Virtuoso 4.5 online tutorials

### Documentation

- Document Search - Advanced search functionality has been added to Virtuoso documentation and provides RSS gems (including Open Search API extensions) as well as options for HTML or XML formatted results using Free Text, XPath, and XQuery and search results including excerpts summaries of document content.

Visit Virtuoso 4.5 online documentation server

### Data Access

- OpenLink Explorer - Virtuoso 4.5 introduces a new plug-in for Visual Studio .NET allows development of Virtuoso-specific features within the familiar Visual Studio environment providing users with ease of use and accelerated development cycles.
  - Virtuoso tables and connections can easily be dragged and dropped into MS Studio Projects, which makes Virtuoso an convenient data source for Web or GUI target Microsoft .Net development.
  - Through OpenLink Explorer any heterogeneous data sources linked to Virtuoso via its Virtual Database capability are presented as if they were stored on a local Microsoft SQL Server.
- Mac OS X Client Connectivity Kit - Improved bundling and deployment for ODBC, JDBC, and NET providers
- Virtuoso ODBC 4.0 Driver - Improved error messages and conformance with the ODBC error messages specifications.

### Server Administration Interface

> Screenshot of Virtuoso 4.5 Conductor Image -
> Click to enlarge

> Virtuoso Conductor - The Virtuoso Conductor is a new Virtuoso VSPX web-based administration and configuration tool, which provides access to a number of database and server interfaces, being designed to simplify, automate, and reduce the complexity of support and administration of OpenLink's Virtuoso Universal Server. This user-friendly interface allows administrators to manage a number of Virtuoso servers’ features including handling of Database Administration, SQL and XML storage, Enterprise Data including disparate databases & data sources, Web Service Composition, Business Process Integration, and Business Collaboration. Features include:

### Enterprise Data Management

Screenshot of Virtuoso ISQL Image -
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Screenshot of WebDAV Image -
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Database Administration

- Schema Objects Editor: Built-in Schema Object Viewer (Tables, Views, and Stored Procedures) Create new objects, enabling/disabling of foreign keys, constraints, and export Schema DDL.
- ISQL Query Editor : Execute and develop SQL queries. ISQL features provide syntax highlighting, execution plans and a SQL builder which provides a Wizard to build statements on the fly from database schemas. Using this interface you can edit query results and save them to a local file or Virtuoso WebDAV repository.

XML Data Management

- XQuery Editor - XQuery Editor provides a graphical user interface for writing, testing and viewing XQuery queries. Develop and store XQuery queries for reuse, saving time and cost as well as storied results for reporting and transformation.

Web Content Management

- WebDAV and HTTP Administration - WebDAV Object Filtering and Searching: Filter database objects by name or text-search stored procedures and triggers for terms contained in their definition.

### Enterprise Information Integration

> Screenshot of Linking External DataSources Image
> Click to enlarge

> Screenshot of SQL-XML Image
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Virtual Database Management

- External Datasources user interface provides real-time information integration across disparate data sources and create a virtual database to make it simple for business users to access, integration and transform information in from multiple datasources.

SQLX and SQL-XML Transformation

- SQL-XML - Execute and define an XML template based on a SQL, SQL-XML or XPath Query or apply a XQuery Mapping Schema. Through this interface you can specify root elements that contain the resulting XML tree, a file name and location of the XML Template. Options include saving the query to WebDAV or provide an XSLT stylesheet. Behind the scenes when you provide a stylesheet, it is used as the default transformation for the XML and the template saved is executed directly from WebDAV.

### Web Services Platform

Screenshot of SOAP Services - Click to enlarge

Screenshot of HTTP directories - Click to enlarge

Web Service Publishing

- SOAP Services - Web Service publishing interface simplifies Publish stored procedures, User Defined Types, Queries and modules as web services. Web Services can be invoked by any external resource or in a Virtuoso SOAP defined Virtual directory by simply clicking on a link.

- WSDL Services - Using the WSDL import interface you can use the description of external web services to publish Web Services. Just provide a URL to a WSDL description, and Virtuoso will automatically provide a wrapper for the services available. The Web Services can be tested through Virtuoso VSMX interface.

Web Application Server

- HTTP Hosts & Directories - Define Virtual HTTP directories, multiple HTTP server listeners in Virtuoso.

### Business Process Integration

Screenshot of OpenLinks BPEL Process Manager Image - Click to enlarge

OpenLinks BPEL Process Manager

- Robust BPEL Engine and Deployment Platform: Virtuoso provides a fully featured native BPEL 1.1 engine that supports the invocation and deployment of BPEL scripts as well support for long-running and asynchronous business processes.
- Business Activity Monitoring: Virtuoso BPEL4WS includes a web-based user Interface for testing, debugging, and monitoring deployed business process. T
- WS-Reliable Messaging and Security: Enterprises can now deploy business-critical transactions over the Internet using the WS-Reliable Messaging (WS-RM) specification. WS-RM support means that guaranteed (at-most-once, at-least-once, and exactly once) messaging is now possible over HTTP.
- Database, XML and Web Service Integration: `Virtuoso's extensive virtual database, XML and web services features provide for` intelligent transformation for XML and non-XML applications and data. Virtuoso allows integration of databases`` into Service-Oriented Architectures (SOAs), by automating the creation of Web services from multiple tables in any ODBC, JDBC or ADO. Net-compliant database. `BPEL processes can directly invoke locally hosted Java or .Net logic and access SQL data from resident in local and remote tables.`
- Import and Execution of any Standards-Based BPEL Business Processes: Virtuoso BPEL4WS supports standards compliant BPEL 1.1 scripts so that industry Standard Compliant BPEL processes can be developed in any of the BPEL modeling tools and deployed on the Virtuoso platform.
- Interoperability: Virtuoso BPEL has gone through an extensive interoperability testing against Microsoft, Oracle, and other vendor’s implementations. Through thorough testing of these processes, it validates the BPEL engine and ensures the rapid orchestration of existing Web services

### Enterprise Collaboration

Screenshot of OpenLinks Web Applications Image - Click to enlarge

Virtuoso-Based Applications

- Virtuoso Web Applications - Provide a Management framework for web-based application developed using Virtuoso technology. This framework allows the customization any number of applications from blogs to email, develop portals, communities and create a point of presence on the web. The WA application management tool allows you to configure applications and perform various administrative tasks related to maintaining your community including adding and removing applications, updating your profile and community memberships.

Discussion, Mail and Proxy Services

- NNTP Services Administration - Access USENET and Newsgroup postings and configure Newsgroups associated with the Virtuoso News Server. Like Virtuoso's virtual database. Through the NNTP interface, Virtuoso can "link" in newsgroups from remote news servers.

### New and Improved System Services

Screenshot of Basic Replication Image - Click to enlarge

Screenshot of System Administration Dashboard Image - Click to enlarge

Replication and Synchronization

- Replication - Migrate, replicate content and synchronize database and structures of any Virtuoso or ODBC, JDBC or .Net compliant databases.

System Administration

- Dashboard - Providing a summary of key server details including Database Information Database License information, Locks, Database Size Total/Used/Free Space, Backup / Maintenance Status, Database Files (Logical/Physical) and other key Database Processes
- Simplified User Accounts Manager: Create and map SQL, WebDAV and logins to appropriate users in your databases.
- Event Scheduler: Create Scheduled event quickly and easily with a simplified user interface and receive notifications for failed events.
- Virtuoso Application Deployment - Any Application can be developed with Virtuoso and packaged using Virtuoso Application Packages or VAD for short. VADs encapsulate all of the component necessary to package and deploy a Virtuoso-based application. This includes schema objects, directories, and content. Any VAD can be easily applied through Package interface making software deployment a breeze.
- Database Backup: Schedule and run full and incremental on-line server backups jobs in seconds.

### Industry Standards Support

- Runtimes & Frameworks Microsoft .NET, Mono, J2EE
- Web Services SOAP, UDDI, WSDL, WS-Security, WS-Routing, WS-Reliable Messaging, WS-Policy, WS-Trust, BPEL4WS
- XML XPath, XQuery, XSL-T, XML Schema
- Web & Internet WebDAV, HTTP, SMTP, LDAP, POP3
- SQL Data Access SQL-200n, SQLX, ODBC, JDBC, ADO.NET, and OLE-DB.

Links to Specifications

> - WS-Security
> - WS-Routing
> - WS-Referral
> - WS-Trust
> - WS-Reliable Messaging
> - WS-Policy
> - WS-Attachment is part of the WS-Security Specification.
> - XSLT 1.1
> - XQUERY
> - SOAP 1.1
> - SOAP 1.2
> - SyncML 1.0
> - XML for Analysis
> - BPEL4WS

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