Why does each new "invention" for sharing database data on the Intranet continue to do the same failed thing -- forcing interactive private database data on HTML?

AstroMark takes the very successful approach of Adobe Acrobat Reader--a browser independent download, specifically designed to work with remote database data from many web sites. AstroMark has worked consistently and reliably since 1997. AstroMark is a straight forward solution to a complex problem. It allows you to build user interfaces that contain all the great features of a local application, but runs over the web.

While Microsoft .Net requires a great deal of technical expertise and about 20 MB download on a client computer, anybody can use AstroMark and requires only a 1.2 MB download.

AstroDesigner is the easiest tool to design a business software for the web that will work regardless
of the user's Browser type or version, or Windows Operating system version being used.

You do not need to create any CGI or server side code, just install AstroServer with your Web Server and configure it to point to any database on your computer or network. 

You are not required to do any thing about Database State Management, AstroMark has built in stateless mechanism.

To provide a full featured AstroMark functionality to your site, do this:

• Using AstroDesigner software, just design the pages connected to your database, using grids, edits, dropdown lists, and more. 
• Add event handler code if desired. Compile and save.
• Install AstroServer and deploy your pages to the server. 
• Add a URL link to your HTML web page that point to your AstroPage. 
• Make the free AstroMark Universal Database Reader client available to your users.

Although AstroPages are compiled independently (that is, no executables), each page remembers its place in the overall application, so that when a page is loaded, it plugs itself into the running application seamlessly.

All AstroPages or GTI files are encrypted with strong encryption. An agreement has recently been reached between GenoTechs, Inc. and RSA Security, Inc. to add industry's most trusted SSL security to future releases of AstroMark.

Here are the benefits of AstroMark’s client side code execution:

• Client side code provides the user considerably faster feedback such as error messages and input validations. 
• Changes may be made to business logic anytime just like HTML pages.
• A web page does not need to be reloaded for each user input, so the user does not lose his/her place or page. 
• Records are loaded significantly faster, especially over dial up connections. 
• All database data pulled to the client stays put and can be scrolled through as if on a LAN. 
• It consumes little or no network resources. 
• It takes advantage of the client computer’s processing power, enabling true distributed processing. 
• It consumes little or no Server side resources, making the server available much of the time. 
• It enables true stateless Internet communications as users can take however long they want to complete a transaction. 
• Data from remote sites can be shared with client's desktop applications such as spreadsheets. 
• It requires far less hardware on the server side as opposed to server farms. 
• It shows tremendous savings on your business bottom line. 
• It works with all Web browsers (even version 1)! 

If you are interested in more technical information about how AstroMark works please read on.

Take a tour of AstroMark

Download and evaluate AstroDesigner

Using AstroMark connections

AstroMark is a hybrid of HTTP and Socket connections. It uses HTTP protocol to communicate with the remote computer.

AstroMark lets your client applications communicate with an application server that is protected by a "firewall".

Like HTTP, AstroMark can take advantage of the SSL security provided by Wininet.dll.

Like HTTP and Socket connections, AstroMark messages provide a lowest common denominator that you know will be available for connecting to the AstroMark application server.

By pooling its built-in remote data modules, your server does not consume the resources for the data module and its database connection except when they are needed.

AstroServer.exe can double as both Internet server and application server software on the server side. AstroMark provides load-balancing, fail-over, and location transparency.

AstroMark implements role-based security in slightly different way than using MTS. Roles and other security measures can be defined in a database table. Accesses to protected data are designed by the programmer through a call to the ValidUser function.

Example:
This call includes the column(s) '1' to search for the PassWord in the table 'PswdTbl' from the database 'IMDEMOS', and embedded profile 'hrsecret'.

If ValidUser('1', PassWord, 'PswdTbl', 'IMDEMOS','hrsecret') then

LoadPage('AccountingFrm.gti')

else ShowMessage('Access denied');
 
 

The structure of the AstroMark application server

Programmers using AstroMark technology do not need to build a server. AstroServer software is designed to be installed on any Windows operating system.

It is the duty of AstroServer software to send requested GTI, HTML, and other supporting files such as image files to the client. Its database duties include:

• Receiving data requests from the client,
• Fetching the requested data from the database server,
• Packaging and transmitting the data to the client.
• If received request is an update data request, AstroServer applies updates to the database and logs any updates that cannot be applied, returning any unresolved updates to the client for further reconciliation.

• As a second Internet Web Server on the same computer as Microsoft IIS, in which case AstroRelay CGI must be installed as well.
• As the only Internet Web Server with its dual interface property set to true.

• BDE aliases, ADO, and ODBC drivers configured for the databases you want AstroServer to access.
• The location of your HTML, GTI, and image files you want it to serve to both the HTML browser and AstroMark Universal Viewer client.

AstroDesigner or AstroConverter can be used to create deployable AstroPages.

Using AstroDesigner

A programmer can create an application that contains many pages or forms. On each page, database connections are established through the use of built in wizards where you select a database alias name. You can then:

• Select a direct connection to a database table and select the desired fields you want to surface or
• Use the SQL Editor or the Query Designer wizard to write SQL statements for extracting database data.
• Choose a StoredProcedure if applicable to the selected Database type.
• Perform other operations your data model needs, such as parameters for parameterized SQL, calculated fields, etc.
• After clicking the OK button, AstroDesigner displays your fields in a chosen layout, such as using a Grid object and/or using Edit objects.
• The resulting page is simply saved.
• Use the Deploy menu command to deploy the finished application to a server.

AstroConverter is designed to enable Delphi programmers to quickly web enable their applications. A programmer can use Delphi to create an AstroMark compliant application.

• Drop an AstroConverter component on each Delphi form you want to Web enable.
• Specify the DPRLocation and the DestFolder properties.
• Double-click the icon for AstroConverter on the form.
• The GTI interpretation of the Delphi form is saved in the specified DestFolder directory.
• You may use AstroDesigner to open the resulting application and ensure that all code and components on your form are correctly converted.
• Then deploy the application as before.

Distributing a client application as an AstroMark GTI

To distribute an AstroMark application, the following configurations must be performed:

• AstroMark Universal viewer software must be installed on the client computer.
• The database software must be installed where AstroServer can reach it.
• AstroServer software must be installed and configured on the server computer.
• The forms of your AstroMark applications called AstroPages or GTI files are deployed to the server computer running AstroServer software.