By design, OpenEdge offers essential flexibility in developing software solutions by providing a high-performance relational database and an open, standards-based interface for SQL.

The OpenEdge database and its SQL interface provide an environment that enables efficient integration with third-party tools, such as development software, reporting, and Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) tools.

For continuous operation of your SQL application and OpenEdge database, OpenEdge provides ways to rename fields, delete triggers, and modify schemas while your OpenEdge application is online and fully operational. You can use these features to minimize downtime for maintenance and perform updates that would normally require your application to be down.

Change field names while online

User table fields can be renamed while the database is in use. Renaming a database field, by design, does not require exclusive access to the database or for users to be disconnected from the database. When a user table field is renamed, all connected clients are notified of the change.

This functionality is specific to SQL clients in this release of OpenEdge. When a field is renamed, the SQL client that executes the change checks whether any clients of an earlier version are connected to the database. If an earlier version is found, then the process is treated as an offline operation. For more information, see Rename field using SQL.

Delete while triggers online

As a part of good application maintenance, you should delete triggers that become problematic or are no longer needed. Regular maintenance can help streamline your application to prevent unplanned downtime. By design, with OpenEdge you can delete triggers in SQL applications without bringing down your application. For more information about how to delete triggers, see Drop a trigger.

Update SQL applications while connected to the database

In the effort to limit downtime, whether it is planned or unplanned, OpenEdge provides you with the ability to use SQL commands to modify schemas while the database is online. There are a wide variety of commands that you can issue, to ensure that every business need is met. You can alter tables, create tables and indexes, delete items, set encryption, and more. Fore more information, see SQL commands to modify schema.