The following was posted earlier by EdHubbard but I thought it was worth to turn it into a poll in which case it could highlight the importance of his message.

If this is an important topic to you then I suggest you cast your vote and/or comments!

There are a number of users who have been given the impression that a level 2 driver for SQL server 2000 on 4c4 was on its way but we have recently been told that it is never to be developed.
I discovered this when I was looking around for something else but chanced upon solution 131609 which contradicted what I had read before and been told by Baan personnel. The relevant bit in the solution, and I quote:

"Baan IV :
_________
Baan has not planned to deliver a level 2 driver for SQL Server 2000 and switching to level 2 mode using porting set 6.1c.06.06 or onwards will not work (despite what is mentioned in solution 129671) !
db_resource file examples for Level 2 shown in document :
U7648A US BAAN IV/BaanERP SQL Server 2000 Upgrade Guide for BAAN IV and BaanERP
are only relevant for iBaanERP.
Reference to level 2 mode in document :
U7210B US Baan IVc Installation Guide for Microsoft SQL Server Version 2000
is not relevant."

As there is a level 2 driver for SQL Server 2000 on Baan 5 and a level 2 driver for Oracle on Baan 4, I would have thought developing one for SQL Server 2000 on Baan 4 would not be a mountainous task.

As support for Baan 4 is planned until 2008, there are a number of users that will not migrate to Baan 5 or Gemini for a few years at least.
Please, Baan, have a change of heart!

I am going to take this issue to the next Baan World Users performance subcommittee meeting and see if we can write this up as a formal enhancement request to get a response back from Baan.

-- Jim

Dear all,

I was about to ask a silly little question: what's a level 2 driver? (please excuse me, I'm from functional side). But then I found this explanation from OmeLuuk:
Difference between Informix Level 1 - Level 2 drivers (http://www.baanboard.com/baanboard/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5572)
Thanks, OmeLuuk

Rgds,
Paul

Just bumping this thread again. Looks like there's not that much interest in a L2 driver? Or else people are reluctant to vote? :confused:

Pat (and others),

I have had a long to and fro chat via email with Baan on whether or not there should be an official Baan statement on the MSQL L2 driver for BaanIV. They decided in the end that the solution should be clear enough, it was never planned, and it will not come.

On personal title I feel that a little motivation would help to accept Baan's point of view. So here it is:

There is a technical problem within MS SQL server in the implementation of the L2 mode.

MS SQL server Level 2 does have a problem when this statement comes by:select a from b order by index_x, field_yin case field_y is a part of index_x. Other level 2 databases does not have a problem with this, MS does.

This was found in the test for iBaan ERP, there it has been changed in the application. Tools were used to do so. There are a lot more places that need to be changed in Baan IV and the tools are useless for that version. Also the installed base is bigger, so more people would suffer from the big solution dump.

Microsoft was involved in this, but in the end it was decided that Baan was to solve it in the application. Also the option to solve it in the tools was turned down.

Hopes this clarifies Baan's position a bit.

I think Baan should have provided a statement on this as to "bury" what effectively is an announcement (as previous documentation had indicated there was going to be this L2 driver) in a solution is not good practice.

However your information sounds good enough to me but.....

If you refer to solution 158947 relating to the operation of a find type operation in a session, it looks to me like there is no permanent solution proposed other than changing to an L2 driver. I am not sure if there are any other similar problems lurking......... and remember IVc4 is supported until 2008!

OmeLuuk, Thanks for finding out though

:(There you got a point in that solution...
I have been told that if customers want L2 there are good alternatives for MSQL.

As I understand Baan well enough: the discussion between development and PEG is still pending. Something may change over time, but there are more indications that no L2 driver will be made. Money is one part of the story, effort (not in the least place effort to install the huge solutions) is the other part.

After all it is a political discussion where also Baan's position in relation with MS is involved, imho.

But in the end: actually Baan is not the problem, the problem lies with MS being not capable in handling the order by statement. Other DBMS'ses can do what MSSQL cannot do.