StatServer Provides Analysis Through Web
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PC Week has reported that MathSoft Inc. is shipping a new version of its server-based data mining software designed to make it easier for users to access and publish data over the Web.
Version 2.0 of StatServer enables users to pull data and statistics from a corporate database and display those statistics graphically for further analysis, said company officials.
The product complements MathSoft's S-Plus desktop data analysis software, object-oriented language and APIs, according to officials at the Cambridge, Mass., company.
StatServer 2.0 integrates with MathSoft's new S-Plus 4.0 computing engine to provide users with additional analytical and statistical capabilities, such as a bootstrapping feature that allows queries to contain statistical estimates.
StatServer 2.0 works with any Open Database Connectivity-compliant database and data warehouse, such as Oracle Corp.'s Oracle8, Informix Software Inc.'s Universal Server, Sybase Inc.'s Adaptive Server, IBM's DB2 or Microsoft Corp.'s SQL Server.
The latest version also includes wizards, which lead users through the process of publishing and accessing models and graphics via the Web. The wizards prompt users for information such as what corporate database the user wants to access or whether a user wants to view information in a graph, pie chart or bar chart, MathSoft officials added.
The company has also improved query performance in the server, officials said. Previously, users needed to use third-party tools that enabled the Web server to talk to StatServer.
StatServer 2.0, which runs on Windows NT, works with a range of clients, including the company's S-Plus 4.0 desktop software, which allows users to customize results and graphics. ActiveX support enables desktop clients using Visual Basic Script or JavaScript to work with the server.
StatServer 2.0's ability to run as a service rather than an application was a notable feature at beta tester NeuralMed Inc., in Durham, N.C.
"Currently, to run [StatServer] you had to have an account logged on, and that started the server up, but if it runs as a service in the background, it starts up as soon as the machine is booted up," said Tom Simpkins, database administrator at NeuralMed.
"This helps because if the power goes down, (StatServer 2.0) starts automatically once the machine reboots," Simpkins added.
StatServer Version 2.0 ranges in price from $200 to $500 per user, depending on configuration.
MathSoft can be contacted at http://www.mathsoft.com