Support Data Access

[Andrey]

Data Access has not been updates for more than 5 months. What are the terms of support?

Will this product be supported in the future?

In 7 March release Visual Studio 2017: will it work?

Does it support Microsoft SQL Server Compact 4.0? (There is no version: http://docs.telerik.com/data-access/developers-guide/database-specifics/database-specifics-sqlce-overview) For example, it is a wonderful option for free sites in Azure.

Does it full support ASP.NET Core?

Thank you.

[Viktor Zhivkov]

Hello Andrey,

Development of Telerik Data Access product is now driven by our internal company needs and is happening on irregular basis.
We are no longer offering customer support package for the product. You are welcome to post in our community forums, but we do not guarantee any response.

Support for Visual Studio 2017 should come naturally (but we have not tested it) with our NuGet packages. You can already test it using the latest release candidate and the latest existing Telerik Data Access release. 

The product already supports Microsoft SQL Server CE 4.0 (and its successor SQL Server Express LocalDb).

We have no plans for supporting .Net Core and respectively ASP.NET Core frameworks. ASP.NET Core targeting the full .Net Framework may work.

In general my personal recommendation is to avoid starting new projects with Telerik Data Access.

Regards,
Viktor Zhivkov
Telerik by Progress

 

[Andrey]

If you no longer supports Data Access (and I really like this product), then use that to offer in return? What transition paths that recommend?

[Viktor Zhivkov]

Hi Andrey,

My personal advice is the following:

1. Projects using Telerik Data Access that are in maintenance mode should stay as they are unless a specific requirement that is covered appears;
2. Projects that are in the middle of their development should consider moving to alternative ORM products. This will be especially important for long-term projects.
3. Projects that are in their early development phase should start using an ORM of your choice and avoid tying up with Data Access.

I am unable to give you any detailed advice how to migrate away from Telerik Data Access besides:

1. Use your existing database (especially if you have that to keep) as start point of your new ORM model.
2. Write a lot of tests beforehand that test important assumptions and behavior in your existing code using Telerik Data Access, and then run them again against your new ORM.
3. Have some performance base-line to compare before and after migration metrics
4. Watch out for Data Access specific features like:
   1. Artificial Types
   2. Sequential GUIDs
   3. Connection Pooling
   4. L2 Cache
   5. LINQ translation
   6. Bulk operations (IQueryable.DeleteAll()/UpdateAll())
   7. Inheritance(different vendors have their own terminology and implementation details)
   8. Split-tables

Regards,
Viktor Zhivkov
Telerik by Progress