Building Web Solutions with ASP.NET and ADO.NET

Inside .NET Data Providers

When compared with OLE DB providers, .NET data providers have a lot to offer. Their simplified data access architecture often results in improved performance without the loss of functionality. Furthermore, .NET managed data providers directly expose provider-specific behavior to consumers by using methods and properties. They also involve a much smaller set of interfaces than OLE DB providers. Last but not least, .NET data providers work within the boundaries of the CLR and require no COM interaction. For example, the data provider for SQL Server 7 and SQL Server 2000 hooks up directly to the wire level, enabling it to gain a substantial performance advantage. This advantage is shown in Figure 10-7.

Figure 10-7. Comparing ...