EDBC
EDBC® is a middleware solution that provides applications executing on Windows, Linux and UNIX platforms with high-performance read/write SQL access to z/OS corporate data sources, both non-relational and relational, including VSAM, IMS, DB2 for z/OS, CA-IDMS® Database and CA-Datacom® Database.
Top Three Key Features
- Mainframe Data Access for Distributed Applications
- ODBC and JDBC Drivers
- Metadata Mapping for Non-Relational Data Sources
What's New
- DB2 for z/OS v8 and IMS 9.1 Support
- Connect to Multiple CA-IDMS® Database CVs or CA-Datacom® MUFs
- VSAM Transparency Support
Supporting Environments
- Windows 2000, XP, 2003 Server
- z/OS version 1.4 and above
- AIX 4.3.3 and above on RS6000 machines
- HP-UX version 11.00 32-bit
- Linux on zSeries based on 2.2.16 kernel and above
- Linux based on glibc2.1 C-language libraries
- Solaris 2.6 and above
Mainframe Information Needed Throughout the Enterprise
Many of today's enterprises have significant investments in mainframe information resources. Estimates indicate that more than 70% of all corporate data still resides on the mainframe. Both the high cost associated with migrating away from mainframe systems and the economies of scale associated with server consolidation are driving even greater interest in mainframes.
Organizations are looking for Internet, extranet and intranet solutions that enable them to leverage their existing legacy systems and data. It is imperative that today's web-based solutions not only access mainframe data but also do so in a direct, easy, transparent and non-intrusive manner.
Taking Advantage of Legacy Assets
EDBC from Ingres Corporation protects and leverages existing mainframe investments by providing transparent access to disparate data sources. This transparency helps ensure that access to existing data can be maintained in a distributed environment, making the data open and portable to other applications. Access to historical legacy data can be maintained while migrating to a web-based or client/server system.
Through a common interface, EDBC provides expanded information access to a multitude of z/OS-based, non-relational and relational data sources, such as native VSAM, CICS/VSAM, IMS, DB2 for z/OS, CA-IDMS and CA-Datacom.
EDBC embraces industry-standard APIs. This enables support for a wide variety of applications, development tools, and decision support and analysis tools. It also extends the reach of commonly used PC applications, such as spreadsheets, statistical packages, report writers and graphical tools packages to legacy data.
Distinctive Features and Functionalities
EDBC Components
EDBC consists of three types of components: clients that provide connectivity between applications and the EDBC servers; servers that route SQL requests to the appropriate data access agent; and agents that interpret requests for data and map them to IBM mainframe data sources (see Figure 1).
Clients
EDBC clients are available for the following platforms: Windows, Linux, Linux/390, z/OS, AIX, HP-UX or Sun Solaris. Your applications call the EDBC client using standard SQL to request information. These clients include high-performance, industry-standard database connectivity drivers (ODBC/JDBC) used by most client/server applications and web development tools.
Servers
The EDBC® Server is the software component that executes on the same mainframe host as the target data source. The EDBC Server provides connectivity services between EDBC clients and the mainframe as well as a set of common services to one or more EDBC data access agents. The server routes SQL originating from clients to the appropriate data access agent. A single EDBC Server can be configured to support multiple data access agents.
Agents
EDBC data access agents execute within the EDBC Server address space and provide the connectivity to the target data source.
Mainframe Data Sources
The EDBC data access agents provide real-time read/write access to the target mainframe data sources. Access to diverse data provides full transaction consistency and helps to ensure data integrity. Native database security, optimization, logging, full rollback and recovery remain intact and are administered by the mainframe database or file system.
VSAM Read Access
This agent's relational engine optimizes SQL into low-level VSAM requests that support ESDS, KSDS and alternate index files. You can join VSAM files and files from multiple CICS and IMS regions in a single SQL statement. Since VSAM does not provide a locking mechanism to ensure data integrity, this agent should be used for read-only access.
CICS/VSAM Access
The CICS/VSAM data access agent consists of two separate components; one component executes within the EDBC server address space; and the other, the CICS/VSAM driver, executes within the CICS address space. This driver component issues CICS transactions internally within the CICS address space, thereby helping ensure full VSAM data integrity with other CICS transactions that may be updating the same VSAM data.
IMS Databases
The IMS agent also consists of two separate components. The first component executes within the EDBC Server address space and the second component, the IMS driver, executes as an IMS application to access the IMS data from a stand-alone batch (DL/I or DBB) or Batch Message Processing-dependent region. Both Full Function and Fast Path DEDB databases are supported using any IMS access method.
DB2 for Z/OS Databases
EDBC access to DB2 data exploits native DB2 functionality and the native DB2 optimizer is used to process queries.
CA-IDMS Databases
EDBC exploits the functionality of the CA-IDMS® SQL Option and the native CA-IDMS SQL Option optimizer is used to process queries.
CA-Datacom Database
EDBC exploits the functionality of the CA-Datacom® SQL Option and the native CA-Datacom SQL Option optimizer is used to process queries
Advanced Functionality
EDBC provides advanced functionality to help ensure service levels are met and security is maintained.
High Performance
EDBC provides intelligence on both the client and mainframe components, enabling powerful query capabilities. Queries are optimized on the mainframe whenever appropriate, eliminating unnecessary network traffic while leveraging mainframe performance and scalability.
Stored Procedures
EDBC usage of server database procedures provides flexibility and productivity gains in application development and improves performance by invoking static SQL programs for reusable execution. Database procedures enable predefined business rules to be incorporated outside the application. In addition, EDBC provides the flexibility of choosing between dynamic SQL for on-demand queries or static SQL for predefined execution plans.
Security
EDBC provides support for eTrust™ CA-ACF2® Security, eTrust™ CA-Top Secret® Security and IBM RACF. When a connection request is made, the EDBC security exit calls the underlying security subsystem to validate the userid and password. Security violations are logged.
Interactive Testing Facilities
EDBC provides utilities to test network connections and SQL to help ensure connectivity and service levels meet your criteria.
Ease-of-Use Features
EDBC is easy to implement and completely transparent to both the user environment and the application. Its intuitive visual configuration tools and wizards allow workstation setup and access in minutes. Industry-standard API compliance helps ensure seamless integration with the most popular application development tools.
Non-Invasive Implementation
Integrates seamlessly within your existing IT infrastructure. No hardware or software changes are required. It provides all the components needed for metadata mapping and read/write access to the supported mainframe data sources. No custom coding or special mainframe transactions are required.
Industry-Standard API Support
Provides connectivity support through many industry-standard APIs, including ODBC, ADO, JDBC, OLE/DB, CGI and more.
Application Access
Enables mainframe data access for a wide variety of applications, development tools, and decision-support and analysis tools, as well as Web services via support for both .NET and J2EE. EDBC also extends the reach of commonly used PC applications, such as spreadsheets, statistical packages, report writers and graphical tools packages, such as Excel, Access and FrontPage. Jscript and VBscript can be embedded in Active Server Pages and invoked via the Microsoft Internet Information Server to communicate with the EDBC client.
Visual Data Configuration Tools
EDBC provides visual tools to manage SQL data sources and define relational tables and column mappings for non-SQL data sources (see Figure 2).
Two or Three-Tier Configuration
EDBC can be deployed in a "classic" client/server configuration with the client connecting directly to an EDBC Server executing on a z/OS host. It can also be deployed in a three-tier configuration by installing and configuring the EDBC client to provide the connectivity between a middle-tier web or application server and an EDBC Server.
What's New in r2.3
Database Release Support EDBC now supports the latest releases of both DB2 for z/OS and IMS with support for DB2 for z/OS v8 and IMS 9.1.
Enhanced CA-IDMS Support
Includes support for additional CA-IDMS capabilities to provide improved and expanded access to this database.
Multiple Central Version (CV) Connections
A single EDBC server can connect to multiple CA-IDMS CVs.
Cross-Memory Interface
The cross-memory interface improves performance and is required for multiple CV support.
Database Procedure Support
The database procedure support for EXCI is now included in EDBC.
Network Data
Support for network data sources has been added to EDBC.
VSAM Transparency
Support for the CA-IDMS® Database Transparency Option for VSAM has been added.
Enhanced CA-Datacom Support
EDBC includes support for additional CA-Datacom capabilities to provide improved and expanded access to this database.
Multiuser Facility (MUF) Connections
A single EDBC server can connect to multiple CA-Datacom instances (MUFs).
Read-Only Agent
The agent for CA-Datacom has been enhanced to provide read-only support.
VSAM Transparency
Support for the CA-Datacom® Database Transparency Option for VSAM has been added.
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