Breaking News - IBM Announces Updates to InfoSphere Portfolio
IBM today introduced new additions to its InfoSphere portfolio, consisting of a new version of IBM’s master data management software, as well as a new release of IBM InfoSphere Information Server.
IBM InfoSphere Master Data Management Server for Product Information Management (MDM Server for PIM), previously known as IBM WebSphere Product Center, enables customers to maintain a single view of product information as part of a comprehensive MDM strategy. The new release of MDM Server for PIM also provides an improved user interface, and the software is now integrated with InfoSphere Information Server so that customers can take advantage of that product's data cleansing capabilities. Improvements to the underlying technology - including use of the JAVA application protocol interface and integration with enterprise solutions based on an SOA - are intended to make MDM Server for PIM faster to roll out.
The new release of IBM InfoSphere Information Server provides capabilities to allow customers to standardize and resolve multicultural name data. In addition, IBM is offering enhanced globalization and improved ease-of-use with new automation features to simplify and speed large-scale information integration projects.
"InfoSphere incorporates a new class of middleware that we call 'information with middleware,'" Michael Curry, director of product management and strategy for InfoSphere, told 5 Minute Briefing. It is reflective of a trend in the marketplace, he said, "where companies are trying to optimize their use of information rather than just connect applications together. In order to do that, you need this new class of information middleware that helps you to create, manage, govern and deliver trusted information throughout your company. That is what InfoSphere is focused on."
IBM also added multi-cultural name resolution technology, now called InfoSphere Global Name Recognition, as a module to the InfoSphere Information Server platform. InfoSphere Information Server expands global address verification support to more than 244 countries, as well as global support for eight languages. This helps enable developers to work with tools, documentation, online help, and error messages in their native languages.
IBM said the new release also offers enhanced support for grid deployment, and expanded SOA support. InfoSphere now offers advanced security features supporting Web services standards, support for Web 2.0 services using REST and RSS standards, as well as support for direct service publishing from Oracle databases, InfoSphere Master Data Management Server, and mainframe data sources. There is also more support for the mainframe overall, said Curry. "We have done a lot of things here around managing metadata more effectively on the mainframe. We have also made significant improvements on our changed data capture on the mainframe - for example we now have a log-based capture mechanism for IMS," he noted. For more additional product details, go here.
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CA Enhances Mainframe Management Solutions Across Operating Systems
CA announced at last week’s SHARE conference that it plans to release a wide range of enhancements to its mainframe management software for the z/OS, z/VSE, and z/VM platforms, including new metrics for visibility and control, as well data replication.
CA Database Management r11.5 SP2 for DB2 for z/OS gives customers greater visibility into and control over their DB2 for z/OS database environments through new metrics, statistics for zIIP usage and other enhancements, the vendor said. Another upgraded solution, CA Datacom r11 SP4, supports 24x7 data requirements by enabling near real-time replication of data with minimal overhead, while also facilitating data access and business logic in single high-performing SQL procedures.
In addition, CA Endevor SCM r12 SP1 offers a simplified installation process and helps organizations better control the development-and-release process. CA ACF2 r12 and CA Top Secret r12 SP2 allow additional security attributes to be shared with distributed LDAP directories, and include compliance-reporting enhancements.
CA’s mainframe business has been growing, a CA official said. CA's Mainframe Business Unit has been in place for a about a year and half to address this strategic platform for customers, “and in that time we have seen a resurgence going on in the mainframe marketplace," Mark Combs, senior vice president of that unit, told 5 Minute Briefing. "Our customers are committing to the mainframe in bigger ways. They are increasing their capacity, they are starting to look for new opportunities to exploit the mainframe with new workloads."
CA is also seeing a movement toward consolidation on mainframes among its customers, Combs added. Many CA customers are starting to consolidate workloads back to the mainframe from some distributed platforms. "This presents opportunities for us," he said. “It presents a renewed and increased demand for management tools."
CA’s latest round of mainframe tools announcements demonstrates “that CA continues to deliver the solutions necessary to exploit the mainframe's full economic potential," observed Combs.
Additional current and planned product enhancements include extended z/OS management with CA SymDump Batch r8, which integrates with CA Endevor Software Change Manager to help customers more quickly identify and resolve application dumps to better safeguard system stability and reliability. CA Spool r11.5 includes IPv6 support and new drivers for remote printing support as well as IBM z/OS C/C++ run time compiler support, enabling better use of new IBM hardware features.
CA also announced enhancements to its mainframe storage management line, including simplified z/VSE tape management, which is enabled with CA Dynam for z/VSE 7.1. The solution is designed to simplify tape data set processing standards, including support for IBM's new hardware-based tape encryption, automation of encrypted tape processing, and automated ejection of tapes from robotic devices at close of file. Enhanced z/VM directory management is available with CA VM:Secure r2.8 SP1 and CA VM:Director r2.8 SP1. For more about CA mainframe products, go here.
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DataSynapse and Adaptivity Team to Promote “Next-Generation” Data Center
DataSynapse, a provider of application service management software, announced that the company has entered into an agreement with Adaptivity to deliver services and technology that enable organizations to rapidly transform to next-generation data center infrastructures.
DataSynapse and Adaptivity have combined their technology platform and best practices to help firms to consolidate, virtualize, and sustain a “next-generation data center infrastructure,” the companies said. Currently the organizations are jointly involved in multiple client engagements, and collaborate with other data center vendors.
"What we are addressing together is a need on the part of large, diverse organizations - global 2,000 or 3,000 companies or government organizations - to transform their data centers into what is a common or emerging common vision around the notion of a next-generation data center," Joe Schwartz, CMO of DataSynapse, told 5 Minute Briefing. He observed that key drivers are the desire for efficiency, reduced complexity and reduced risk and the goal of delivering high value to the business.
"In order to achieve that transformation there needs to be a combination of methodology and tools and technology that are brought to bear," Schwartz stated. "In the case of our joint offering, Adaptivity provides methodology. We provide the tools and technology and together we have a turnkey offering capability that helps organizations achieve that goal transformation." According to Schwartz, partnership developed through actual customer engagements. "This announcement represents a commercial formalization of an ongoing working relationship."
For more on Adaptivity, go here. For more on DataSynapse, go here.
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SSH AND SDS Partner for Secure Mainframe File Transfer
SSH Communications Security, a provider of enterprise security solutions and developer of the Secure Shell protocol, and Software Diversified Services (SDS), a supplier of TCP/IP monitoring and file-transfer solutions for IBM z/OS mainframes, will be jointly offering a new encryption and secure File Transfer Protocol (FTP) automation solution for IBM mainframe systems. Through this partnership, SDS will distribute and support a bundled solution combining SSH Tectia Server for IBM z/OS and the new SDS FTP Manager (SFM) 2.0 product.
"It’s definitely a partnership that has a lot of synergy in it," Byron Rashed, director of marketing for SSH Communications Security, Inc., told 5 Minute Briefing. "SDS did an excellent job of integrating SSH Tectia for z/OS into the SFM product."
The purpose of the joint offering is to help reduce programming time in altering JCL code to encrypt file transfers. Together, SSH Tectia and SFM 2.0 help increase the level of security for enterprises conducting batch file transfers on IBM mainframes by combining data security with advanced monitoring and management functionality. The combined solution provides enterprise customers with SSH protocol-based encryption for FTP file transfers to and from IBM z/OS mainframes, without requiring changes to Job Control Language (JCL) jobs, data files or application infrastructure. In addition, SFM 2.0 integrates an IBM FTP client to the security and encryption services of the SSH Tectia Server for IBM z/OS product.
SSH Tectia Server for IBM z/OS is a file-transfer and secure data-in-transit solution for IBM z/OS mainframes. It provides FTP tunneling and automatic FTP to SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol) conversion for replacement of unsecure FTP environments. SSH’s solutions support secure file transfers and data-in-transit between IBM mainframe, Windows, Unix, and Linux systems.
SFM 2.0 enables real-time monitoring of IBM z/OS mainframe batch file transfers, as well as secure traffic through SSH Tectia clients and servers via a GUI interface. SFM 2.0 automates FTP processes, secures individual FTP commands, and provides comprehensive audit trails to ensure compliance with key government regulations. In addition, it provides the FTP Control Language (FCL) for IBM mainframe batch jobs to log and retry failed transfers, while also alerting the attending operator when automated recovery fails.
"Our product gives you the security from start to finish and the SFM product from SDS gives you the ability to completely monitor those transactions and keep a close eye on your network activity," added Alan Beaubien, senior engineer at SSH Communications Security, Inc. SDS allows the SSH product to be implemented simply and transparently, "and provides that audit trail that you're going to need," stated Gary Bortner, senior systems engineer, SDS. The combined SSH Tectia and SFM 2.0 security solution will be available later this quarter from SDS. For more information, go here
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