Mainframe Database Support

Relational and Non-Relational Database Integration

DataDirect Shadow is a unified integration architecture that provides enterprise developers with a wide range of integration options for mainframe relational and non-relational data environments. Supported mainframe databases include:

Adabas
DB2 for z/OS
IMS DB
VSAM

Overview
Adabas
DB2 for z/OS
IMS DB
VSAM

Shadow provides SQL access to mainframe data, employing high-performance, call-level interfaces to extract data definitions from non-relational database systems and represent them in relational terms. For real-time Change Data Capture (CDC), Shadow non-invasively captures business meaning data changes, handles filtering and aggregation as well as transformation (XML) and transport over HTTP or MQ. And for reliable, enterprise-class service-based connectivity to mainframe data, Shadow provides a SOAP interface for transparent interoperability.

Shadow Studio offers a comprehensive range of industry-standard client drivers and interfaces – SOAP, XML and SQL data access APIs – to bridge the integration of business-critical mainframe business data with more modern relational databases tied to J2EE or .NET application development frameworks.

Moreover, Shadow is a unique solution in that it dramatically lowers mainframe Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) by taking the zIIP beyond DB2 and offloading up to 99% of database integration’s incremental processing from the mainframe General Purpose Processor (GPP) to the zIIP specialty engine.

Shadow Supports Adabas

Shadow provides comprehensive integration support for organizations embarking on mainframe modernization initiatives that involve access to Software AG’s Adabas database.

The list of key supporting features includes:

Shadow z/Direct provides modern distributed applications with high-performance direct SQL access to Adabas mainframe data via industry-standard client drivers.
Shadow z/Services exposes Adabas data as SOAP-based Web services, transforming Adabas into a SOAP-callable relational database. Shadow’s native Web services deployment is a robust, multi-threaded runtime server residing within a started task on the mainframe. Shadow also supports bi-directional Web services, allowing Adabas to act as a consumer of distributed service functionality.
In a non-invasive fashion, Shadow z/Events detects, captures and publishes real-time Adabas mainframe data event logs (state changes), transforming events into XML and pushing them asynchronously via multiple messaging protocols. Complex Event Processing (CEP) allows the Shadow event manager to logically evaluate multiple Adabas events, enabling decoupled, parallel, asynchronous processing.

Click here to learn more about how Shadow supports Adabas.

Shadow provides comprehensive integration support for organizations embarking on mainframe modernization initiatives that involve access to IBM’s DB2 database. The list of key supporting features includes:

Support for Distributed Relational Database Architecture (DRDA)-Shadow z/Direct and Shadow z/Events now integrate with DB2 for z/OS using the Distributed Relational Database Architecture (DRDA) data interoperability standard. Using DRDA for DB2 access increases the percentage of the workload that is eligible to be diverted to the System z Integrated Information Processor (zIIP) and reduces total cost of ownership by reducing integration-related capacity usage.
Performance improvements for DB2 IFI log event capture for DB2 for z/OS Shadow z/Events DB2 IFI log capture has been improved to eliminate large amounts of the capture processing resulting in significant improvement in capture performance.
Shadow offers full feature support for DB2 for z/OS versions 9, 8 and 7, supporting extended limits for names, columns, and tables; performance enhancements such as DYNAMIC SQL caching, and 64-bit virtual storage support. Shadow release tolerance allows developers to upgrade existing mainframe integration applications when needed.
Shadow z/Direct provides modern distributed applications with high-performance direct SQL access to DB2 mainframe data via industry-standard client drivers. For DB2, Shadow employs a single comprehensive driver strategy, which simplifies deployment and maintenance by eliminating the need to manage multiple distinct drivers based on application requirements for DB2 access.
Shadow z/Services exposes business logic implemented as DB2 stored procedures via Web services. In this scenario, all Shadow z/Direct interfacing features are available when accessing DB2 stored procedures with Web services. Shadow also supports bi-directional Web services, allowing DB2 to act as a consumer of distributed service functionality.
In a non-invasive fashion, Shadow z/Events detects, captures and publishes real-time DB2 mainframe data event logs (state changes), transforming events into XML and pushing them asynchronously via multiple messaging protocols. Complex Event Processing (CEP) allows the Shadow event manager to logically evaluate multiple DB2 events, enabling decoupled, parallel, asynchronous processing.

Shadow provides comprehensive integration support for organizations embarking on mainframe modernization initiatives that involve access to IBM’s IMS database. The list of key supporting features includes:

Shadow ANSI SQL92 engine now supports IMS secondary index - For IMS 8.1 or higher and using the ANSI SQL92 engine, the Shadow Server supports statements that contain a WHERE clause referencing a column that maps to a field with a secondary index. This improves performance by allowing direct access to the segment data and avoids the sequential scan that is performed when the only access can be obtained through the root key.
Shadow z/Direct provides modern distributed applications with high-performance direct ANSI SQL-92 access to IMS DB mainframe data via industry-standard client drivers. With ANSI SQL-92 support, Shadow abstracts IMS DB data access to a common and consistent approach, broadening the pool of developers that can substantially contribute on mainframe integration projects. Finally, Shadow’s ANSI SQL-92 access exploits zIIP specialty engines in offloading almost all incremental processing to broker SQL requests, helping to lower mainframe Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) even further.
Shadow z/Services exposes IMS DB data as SOAP-based Web services, transforming IMS DB into a SOAP-callable relational database. Shadow’s native Web services deployment is a robust, multi-threaded runtime server residing within a started task on the mainframe. When transforming IMS DB data via Web services, Shadow supports multiple interfaces, including OTMA, CCTL/DBCTL, and ODBA. Shadow also supports bi-directional Web services, allowing IMS DB to act as a consumer of distributed service functionality.
In a non-invasive fashion, Shadow z/Events detects, captures and publishes real-time IMS DB mainframe data event logs (state changes), transforming events into XML and pushing them asynchronously via multiple messaging protocols. Complex Event Processing (CEP) allows the Shadow event manager to logically evaluate multiple IMS DB events, enabling decoupled, parallel, asynchronous processing. And, Shadow z/Events can capture IMS DB data changes from one or more IMS regions in a manner that ensures the integrity of the capture, enhancement and delivery processes.

Shadow provides comprehensive integration support for organizations embarking on mainframe modernization initiatives that involve access to IBM’s VSAM database. The list of key supporting features includes:

Shadow z/Direct provides modern distributed applications with high-performance direct ANSI SQL-92 access to VSAM mainframe data via industry-standard client drivers. With ANSI SQL-92 support, Shadow abstracts VSAM data access to a common and consistent approach, broadening the pool of developers that can substantially contribute on mainframe integration projects. Finally, Shadow’s ANSI SQL-92 access exploits zIIP specialty engines in offloading almost all incremental processing to broker SQL requests, helping to lower mainframe Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) even further.
Shadow z/Services enables stored procedure syntax to call mainframe programs that manipulate VSAM data., delivering Web services that directly access VSAM data in a controlled, secure manner and do not require additional mainframe programming. Shadow also supports bi-directional Web services, allowing VSAM to act as a consumer of distributed service functionality.
In a non-invasive fashion, Shadow z/Events detects, captures and publishes real-time VSAM mainframe data event logs (state changes), transforming events into XML and pushing them asynchronously via multiple messaging protocols. Complex Event Processing (CEP) allows the Shadow event manager to logically evaluate multiple VSAM events, enabling decoupled, parallel, asynchronous processing.
Shadow can be extended to provide high-performance integration with mainframe VSAM and QSAM sequential files, with or without CICS. Update access is delivered via Shadow support inside CICS where organizational data integrity policy insists on CICS ownership of VSAM data.