Resolution Software Ltd., a forerunner in database design and modeling best practices, has announced Xcase for the IBM System i.
Xcase for System i is the first database modeling tool to automatically augment traditional IBM System i databases so they are fully compatible with SQL, without impacting existing applications. It allows companies with data on the System i to quickly and cost-effectively modernize their databases so they can fully implement any SQL function across new and existing applications.
In many cases, SQL offers significant advantages over native I/O methods, the company says, including improved application response times; compatibility with modernized applications, particularly those using Service Oriented Architecture (SOA); support for advanced database functions and data types; and greater data integrity.
Until now, developers that wanted to use certain SQL functions had to either modify all existing applications that relied on the modified database table or use a complex manual process to modernize the table to SQL in a way that preserves compatibility with existing programs. In both cases, the process was long, intricate, and error-prone. If the application impacted data across multiple tables, all tables or related programs required updates.
According to Kent Milligan, senior DB2 for i5/OS specialist at IBM, his team has worked with many System i developers over the past several years to modernize their database definitions and access methods to SQL as they navigate the System i Developer Road Atlas. "SQL brings so many real benefits to System i applications that it should be a no-brainer to update your database structure to benefit from the additional data types and performance advantages. However, it does take time for clients to migrate all their database definitions to SQL--as well as build an understanding of DB2 and SQL--and those have proven to be hurdles for some companies," Milligan says.
"Xcase removes those hurdles by providing a solution that simplifies management of the DB2 objects involved in the database modernization process and speeds up the process by employing IBM-recommended best practices that allow existing applications to keep running with no modifications as if no change occurred to the database definitions."
Xcase for System i consists of two components: one to address the database migration process and one to address ongoing modifications to the SQL database. The Modernization Module prepares tables within a DB2 for i5/OS database to accept I/O from any application using SQL functions, while it preserves their ability to communicate with existing applications that use native I/O methods. To accomplish this, it follows the IBM-recommended process laid out in the Redbook titled "Modernizing IBM eServer iSeries Application Data Access. The Xcase tool requires no special knowledge of SQL.
Xcase also includes an Evolution Module that helps developers modify their modernized database quickly, in a controlled way, as needed. It reverse engineers your database structure into graphical data models so you can see relationships at a glance. The models show both SQL and DDS-generated objects. This can be particularly useful in the System i market, where only an estimated 7 percent of legacy applications have documented data models. Xcase’s Evolution module also performs impact analyses to show the implications of any given change to SQL database objects; meticulously tracks impacted views, triggers and stored procedures; and automatically generates the code needed to implement some or all of the changes. For reporting, Xcase offers an easy way to define the information you require and then generates the required view using SQL.
Resolution has refined the Xcase technology according to database design and modeling best practices for nearly 20 years. This mature technology is now available with a Modernization Module and other enhancements to meet the unique requirements of the System i platform.
"We're excited about bringing Xcase to the System i market," says Elie Muyal, Resolution’s CEO. "So many developers are discovering the untapped potential of SQL. Xcase will help them leverage SQL's power faster and with less effort, and still preserve the option of using native I/O methods whenever they want. Modernizing to 100 percent SQL compatibility dramatically increases the System i's profile as a database server. When you pair the System i's reliability and security with the power, speed, flexibility and data integrity of SQL, you create compelling business reasons for management to look at consolidating all of its important data onto the System i."
Availability and More Information
Xcase for System i will be generally available in January 2008. Resolution will also offer a Modernization Service beginning December 2007.For more information, visit www.XcaseforSystemi.com, email
About Resolution Software Ltd.
Established in 1988, Resolution Software Ltd. specializes in database modeling and modification tools that help developers quickly and accurately implement every database-related update required as related applications undergo continuous modification throughout their life cycle. Its cornerstone product, Xcase, is a complete data modeling tool specifically adapted for today's most widely used database application environments, including SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL and, most recently, DB2 for i5/OS. A forerunner in recognizing the strategic importance of the proper design and maintenance of the database, Resolution has dedicated its resources to providing thorough, complete, smoothly integrated, highly customizable database design, modernization and evolution tools.
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