02
Sat, Nov
2 New Articles

Product Review: Maximum Availability's *noMAX

Product Reviews
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

With global instability, technology development in hyper-drive, an increasingly competitive commercial environment, and the sheer volume of data, business continuity is a central operational and management issue for companies of all sizes. For most companies, ensuring the security, integrity, and accessibility of data is no longer just an option.

Currently, an estimated 95% of the System i user community relies on tape backup as its data protection strategy. There's nothing really wrong with that as long as you understand that the best you can hope to recover are archived records that are valid only up to the point of the last tape save. Depending on the company's tape backup schedule, this data can be as old as 24 hours—perhaps older. In addition, tapes continually have to be moved and safely stored, which entails no inconsequential security risks of loss, theft, and compromise. If a system is down during a planned interruption—an application upgrade for example—tapes can be made to the point of shutdown, but during unplanned events, it is a different story. The unpredictability of tape underscores the fact that if you rely on periodic backups, you may face fatal data loss or lengthy reconstructions. Several days of data recovery is not unrealistic.

Fortunately, the advent of IBM's remote journaling technology, aggressive downward price movement in System i hardware, new technologies, and the availability of more bandwidth at lower prices have given impetus to companies of all sizes to examine the benefits of high availability replication solutions.

Global Reach

A pace-setter in the field of System i high availability is Maximum Availability, a New Zealand–based company created in 1999 by several IBM veterans with extensive experience in the telecommunications and data communications industries. Maximum Availability offers a suite of three products that utilize the latest OS/400 (i5/OS) and remote journaling technologies to capture data and replicate changes on the primary database to a mirrored database copy—whether to a separate environment on the same machine or multiple machines.

Maximum Availability approaches the market with a devout appreciation for the cost constraints of the IT universe, allowing entry-level data replication (*noMAX sentry) at an extremely affordable price and providing a clear and uncomplicated upgrade path through the mid-level (*noMAX defender) to a high-end solution (*noMAX garrison).

Maximum Availability has gone from strength to strength with the *noMAX suite of products, which are now installed at several hundred System i sites in some 30 countries worldwide and are marketed through numerous international locations and through a network of strategic alliances and partnerships. The company has also registered well with IBM, with its products being recognized as "Server Proven" and the company having won a 2006 IBM System i5 General Manager's Award in the Asia Pacific region.

Choice and Scalability

As just mentioned, *noMAX sentry is an excellent low-cost entry point for many companies. While it is capable of running in multiple System i environments, it actually requires only a single machine to house both the primary and the target data repositories. It can replicate data files (PF, DTAQ, DTAARA), which is adequate for 99% of applications.

The company's *noMAX defender and *noMAX garrison products can replicate between multiple environments (as well as on a single system) and can replicate more than 40 types of objects, including data, program objects, user profiles (USRPRF), and IFS.

Even with cross-environment data replication in place, most companies still want tape backups as a contingency, which is why all three *noMAX solutions feature Maximum Availability's unique Library Redirect feature. This technology enables full replication within a single system without using an LPAR, which allows users to continue working during the tape backup process because tapes are created from a secondary database.

Unlike high availability solutions that market separate modules for replication of data, objects, and IFS, *noMAX has a single integrated process for all three. This reduces the complexity of the replication process for the operations staff while simplifying implementation and maintenance processes.

Because of the bandwidth efficiency of remote journaling, *noMAX can provide real-time data integrity by processing both "before" and "after" images of updated file members on the secondary database. If a mismatch is detected during data comparison, replication on the secondary database is suspended, a message is sent to the operator to resolve it, and *noMAX catches up fully when the error has been managed. All the while, real-time replication continues uninterrupted on the unaffected data stream.

Because *noMAX uses remote journaling, any native System i communications process can be used for replication, including TCP/IP, SNA, or VPN over the Internet. In addition, remote journaling bandwidth requirements are lower than those of replication solutions with proprietary transfer processes.

GUI-Based Management

The *noMAX graphical user interface (GUI) is straightforward, intuitive, and menu-driven, enabling users to easily manage their systems as well as monitor from a single display the activities taking place in multiple environments.

GUI capabilities include the following:

  • Viewing and selecting objects by apply groups, member status, or library
  • Setting defaults and creating configuration descriptions
  • Creating apply groups and assigning files, file members, and/or objects
  • Creating IFS configurations and assigning paths to be replicated
  • Displaying the *noMAX configurations and components
  • Maintaining configuration, apply group, and assignment allocations
  • Starting/stopping the replication process
  • Displaying *noMAX replication status and viewing configuration message logs
  • Viewing advanced saved details management
  • Managing triggers and constraints
  • Accessing the GUI toolset for set-up, management, and monitoring

Comprehensive, Cost-Effective Data Protection

The three levels of *noMAX replication solutions are designed to be easily installed and easily upgraded over a simple, straightforward migration path. Installation can be accomplished in just a few hours, and upgrades can be completed in a similar amount of time. Combine this with very affordable pricing, and the result is comprehensive, cost-effective protection of business information against downtime and data loss for organizations of all sizes. And because data protection and availability are no longer luxuries, this is a very good thing.

Victor Wortman is a freelance technology writer based in Santa Monica, California. The author can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

http://www.mcpressonline.com/articles/images/2002/noMAXPro00.gif
Maximum Availability
Level 1, Building G
29 William Pickering Drive
Albany , Auckland 1311
New Zealand
Web: www.maximumavailability.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tel (US and Canada): 888.400.1541
Tel (All other countries): +64.9.415.7008

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: