Cilasoft, a leading developer and vendor of security and compliance software for the IBM i platform, today introduced CENTRAL, a software solution that gives IT managers a unified view of data across multiple files, while also providing functionality for data-set distribution and command execution across multiple IBM i environments from a central machine.

"We have a growing number of customers that run our security and compliance products on multiple machines and need a better, more unified view of security and compliance log files from all of their locations," says Guy Marmorat, president of Cilasoft. "This was the impetus for creating CENTRAL; however, we took this functionality several steps further: firstly, CENTRAL can be used with any DB2 file on any number of IBM i environments—whether Cilasoft files or not; secondly, CENTRAL works bidirectionally so it can be used to intelligently distribute or consolidate data over multiple IBM i environments; and thirdly, CENTRAL lets users run commands that affect multiple IBM i environments from a single machine."

CENTRAL includes two versions:

Runtime version is designed to consolidate Cilasoft-generated security and compliance log files, deploy security rules across Cilasoft products running on multiple environments, and run remote Cilasoft commands across multiple environments.

Open version can be used without any limitation across any database file or command – whether the files or programs are used by Cilasoft applications or not.

Examples of what can be achieved with CENTRAL:

• Aggregate data from a selected group of machines, either incrementally or all at once • Distribute a save file to multiple remote machines along with customizable pre- and/or postexecution commands

• Run a specific command on one or more remote machines with on-demand activation

• Deploy database files to multiple locations, with an extraction selection, at any time of the day and at any pre-defined time interval.

Key Features of CENTRAL:

• Open structure allows you to define any type of exchange

• System Groups allow smart grouping of multiple systems

• Scripts include: Type (*FILE, *SAVF, *CMD), Direction (*SND, *RCV), Instructions (on either remote and/or central systems), and Transport Method (*AUTO, *FTP, *MANUAL)

• Predefined consolidation configuration for Cilasoft logs (CONTROLER log, EAM log, QJRN preparation files)

• Large choice of scheduling options, such as a specific time every day, every x-number of minutes, repetitive or one time only, or with a specific calendar

• Comprehensive error tracking (central and remote jobs are identified, joblog is automatically sent on error)

• Manages files (database files, save files) and commands

• Bi-directional (send or receive)

• Multiple data transport and exchange methods (FTP, DDM, SAVRST, manual)

• Segregated processes, including extraction, transport, and import (with customization options for each)

Victoria Mack has been an editor and author for MC Press Online (formerly Midrange Computing) since 1994 and has held the position of Executive Editor since 2001. Victoria is also a freelance editor, author, and educator.