DataDirect z/Direct SQL Access

Access to proprietary mainframe data from distributed environments has been evolving technological challenge. DataDirect has led the advancement of industry standard database connectivity with its ODBC, JDBC and ADO.NET drivers. For mainframe data connectivity, Shadow builds on this industry leading technology to provide both SQL and SOAP interfaces to access a wide range of mainframe databases, all within a single integration architecture.

zIIP Exploitation Beyond DB2
DataDirect’s unique, patent-pending technology enables exploitation of IBM's specialty engines, the zIIP and zAAP, both of which are unmeasured, non-speed restricted processing environments. With Shadow, processing data intensive workloads in support of Business Intelligence or ERP applications can be diverted from the mainframe’s General Purpose Processor to the zIIP specialty engine, thereby reducing MSU utilization. Shadow opens up the zIIP to additional workloads beyond DB2, to include IMS, VSAM, Adabas, IDMS, as well as SOAP/XML parsing for the transformation of business logic and screen logic in Web services. Shadow provides customers improved mainframe data and SOA performance and dramatically reduced mainframe Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).

Product Description
Shadow z/Direct transforms mainframe data and business logic assets into reusable virtual RDBMS objects. Data assets are transformed into virtual RDBMS tables while business logic assets are transformed into virtual RDBMS stored procedures. Shadow z/Direct provides developers with direct, SQL access to mainframe data and applications (business logic and screens) utilizing industry standard ODBC, JDBC or JCA (J2EE Connector Architecture) APIs.

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Shadow z/Direct provides support for direct SQL access to:

• Shadow z/Direct for Data - provides SQL access to DB2, IMS/DB, VSAM, IAM and Adabas returning relational result sets
• Shadow z/Direct for Programs - makes mainframe applications (CICS, IMS/TM and Natural programs and presentation layer) appear as database stored procedures

Key Features

• ANSI 92 standard SQL access to DB2, CICS/VSAM, VSAM, IAM, IMS/DB
• 32 bit and 64 bit ODBC 3.5 DataDirect wire protocol drivers
• 32 bit and 64 bit JDBC Type 4 DataDirect wire protocol drivers
• Data Mapping of mainframe resources into virtual relational database tables and stored procedures integrated into the Shadow Studio
• Full, standards-based metadata support for seamless integration with common IDEs
• Scales to thousands of transactions per second
• Advanced diagnostics and controls to maintain production quality of service
• Robust mainframe security augmented with support for distributed application platforms
• Supports two-phase commit (2PC) for transactional integrity
• Automatic generation of J2EE and .NET components from database interfaces - any distributed developer can easily implement mainframe database queries into new and existing applications
• Web services to data - flexibility to support data services with SQL or SOAP interfaces

Shadow z/Direct is an inherently more robust product than competing mainframe integration solutions, utilizing a proven,multi-threaded,mainframe server component to enable secure, reliable interoperability at the highest level of performance and scalability, while also providing rich monitoring and diagnostics.