In today’s competitive and risk averse IT environment, ISVs must focus their efforts on innovation and delivering core functionality to stay ahead of their competitors. That said, poor data connectivity can be the Achilles’s heel of application performance, so ISVs have to deliver on data connectivity to their end customers. DataDirect’s investment in innovation in data connectivity enables ISVs to reduce the cost, risk, and complexity of delivering and supporting applications for customers and enables them to focus their efforts where they can be most effective: in driving value and innovation through their core applications.

Database connections are the lifeblood of enterprise applications, administrating the secure and steady flow of information between corporate applications and their persistent relational databases. Optimizing these connections can usher in widespread improvements in information management and improvements in server and network resource utilization

Database connections are the lifeblood of enterprise applications, administrating the secure and steady flow of information between corporate applications and their persistent relational databases. Optimizing these connections can usher in widespread improvements in information management and improvements in server and network resource utilization.

This article discusses the architectural distinctives of a well-designed .Net connectivity product. It looks at the features required to minimize resource utilization on the host system and provide optimal scalability within an enterprise ecosphere.

Database connections are the lifeblood of enterprise applications, administrating the secure and steady flow of information between corporate applications and their persistent relational databases. Optimizing these connections can usher in widespread improvements in information management and improvements in server and network resource utilization.

This article looks at the characteristics of efficient, well designed ODBC driver suites, such as communication strategies and compiled architectures. It addresses key areas of resource optimization in memory, cpu utilization and network bandwidth. It helps the reader consider the challenges of enterprise scalability.

The Internet Security Advisors Group (ISAG), an international information security firm specializing in security assessment, conducted a review of the architecture and functionality of the DataDirect Connect product line. Ira Winkler, founder of ISAG and well-known security expert, wrote the report, which documents his assessment and establishes the need for security features as an integral part of database drivers and providers. The report also provides important information if you’re looking to implement Single Sign-on (SSO) or data encryption.

November 2009, Philip Russom, Analyst

Mainframe modernization takes many forms. For many organizations, it’s about providing a more streamlined method for using mainframe information on other platforms. For others, it’s about extending the mainframe to the Web. Some forward-looking organizations are making the mainframe an active participant in service-based composite applications, utilizing Web services standards to support a service-oriented architecture (SOA). Organizations seeking the greatest value from the mainframe must consider all of these factors. This Checklist Report touches on all aspects of mainframe modernization, but focuses primarily on data integration issues.

April 7, 2009, Analyst Mike Chuba

IT organizations remain under budgetary pressure. Gartner analyst Mike Chuba provides some nonstandard options to reduce mainframe costs and potentially defer upgrades. DataDirect is mentioned as being able to ensure that an organization’s installed MIPS are being used most effectively.

January 2009

Mainframe infrastructures of today bear little resemblance to the rigid, monolithic systems of the past. Industry standards and integration tools have matured to provide increased flexibility and intuitive integrated development environments to simplify re-using legacy data sources in new application development initiatives.

In this benchmark report, learn how DataDirect Shadow can help you advance your SOA enablement strategy and significantly lower mainframe TCO by offloading up to 90% of your integration processing to zIIP specialty engines.

Part I: Redefining Mainframe Economics with the Specialty Engines
November 2008

By Jeff Goldberg, Celent Senior Analyst

With the market crisis, increasing efficiencies and reducing cost are greater issues than ever. Insurance CIOs may decide that expensive technology investments may need to wait, such as that long-planned and long-delayed policy admin replacement project, and will be looking for ways to continue modernizing without the cost.

Learn how the mainframe can be modern and cost-efficient while still providing reliability with the System z specialty engines.

The performance analysis of DataDirect Shadow z/Services v7.1.2 (Shadow z/Services v7) was conducted at the DataDirect Technologies mainframe products development lab in Sugar Land, Texas. Testing was performed in a controlled environment using Shadow z/Services v6.1 and v7.1.2.