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The incredible speed associated with the Alebra solution in file copy time allows for quicker data processing time, which improves customer service. Return on investment (ROI) was projected to occur in weeks and to reach 100 percent.
The Challenge
This particular customer had an operational need to establish a large (petabytes) data warehouse environment for its marketing department. OLTP data from the z/Series environment needs to be copied to the data warehouse frequently, with peak data copy exceeding 1 Terabyte per hour. The receiving Open Systems servers are to be large pSeries servers feeding the data warehouse located on the SAN environment. Future access to the data warehouse data will be from a Linux blade environment.
This data warehouse is deemed mission critical; the data volume is growing. A TCP/IP solution, based on a dedicated IP network, or storage-based data sharing solution, can not handle the volumes, and will cause a significant server load on the z/Series and pSeries servers. Time windows for copying this data is tight and failure to meet these windows will adversely affect the total business process, thus effecting the marketing department.
The Solution
Using PDM, data file transfers, in parallel, are transmitted at the rate of 25+ MB/s per transfer, giving an aggregate transfer rate of approximately 1+ TB/h over four FICON channels.
The network subsequently was configured (see diagram) to allow load sharing across four FICON channels from a particular LPAR, providing an effective bandwidth of approximately 480 MB/s between the four FICON channels.
The file transfers are all started from the pSeries or Linux side, using the PDM client via scheduled or ad hoc scripts, thus becoming completely automated in the operational environment.
Solution Analysis
Enterprises, such as this customer, that used their TCP/IP network to transmit bulk data between open systems server(s) and the z/Series server(s) often create TCP/IP network gridlock. This gridlock can disturb necessary business processes needed to maintain and continue growth.
This customer’s main goal was to implement this new business process of file transfer from an z/Series server to open system servers. After looking at a variety of technologies, it selected Alebra’s Parallel Data Mover™, in conjunction with multiple z/OpenGate™ Gateways solution. PDM met the company's primary goal because of its performance, its ability to move data between servers, its monitoring capabilities, and its flexibility.
PDM's innovative high-speed, channel-based technology takes the stress off of the TCP/IP network and can work over open systems server Fibre Channel, and MVS FICON.
Another strength of PDM is its ability to reduce CPU utilization for file transfers, which could be as high as 30 percent, to 2-3 percent.
Solution Analysis Benefits
The incredible speed associated with the Alebra solution in file copy time allows for quicker data processing time, which improves customer service. In addition, the ease of scheduling reduces the amount of administrator monitoring time for file transfers. The staff that previously monitored this procedure is more productive and free to take on more challenging and satisfying assignments.
Return on investment (ROI) was projected to occur in weeks and to reach 100 percent.
Overall, this customer savings were:
- Diminished file copy time creates room for further growth and improves the customers ability to respond to customer requests
- Offloading the file transfer processing from the host saves expensive mainframe cycles
- Reduced monitoring staff yields a more productive MIS organization
- Elimination of obsolete applications (now covered by PDM) cuts immediate costs
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