Mutual Fund Investment Company

Alebra's Parallel Data Mover's innovative, high-speed, channel-based technology takes the stress off of a TCP/IP network and works over open systems server Fibre Channel channels, and z/Series FICON channels.

The Challenge

This particular customer had an operational need to replace obsolete data sharing application software (CLIO/s) that copied data from a z/Series server environment, via an RS/6000 gateway, to data bases/data files located on Sun and RS6000 sp platforms, and after further processing on those platforms, to copy data back to the z/Series server.

The customer already had in place a Fibre Channel network for open system backup and wished to use that existing network for data sharing between z/Series and open systems.

The data is mission critical; the data sets had grown, and continue to grow, to a volume that is causing significant problems in attempting to transfer the data in the “time window” available over the existing TCP/IP connections using CLIO/s. These problems are not only associated with the network bandwidth, but also the server resources consumed (mainly running the server processor(s) at or near 100%), thus preventing other processes to excute. Failure to copy the data on a daily basis, in turn, causes the data bases on the open systems servers to be dated, thus affecting the end users of the data.

The customer has 100’s of batch jobs on the z/Series that performed data extraction from z/Series databases, and one of their prime considerations was minimal impact on development work to modify those batch JCL jobs. The customer also desired to minimize development efforts on existing scripts on the open systems platforms, and to be able to transfer data from application to application.

The Solution

Initially, the customer installed Alebra’s Parallel Data Mover™ in conjunction with CNT’s USD ESCON to FC platforms. This provided a bandwidth of approximately 60 MB/s for data copying. By using the piping mechanism (SSI) within PDM, the customer was able to minimize their development efforts on the z/Series JCL jobs by having to only change one DD statement and minimal scripting effort on the open systems to identify where the data was coming from (PDM). This provided the existing z/Series server batch jobs to extract the data and transmit it directly to the open system platforms, without intermediate storage on the z/Series, to a script that invoked database loader programs.

Because of increases in data volume and new application requirements, the customer ran out of bandwidth for data copies. The customer then upgraded their Parallel Data Mover™ environment to Alebra’s z/OpenGate™ FICON – FC transport infrastructure. By using four (4) FICON channels into two (2) z/OpenGate™, the customer is able to obtain a bandwidth off approximately 440 MB/s. In addition, by adding additional z/OpenGate™, the customer can scale their environment as the need arises.

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, as well as overload the servers processors just for TCP/IP processing. This gridlock can disturb necessary business processes needed to maintain and continue growth.

This customer’s main goal was to eliminate the use of CLIO/s, and subsequently the CNT USD’s and develop a flexible, efficient system to enhance the movement and loading of open systems servers databases. After looking at a variety of technologies, it selected Alebra’s Parallel Data Mover™, in conjunction with z/OpenGates™ solution. PDM met the company's primary goal because of its performance, security, and substantial reduction in processing power required to copy data between the server environments, its monitoring capabilities, and its flexibility.

PDM's innovative high-speed, channel-based technology takes the stress off of the TCP/IP network and works over open systems server Fibre Channel channels, and z/Series FICON channels.

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 reduction in file transfer 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 less than one year and to reach 100 percent. Overall, this customer saved resources because:

  • Diminished file transfer 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 server cycles
  • Elimination of obsolete applications (now covered by PDM) cuts immediate costs

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