Environment
Situation
This technical note includes new features and release notes for DATABridge version 6.2 (released January 2013).
Note: DATABridge 6.2 Service Pack 1 was released August 2013. For a information about new features and release notes, see KB 7021916.
Resolution
Product Description
DATABridge is a combination of host software and client software that provides replication and updates of DMSII databases to relational databases. The original DMSII database resides on a Unisys(R) ClearPath(R) NX/LX series or A Series mainframe, and the replicated DMSII database resides as an Oracle(R), DB2(R) or Microsoft(R) SQL Server relational database on the Client system.
The DATABridge Client resides on a Windows(R) server, UNIX(R) system, AIX(R) or Linux(R) system and communicates with the DATABridge Server Accessory on the host or with DATABridge Enterprise Server on a ClearPath PC or other server.
For information on the DATABridge host software, see the DATABridge Host Administrator's Guide available from https://support.microfocus.com/manuals/databridge.html.
Installation
- This version uses an integrated installer for Windows, which combines the DATABridge Client, Client Console, and DATABridge Enterprise Server into a single package. For installation instructions, see the DATABridge Installation Guide (install.pdf) available on the root of the installation image, or by clicking the Help button in the Windows Attachmate Installer, or from https://support.microfocus.com/manuals/databridge.html.
To view PDFs you need the Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat. You can download the free Reader from the Adobe Web site at http://get.adobe.com/reader.
- The default Client and Enterprise Server working directories have changed in this release. If you're upgrading, you must select your old working directory on the Attachmate Installer Options tab to ensure that data sources get updated.
The new default for the Client is:
%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Attachmate\DATABridgeThe new default for Enterprise Server is:
%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Attachmate\DATABridge\Enterprisewhere the environment variable %ALLUSEERSPROFILE% varies from OS to OS.
- The Client Console is not compatible with earlier versions of DATABridge and must be installed in conjunction with DATABridge version 6.2 software. The Client Console includes its own Help (including tutorials), available from the Help menu.
Important Notices
- If the DATABridge Client becomes unresponsive, check the host ODT for a waiting entry from the DBEngine or the DBServer Accessory. For example, DBEngine may be waiting for an audit file. If you make the audit file available to DBEngine, the DATABridge Client continues automatically and the waiting entry at the ODT is removed.
- If you clone DMSII datasets that do not have unique keys defined, the program creates a unique key using RSNs, if available, or AA (absolute address) values. When you use AA values, it is recommended that you create a unique composite key for the tables derived from the dataset.
For details on creating composite keys, see the Client Console Help or the Client Administrator's Guide available from https://support.microfocus.com/manuals/databridge.html.
- If you use Enterprise Server in Indirect mode (where the MCP disks are not visible to Enterprise Server), you may experience degraded performance in this release of DATABridge. Before you employ this release at your site, we suggest that you test this release to determine if the performance is sufficient. For more information, contact Attachmate Technical Support, https://support.microfocus.com/contact/.
New Features
Installation
- Combined Installer for Windows
You can install DATABridge components more easily on Windows with the Attachmate Installer Program. This installer standardizes the installation process and makes it easier to deploy the DATABridge Client and Enterprise Server. When your software is installed, the installer starts up a utility to help you configure security and other settings.
- 64-bit versions of Enterprise Server and the Client Console for Windows
You can now run native versions of DATABridge Enterprise Server and the DATABridge Client Console on 64-bit Windows operating systems.
The Attachmate Installer Program provides a 64-bit JRE (version 1.0.6_26), available from the Feature Selection tab of the Attachmate Installer Wizard.
Security
- File security for Enterprise Server and DATABridge Client
Access to configuration files and directories can now be restricted to administrators and approved users and groups.
File security for DATABridge Enterprise configuration and log files is automatically enabled during installation. By default, any user in the Administrators group has read-write access to the configuration files. (Log files are always read-only.)
File security for the Client's global working directory can be enabled after your software is successfully installed.
For details, see the Security Guidelines topic in the Installation Guide's first chapter, available from https://support.microfocus.com/manuals/databridge.html.
- Keys masked from screen output
In a continued effort to enhance security, keys no longer appear in on-screen messages. Because keys can contain sensitive data, they now appear only in log files to which Administrators have access.
DATABridge Client
- Ability to interact with client service using command files
The Batch Console automates routine Client tasks by allowing command files/shell scripts launched by the Client service to interact with the service. For more information, see the DATABridge Client Administrator's Guide available from https://support.microfocus.com/manuals/databridge.html.
- Blackout option to enforce "down time" between client runs
You can schedule blackout periods during which the Client suspends all processing and updates to allow for routine maintenance or reporting. To use this feature with the service-controlled Client, set the Blackout Period value from the Client Console (Data Source > Client Configuration > Processing > Scheduling).
- Alternate method of updating
Systems that use relational database replication in order to update a copy of the relational database can employ a new form of update processing that selectively updates only those columns whose values have changed. This form of update processing, referred to as optimized column updates, significantly increases the efficiency of replication between relational databases (for example, from Oracle to Oracle). You can enable this feature (globally or for individual data sets) from the Client Console by selecting Optimize Column Updates in the Client Configuration dialog box, or by modifying the client configuration parameter optimize_col_updates.
- New columns from DMSII reorganizations match those in DMSII database
Enhancements to the Reorganization command scripts (created by the redefine command) allow the Client to retrieve the initial value for a new column added by a DMSII reorganization.
DATABridge Enterprise Server
- Bidirectional file transfer
Enterprise Server can now copy files both to and from the MCP environment. For details, see “Bidirectional File Transfer†in the DATABridge Enterprise Server Help.
All Product
- Support for DMSII level 55.1 (MCP 14.1)
DATABridge 6.2 is compatible with DMSII level 55.1 (MCP 14.1), which allows for large ALPHA items and data obfuscation.
- Support for data sets that contain DMSII LINKS
DATABridge now supports DIRECT, UNORDERED, and STANDARD data sets that contain DMSII links. Links in variable-format data sets are cloned, but not tracked. For more information, see Chapter 5, "DMSII and Relational Database Data Mapping" in the DATABridge Client Administrator's Guide available from https://support.microfocus.com/manuals/databridge.html.
- IPv6 support
DATABridge now supports IPv6 addresses in addition to IPv4 addresses.
Additional Enhancements
In addition to the new features listed above, this release includes the following changes and enhancements.
- The Client Console allows you add, delete, and modify the role of a user ID by choosing Services > Manage Users. In previous versions, you could only manage user IDs by editing the service configuration file.
- The /v option (verbose output) is no longer written to the log file. We now treat /v as a trace /t 1 + an undocumented TR_VERBOSE flag, which is enabled automatically.
- The parameter force_aa_only was extended to have three values instead of being a boolean. The values of 0 and 1 work as before, while a value of 2 indicates that it should only apply to data sets that have an RSN. This allows you to avoid using AA Values when there is a valid SET available as the source of the index.
- You can now apply a dynamic century break to 6-digit dates. The break is evaluated on a hundred-year sliding window centered around the current date (for example, 1913 to 2062). To specify a dynamic century break deselect the “Century break†check box.
- The unused client_activity column was dropped from the DATASOURCES Client control table.
- The column the db_timestamp was a added to the DATASOURCES Client Control table. This column allows the client to determine whether the database being used, is the same one that was used previously when the data source was created. If you set this column to 0, the test is bypassed.
- The BITOR function was implemented for use in Oracle user scripts to allow them to manipulate individual bits. The BITAND operator, which is also useful when manipulating bits, is part of the SQL that Oracle uses.
- The watchdog timer now reports SQL queries that do not complete in a reasonable period of time. This typically indicates that an application has a table locked and is preventing the client from updating it.