IBM Data Replication 2020: In a Nutshell

IBM replication is based on two unique technical solutions: InfoSphere Change Data Capture, the heritage DataMirror product, and Q-Replication, the IBM-developed replication solution that uses MQ messaging.

IBM replication supports numerous sources and targets. For heterogeneous environments, that is, where either the source or target are not Db2, IBM recommends InfoSphere Change Data Capture. For Db2 to Db2 replication, IBM recommends Q Replication.

The currently available sources are targets are below. New offerings are always being added; for a current list visit the IBM replication homepage.

New offering highlight: Mainframe replication for Db2 for z and VSAM featuring “Remote Capture”, with the replication engine installed off the mainframe. The new solution delivers easier installation and administration as well as lower MIPs consumption to support replication from System z.

Coming soon: Refreshed monitoring tools built on Watson Knowledge Catalog, enabling expanded governance and integration with replication monitoring.

Implementation support, healthchecks and education:  Contact The Fillmore Group. We have several Quickstart offerings and have been delivering the IBM replication education offerings for decades.

Replication Sources: Db2 (LUW, Z/OS, iSeries), Oracle, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, VSAM, IMS, Informix, Sybase, MySQL.

Replication Targets: All above RDBMSs plus Teradata, Kafka, Hadoop, Files, Information Server (DataStage/QualityStage), Cloudant, AWS RedShift, S3, Azure SQL DB, JDBC targets (MongoDb, etc.), IBM IAS/ Db2WH/Db2WHoC, Netezza/Cloud Pak 4 Data System, and more.

Remote Capture Quickstart

Postgres Capture Quickstart

Kafka Replication Quickstart

The IBM Request for Enhancement (RFE) system has been moved from developerWorks to the IBM Data & AI Ideas portal.

Each “idea” submitted can be voted on by users who log in. The number of votes for each particular request is taken into consideration by the IBM Product Development teams when they are planning product enhancements. More votes = higher probability of getting the request fulfilled.

I am reaching out to ask IBM Data & AI solutions users to vote for an existing RFE in the Ideas system, QREP-I-216. This is a replication enhancement to IBM’s Q Replication, for customers using the Oracle QApply.

The Oracle QApply was developed several years ago when IBM was planning to merge Q Replication and InfoSphere Change Data Capture. It enabled customers to replicate from Db2 for z/OS to Oracle without adding a layer of federation (the old method of applying changes to heterogeneous databases).

The user requesting the request has had Q Replication with QApply in production for several years and is asking to have replication monitoring improved.

If you haven’t logged on the Ideas portal, it’s easy, and the homepage gives you access to the enhancement requests as well as each solution roadmap.

For this particular RFE, log in here and click on the button on the left side of the screen to vote.

Thanks for voting!!

https://ibm-data-and-ai.ideas.aha.io/ideas/QREP-I-216

Over 180 folks attended the “45 Minutes to Understand IBM Replication – Sources & Targets, Lower Latency, Costs” webinar on April 30, 2020 hosted by my colleague @KimMayTFG and me.  Thank you for joining us – along with the excellent questions and feedback.

These are the presentation materials IBM Data Replication Update 2020-04-30

You’ll find the recording of the webinar here.

This Thursday, April 30th, join Frank Fillmore for a fast, information-packed webinar, loaded with IBM replication solution information for both non-IBM and IBM replication customers.  Come join us and learn!  Details and the registration link are in the post below.

Please join us for a webinar Thursday, April 30th, on IBM replication:

45 Minutes to Understand IBM Replication – Sources & Targets, Lower Latency, Costs  

The webinar is intended for technical teams currently not using IBM replication solutions, although the webinar content will provide an excellent overview of IBM’s current offerings – an excellent refresher and update for IBM replication customers.  Hey, it’s a webinar – anyone can attend!!

Abstract:  Technical organizations rely on replication to deliver accurate data when its needed. IBM replication supports an extensive list of sources and targets – including legacy mainframe data repositories – as well as best of breed deployment models and specialty replication solutions.

If your organization is considering a new replication deployment or looking to replace your existing replication to extend functionality – or reduce cost – please join IBM Gold Consultant Frank C. Fillmore, Jr., for a webinar overview of IBM’s replication offerings.

The webinar will cover:

1. The sources and targets supported by IBM replication.
2. Each solution available today, and their costs.
3. Latency, deployment and administrative considerations.

Date:          Thursday, 4/30/2020

Time:          11:00am – 12:00pm EDT

Register HERE 

Presenter:  Frank Fillmore

Frank C. Fillmore, Jr. is the Founder and President of The Fillmore Group, Inc., an IBM Business Partner specializing in replication solutions in the IBM Data and Analytics portfolio. Frank has been a Db2 Gold Consultant since 1998 and is currently an IBM Champion for both Analytics and System z. Frank frequently presents on cutting-edge topics at regional and international user group meetings and is an IBM authorized instructor for delivery of replication courses including Q Replication, ICDC and pureScale.  Frank leads a team of expert consultants delivering presales, implementation and enablement support to IBM replication customers.

Want to learn more about the Gold Consultants?  Visit the IBM Gold webpage HERE.

IBM is hosting the September meeting of the Baltimore/Washington Db2 Users Group to be held at the BWI Hilton on Wednesday, September 11th.  IBM’s Kenishia Sapp and Anthony Ciabattoni will be presenting on Db2 for z/OS topics (see agenda below) and *drum roll!* IBM Replication Product Offering Manager Davendra Paltoo will be presenting on IBM’s recent replication enhancements and new offerings.

With the recent Gartner report validating IBM’s market position in their “magic quadrant” with IBM’s offerings supporting a broad range of replication sources and targets (including Postgres and Kafka), and the increased focus on making data accurate and available for analytics, it’s important to understand what IBM is delivering to customers today.

If you are in the Baltimore/Washington area I hope you will join us for the meeting and the opportunity to talk replication with Davendra.

The full agenda is below.  Registration is required – please register on the Baltimore/Washington Db2 Users Group website HERE.

Date:  Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Time:  9:00am – 3:30pm (registration open at 8:30am)

Location:  BWI Hilton, 1739 W Nursery Road, Linthicum Heights, MD  21090

Agenda:

9:00am – 10:15am   APIs: A Pathway to the Modern Enterprise, Kenishia Sapp, IBM NA z API Swat Team

As Enterprises begin their modernization journeys, REST and the API economy are integral elements of their roadmaps. There are many ways to achieve the goal of REST API enablement for the mainframe, and it can be hard to distinguish the benefits and unique value points among them. Kenishia Callaway will illustrate how solutions such as z/OS Connect, API Connect and others can be used to modernize while retaining the well-developed systems that differentiate company value.

10:30am – 11:45am  Db2 for z/OS Native RESTful Experience, Anthony Ciabattoni, IBM Db2 zOS Development SWAT Team

IBM Db2 for z/OS is still the undisputed leader for storing and maintaining mission critical data. It remains the “gold standard” for system availability, scalability, security and cost effectiveness. A majority of Fortune 500 companies, including the world’s top banks, retailers and insurance providers trust Db2 for z/OS for storing their data. In addition, Db2 for z/OS continues to invest in industry leading easy to access, efficient and cost effective data access capabilities while maintain our mainframe heritage.This session will show how Db2 REST services allow modern applications to access and consume Db2 data and to reuse existing SQL statements and stored procedures. We will present how they are easily deployed, managed and also promote the rapid/agile development and deployment of new applications that are mobile friendly.

12:45pm – 2:00pm  Db2 12 experiences from the field, recipe for successful migrations, FTB’s & Insert Algorithm 2, Anthony Ciabattoni

Migrating to Db2 12 and exploiting and taking advantage of new features and functions needs to be planned, prepared and executed to maintain availability and achieve organizational success. This session will go through the recipe of a successful Db2 migration, what can be completed prior to the migration window and what steps actual customers have made to achieve a successful migration. In addition, Fast Traversal Blocks and Insert Algorithm 2 are two of the most popular new features in Db2 12. During the session these two features will be described in detail along with the appropriate use cases for both technologies. Lastly, real life customer behavior, experiences and implementation successes will be discussed. If you are an organization that is in the process of migrating to Db2 12 or are planning for a Db2 12 migration before Db2 11 End of Service this is a must attend session.

2:15pm – 3:30pm Delivering a Real-time Experience for Dynamic Digital Businesses, Davendra Paltoo, Replication Offering Manager

Learn how organizations use IBM Data Replication to deliver near real time data across the enterprise from Db2 and most other major databases. IBM Data Replication key capabilities and plans will also be covered.

Thanks to my colleagues, Kim May and Ed Lynch, for a terrific IBM InfoSphere Data Replication (IIDR) new features webinar delivered today.  The recording of the webinar is found here.    These are the presentation materials: Data Replication Update 2019-02-07 – Final

Join replication experts Frank Fillmore and Ed Lynch for this information-packed webinar with news and announcements about IBM’s replication solutions. Whether you are a current IBM replication user, investigating replication for a new deployment, or working with a competitor’s solution, this webinar will help you understand what IBM offers today, and the enhancements that will help you succeed with replication in 2019.

At a sprint!

In forty-five minutes Ed and Frank will deliver an overview of IBM’s current offerings, the four most important 2019 enhancement announcements, and 3 special pricing offers that can help your organization realize significant savings. We know you want your data to be available when you need it and where you need it, and fast. We can help.

Registration is required. Please register HERE.

Date: Thursday, 2/7/19

Time: 1:00pm – 2:00pm EST

Presenters:

Frank Fillmore is the Founder and President of The Fillmore Group, Inc., an IBM Business Partner specializing in replication solutions in the IBM Analytics portfolio. Frank has been a Db2 Gold Consultant since 1998 and is currently an IBM Champion for both Analytics and System z. Frank frequently presents on cutting-edge topics at regional and international Db2 Users Group meetings and is an IBM authorized instructor for delivery of replication courses including Q Replication, ICDC and pureScale. Frank leads a team of expert consultants delivering presales, implementation and enablement support to IBM customers. Frank is currently supporting a pureScale implementation for a US Federal agency.

Ed Lynch was with IBM for over 25 years as a leader and innovator in Data Analytics and Information Integration.  Leveraging his balanced and diversified knowledge of data and Information Technology with business needs and capabilities, Ed consistently recommends and delivers best of breed technical solutions. A trusted advisor to his customers and colleagues, Ed’s cross-industry knowledge enables him to be an effective go-to resource, particularly for difficult and complex challenges, and his success in many diverse roles at IBM, including development, technical team management, marketing and sales, showcase his flexibility. Ed is currently supporting a complex replication implementation for a large, US-based financial institution.

With 2018 coming to a close I am focused on plans for 2019.  Our current plans are being driven by changes in IBM’s services delivery model and product enhancements to be available in 2019.  Change can be good!

In 2018 IBM’s Lab Services organization opted to extend their use of Business Partners to support customer engagements.  Lab Services has long maintained relationships with skilled partners to augment their staff consultants; in 2018 this utilization was increased.  The Fillmore Group staffed several Lab Services engagements and supplied half a dozen consultants to support a variety of engagements including implementations, migrations, healthchecks, and staff augmentation, supporting replication solutions InfoSphere Change Data Capture, pureScale, Kafka, and Q Replication, as well as Db2 and Hadoop.

In staffing these engagements we became aware of several interesting customer situations and opportunities we hope will deliver better results to our customers in 2019.  Through a chance conversation with a Federal agency looking to identify the best replication tools for their next generation applications, we learned about some enhancements to the replication portfolio solutions expected to be delivered in 2019.

To support our IBM colleagues in spreading the word about the upcoming enhancements, and to (no surprise!) encourage customers to contact us if they are in need of support, the 2019 schedule of events below was drafted.

Some of these “events” consist primarily of outreach to customers who may be interested.  If these apply to you, feel free to contact me for more information.

Here’s to a busy 2019!

1. CDC Healthcheck Services. Delivery through Lab Services. a. Audience: current CDC customers considering new replication environments and/or looking to better support current replication. b. Tasks/activities: a review of current replication environments, staff enablement, monitoring review, performance tuning and/or planning new replication environments. c. Deliverables: Healthcheck report, enablement recommendations, plan for new replication sources and targets.

2. IBM Replication Roadmap Webinar. a. Audience: current and prospective replication customers. b. Content: a review of current and new replication offerings. c. Deliverables: recommendations/actions needed to initiate CDC purchases.

3. Kafka Webinar. a. Audience: current and prospective customers looking to replication to Kafka. b. Content: a review of Kafka, use cases, and where Kafka is best deployed. c. Deliverables: recommendations/actions to initiate Kafka deployment.

4. Replication Whitepaper. a. Audience: current and prospective customers. b. Content: TBD – replication competitive options, pricing, and/or Db2 for z data focus. c. Deliverable: whitepaper explaining IBM replication options compared with competitor solutions.

5. Kafka Quickstart Services. Delivery through Lab Services. a. Audience: customers implementing replication to Kafka. b. Tasks/activities: Kafka installation, replication set-up, and staff enablement. c. Deliverables: data replicating to Kafka.

6. Kafka Training – Extending KM020G ICDC Class a. Audience: new Kafka customers. b. Tasks/activities: instructor-led modules to demonstrate and explain Kafka implementation and administration. c. Deliverables: 2-days of formal classroom instruction with hands-on exercises.

7. IAS to IAS Replication Quickstart Services. Delivery through Lab Services a. Audience: customers implementing IAS to IAS replication. b. Tasks/activities: Software installation, replication set-up, and staff enablement. c. Deliverables: IAS replication, monitoring in place.

8. Competitive Replication Webinar. a. Audience: Oracle GG and Attunity customers. b. Content: a review of the advantages of IBM replication solutions. c. Deliverables/action items: action plan to PoC IBM replication offerings.