Informatica for Midrange

Gain open access to data

The System i, and its predecessors the iSeries and the AS/400, were introduced as standalone machines focused on meeting the isolated needs of a single department. The business landscape has changed, however, and organizations now have a need for a data integration solution that includes System i. This can present a challenge; the System i environment is not an open architecture, and System i technical talent continues to become more scarce. PowerExchange for i5/OS addresses this need.

By supporting System i customers with flexible configurations, Informatica enables midrange customers to participate fully in any data integration initiative.

Data Access

PowerExchange for i5/OS
The System i stores all of its data in an integrated file system, and presents it as SQL tables or flat files. PowerExchange for i5/OS accesses this file system, automatically retrieves the metadata associated with each of the file system’s “objects”, and uses the metadata to access the needed data. PowerExchange can also write the data back to flat files or DB2 tables regardless of the origin of the data.

Change Data Capture (CDC): DB2 for i5/OS
DB2 for i5/OS, the database manager used on System i, maintains a journal of all updates written to its database tables. Informatica’s patented CDC capability extracts changes from the journal, giving PowerExchange users on i5/OS the same real-time CDC capabilities other platforms enjoy. If CPU capacity is constrained, or processing windows are at capacity, real-time strategies can reduce system load. Even if machine capacity is not an issue, the speed improvements real-time processing affords can be used to develop a competitive edge in many ways—faster order processing, faster receivables processing, or superior customer service.

Data Transformation

PowerCenter for Linux, UNIX, and Windows
Because the Informatica architecture allows PowerCenter and PowerExchange to run on different machines, PowerExchange is the only component that runs on i5/OS. System i customers can run PowerCenter anywhere they wish—most typically on Linux, UNIX, or Windows. Some System i customers have adopted the partitioning features of the System i, making it possible to run all Informatica components under different operating systems but on a single System i. Others prefer to use distinct hardware platforms to form their data integration environment, and Informatica’s architecture supports both approaches equally well.

“We knew our problems were solvable, but we also knew they could be potentially fatal if not addressed immediately. So, we started taking action. We tackled the information technology problems that were crippling the company.” - Maury Myers,Chairman and CEO Waste Management, Inc. read the full story

Product Literature