Gravic Announces HPE Shadowbase Version 6.700 for HPE NonStop Servers is Generally Available

Gravic, Inc. is pleased to announce the General Availability of HPE Shadowbase software version 6.700 for HPE NonStop Servers (SPR ID: T1122^AAW).

HPE NonStop Shadowbase is a comprehensive suite of software products that address all aspects of data replication and data and application integration and validation for business continuity and other purposes:

• Sophisticated business continuity capabilities to ensure IT service availability
• Extensive data integration and application integration facilities for data distribution enabling real-time business intelligence
• Designed for HPE NonStop Servers and heterogeneous platforms (IBM, Linux, Unix, Windows, etc.)
• Supports industry standard databases, including: HPE NonStop SQL/MX, SQL/MP, Enscribe, IBM DB2, Oracle Enterprise, Oracle MySQL, PostgreSQL, SAP Sybase, and Microsoft SQL Server
• Enables zero downtime migrations (ZDM) that eliminate application downtime when migrating to a new platform, software release, or firmware upgrade
• Compare and repair tool to validate database consistency and resolve discrepancies
• Data management tools for audit compliance and data integrity
• Administrative utilities to simplify installation, configuration, deployment, monitoring, and day-to-day activities
• Available directly from HPE and supported by standard HPE GNSC support services

IMPORTANT:

• A new license file is required to install and run HPE Shadowbase for NonStop Servers software version 6.700. This is due to a change in the format of the license file, current license terms are still valid and remain in force. Contact the HPE License Manager to request a new license file. DO NOT INSTALL HPE Shadowbase for NonStop Servers software version 6.700 until a new license file has been obtained.
• The data message formats between Shadowbase components have been enhanced to prepare for future Shadowbase improvements. As a result of this change, HPE NonStop Shadowbase software 6.700 is incompatible with previous HPE NonStop Shadowbase versions, hence, all communicating Shadowbase nodes must be upgraded to version 6.700 at the same time.

The new features added to HPE NonStop Shadowbase 6.700 are briefly described below:

1. SBMAP is standardized and runs in the Shadowbase Consumer process, and is included out-of-the-box with support for Enscribe and SQL/MP as a source. (Previously, SBMAP was configured as an add-on User Exit process.)
2. Compare enhancements for Enscribe files:
   1. Iterative compare mechanism: This mechanism saves all mismatched records until the initial comparison iteration is finished, and then runs additional iterations, re-comparing the mismatched records as many times as desired. This ability helps remove false positives due to replication latency from the mismatch report.
   2. Compression: There are two compression methods available, either record compression or block compression. Each method creates a digest of the information to be compared, which lessens the amount of data being transferred back and forth between the Compare processes, dramatically reducing network traffic.
   3. Support for Enscribe unstructured files and queue files.
   4. Performance improvements for large file/table comparisons.
3. Compare enhancements for HPE NonStop SQL/MP and SQL/MX:
   1. Automatic parallel execution capability to reduce comparison times
   2. Performance improvements for large file/table comparisons
4. Additional Support for replication of Internal and External SQL/MX Sequence Objects.
5. SBBIDROS allows users to add overrides for the SBMON configuration parameters using the SBMON_PARAM override. SBBIDROS is a TACL macro used to configure homogeneous SQL/MX bi-directional replication environments. Overrides for the DOC Writer, Transaction Replay Server (TRS), and DOC Cleaner were added.
6. Reduced frequency of JULIANTIMESTAMP procedure calls, which greatly improves performance for environments with a high arrival rate of audit trail events.
7. SBCREATP is included as a Temporary Code Delivery (TCD). SBCREATP reads a SQL/MP source table’s DDL and generates a CREATE TABLE command and properly formats the DDL command into any supported SQL target table.
8. PostgreSQL is supported as a target database. SBDDLUTL and SBCREATP generate PostgreSQL target schemas (for Enscribe files and SQL/MP tables respectively).
9. Enhancements to the CHECK DBS command to validate Shadowbase configurations before deployment.
10. Other miscellaneous fixes and usability enhancements.

Obtaining HPE Shadowbase for NonStop Servers 6.700

Shadowbase is built by Gravic, and globally sold and supported by HPE. HPE NonStop Shadowbase 6.700 is an Independent Product (IP) and is shipped on its own DVD. The Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) list for ordering is given below:

Customers who are already holding licenses for the above SKUs having a valid support contract with HPE can place an order for HPE NonStop Shadowbase 6.700 in NonStop Scout via the NonStop eServices Portal and specify the media format as either DVD or e-delivery. The SPR ID for HPE NonStop Shadowbase 6.700 is as follows:

*Note the requirement for a new license file before installation, as discussed in the warning above.

More information about HPE Shadowbase version 6.700 for NonStop Servers can be found at HPE Shadowbase Product Releases.

Gravic Announces New HPE Shadowbase Essentials Video

The HPE Shadowbase Essentials software bundle provides a diverse set of data management solutions to manage, monitor, and control Shadowbase environments. This video highlights eight different Essential solutions, including SAL, SAR, SBDDLUTL, SBCREATP, UNDO and REDO, DCR, ETL, and SBMAP. The bundle is sold separately as an add-on to the main Shadowbase change data capture replication engine. We are constantly adding new solutions, tools, and utilities to this bundle (please contact us for the most recent list).

Gravic Publishes Article on Data Migrations

Gravic recently published the article, Data Replication Solution Migration – Discovery, in the July/August issue of The Connection. Access to data is required 24×7. Consequently, so too are the demands placed on real-time data replication solutions, since data is needed everywhere and at all times. Requirements change over time, so solutions that met yesterday’s business needs may not today. They may require a migration to a new solution with advanced data replication capabilities, such as active/active business continuity or heterogeneous source/target database and platform architectures. Migrations must be carefully planned and tested before implementation, and this article explains the migration implementation process.

Jonathan Sechrist Joins Shadowbase Business Development Team

Gravic is proud to announce that Jonathan Sechrist has joined our Shadowbase team, with a focus on business development in Japan.

Jonathan started working at Tandem Computers in 1984 straight out of college (University of Illinois) and was with Tandem -> Compaq -> HP -> HPE until March 2020. He began his career as a Software Designer working on TMF, followed by QA manager for TMF and RDF (including the TMF3 rewrite), Development Manager for TMF/RDF, Sensitive Accounts Manager, Major Accounts Development Liaison (AOL, KDDI), Manager of the Japan Quality Requirements (JQR) initiative, Development Liaison to Japan, and finished with a dual role to support the ramp of the HPE Synergy product — the replacement for the HPE BladeSystem, and the go-forward converged infrastructure platform. Beginning in 1997, he regularly traveled to Japan to work with the Japanese team for the JQR initiative, and developed his passion for continuous customer support and product quality improvement.

Jonathan first worked with Gravic in the mid-late 1990’s, when he collaborated with Gravic to enhance and productize the TMF Audit Reading Library to support Shadowbase software. Since then, he has regularly worked on new deals, projects, and support issues involving Shadowbase products. The opportunity to work with Gravic, HPE NonStop, Japan, and build upon the relationships and products that he knows so well, was an opportunity not to be missed. Jonathan looks forward to supporting customers, partners, and driving new Shadowbase business opportunities in Japan!

Gravic will Present on HPE Shadowbase Product News at CTUG and ATUG Fall Events

We will present HPE Shadowbase Product News at the CTUG Fall Conference on September 14 in Toronto and at the ATUG Chapter Meeting on October 12 in Atlanta, Georgia. We hope that you are able to attend these Face-2-Face events, and join us for our presentation to learn about many recent HPE Shadowbase releases and new features to solve various enterprise challenges, such as:

• Business Continuity – maintain consistency and recoverability with active/passive, sizzling-hot-takeover, and active/active replication architectures
• Data Integration and Synchronization – feed data warehouses, data marts, and operational data stores
• Application Integration – build real-time business intelligence systems for sales, fraud detection, and more
• Zero Downtime Migration – eliminate planned application downtime, and minimize the risks associated with hardware and software changes
• Compare and Repair – ensure audit compliance and validate that the standby/target database matches the source while working alongside any replication engine

If you will miss our talk and would like to know the latest HPE Shadowbase developments, then please contact us. We’d be happy to share the presentation with you and your team!

Hewlett Packard Enterprise globally sells and supports Shadowbase solutions under the name HPE Shadowbase. For more information, please contact your local HPE Shadowbase representative or visit our website. For additional information, please view our Shadowbase solution videos: https://vimeo.com/shadowbasesoftware.

Specifications subject to change without notice. Trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. Copyright 2022.