Solutions for Direct SQL Data

Her Majesty's Land Registry, the largest property database in Europe, knows something about volume. Its applications handle a workload of two million SQL calls per hour. They sought a means to access mainframe data via ODBC and JDBC applications using a simple but industrial-strength mechanism ─ one that could support access to terabytes of data with mission-critical queries and a high volume of traffic.

Today, the Land Registry uses Shadow z/Direct to access data stored in its DB2 mainframe database through a variety of distributed platforms. Over the past few years they have built over 130 systems accessing data via Shadow.

Enterprise-Class Access to Mainframe Data

• Shadow gives developers enterprise-class direct SQL access to mainframe data and applications (business logic and screens) utilizing industry-standard ODBC, ADO.NET, or JDBC APIs.
  Your distributed platform developers employ mainframe-based data and applications just as they employ data and stored procedures on locally available relational databases.


• Shadow is no point solution. It is inherently more robust than competing mainframe integration solutions, handling enterprise-class traffic with the scalability, manageability, performance, and features (such as 2-phase commit) that developers and architects need to ensure that the new applications meet business requirements.

Reuse Existing Staff Skills

With Shadow z/Direct, your developers can transparently transform mainframe data into a SQL Relational Database Management System (RDBMS). No matter how the data stores on the mainframe are structured — flat files such as VSAM, hierarchical such as IMS and ADABAS, or relational such as DB2 — they look to the application developer just like another familiar relational database such as SQL Server or Oracle. Your developers use their existing database skills to access required systems of record without having to know they’re dealing with a mainframe at all.

Developers can also transparently transform mainframe programs into RDBMS stored procedures. Just as your distributed application developers can use mainframe data as if it resided on a distributed RDBMS, they can now use your reliable, proven mainframe-based business rules as if they were local stored procedures. Again, you get the benefits of reusing existing staff skills and methodologies.

Maintain Mission-Critical Expectations of Scalability, Performance, and Reliability

Achieve distributed platform/mainframe access with powerful scalability, manageability, and reliability suitable to the largest mission-critical enterprise. Shadow scales to thousands of transactions per second, with a level of reliability guaranteed by advanced diagnostics and controls to maintain production quality of service, and 2-phase commit (2PC). And Shadow Studio completes the solution by providing a single development environment to handle any integration requirement as well as full, standards-based metadata support for seamless integration with common IDEs.

Let DataDirect Help You Simplify Access to the Mainframe

If your organization seeks to reduce integration complexity and simplify access to the mainframe through direct SQL access to mainframe data from distributed environments, DataDirect’s Shadow product suite has a solution for you.

Mainframe platforms supported include:

Data: Adabas, DB2, IMS/DB, VSAM
Application Business Logic: CICS, IMS/TM, Natural

For further information, consult the white paper, Reducing the Complexity of Building New J2EE and .NET Applications in Adabas and Natural.

To speak with an expert about how your mainframe platform can take advantage of all the benefits offered by direct SQL access, please call 1-800-876-3101 or complete a Request for Information form and an account executive will contact you.