DSXchange

Our client purchased DataStage server version 6.0. The majority of there source data is located on mainframe, AS/400, S/36 platforms. I would like to know of a complimentary set of tools that could be recommended.

Why?

In the short time that I have been working with DataStage, the process has been to FTP the data from the mainframe, AS/400, S/36 platform to the DataStage server (Unix) in order to do processing. This may mean at the end of the process the resulting data is FTP's back to the originating platform.

Is there a toolset that will allow us to directly access the data where it resides, and process it to any destination?

Thanks,
Brad

We have been using the AS/400 pack from Ascential to go after the data on the AS/400. Ascential is reselling the iWay Connector (inatalled on the DataStage server) and Server (installed on the AS/400) and a plug-in to talk to the iWay Connector. It has worked pretty well for us, but we are only using it for dimensional data (product master, etc) and have not really pulled a large volume through it.

Shawn

Did you also purchase DataStage XE/390? This provides you with a similar design paradigm, but instead of generating BASIC programs to be run on the DataStage server, it generates COBOL (and JCL for compiling and running it). Thus all processing can be done in the OS/390 environment. DataStage XE/390 includes an FTP stage that can be used to send results to any FTP server.

It doesn't help with the AS/400-based data though.

Shawn, thanks for the information.

Ray, DataStage XE/390 was not purchased.

FWIW, when I worked at CBIS (now Convergys), they DNS mapped the mainframe, so that we could view and manipulate MF files from our UNIX boxes and applications. We're talking 7x24 production instances, doing Usage/Rating/Billing processing of Call Detail Records for multi-million subscribers.
Made our life *darned* simple, but who knows what SysAdmin magik was required to maintain the illusion.
That was maybe 5-6 years ago, so it ought to be simpler today, eh?

Carter