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Strategies for Effective DataManagement on Db2 for i andIBM Power Systems Data Migrationb IBM’s Sarah Mackenzie on the importance of quality data andeffective security for Db2 for i data managementb Richie Palma of iTech Solutions Group on IBM Power Systemsmigration considerations, and what migration strategies to usebased on your business needs
FROM THE EDITORcontents3Simple Steps toEnsure EffectiveData Managementon Db2 for iEffective Data Managementand Migration PlanningAs a valuable proprietary asset that can be increasinglyleveraged for direct business insights, data is thelifeblood of many organizations. With this in mind,effective data management and data migration8 Why Havinga Backup andRecovery PlanImproves IBM iVitalitystrategies are of the utmost importance. While thereisn’t a “one-size-fits-all” approach here, knowing yourbusiness needs and system demands, and leveragingtools like Db2 for i will help with the planning process.When planning for an IBM Power Systems update or migration, for example,you should take inventory of existing physical and virtual environments you will9 IBM Power SystemsData MigrationConsiderationsand Strategiesmigrate, and what new environments you might need. A solid backup plan is alsocritical—whether you migrate with replication, LPM or SAN to SAN replication.Db2 for i also offers several built-in solutions to help streamline datamanagement, e.g., Db2 Web Query, the security audit journal, authoritycollection, etc.15 Accelerating ClinicalTrials With Big DataAnalyticsIn this TechChannel e-book, IBM’s Sarah Mackenzie explains the importanceof quality data and effective security for Db2 for i data management; and iTechSolution Group’s Richie Palma highlights IBM Power Systems data migrationbest practices to keep in mind for successful migration projects.Keelia Estrada Moeller, Senior Editor2Strategies for Effective Data Management on Db2 for i and IBM Power Systems Data Migration
SPONSORED BYLOGOEffectiveSimple Steps to EnsureData Management on Db2 for iIBM’s Sarah Mackenzie on the importance of quality data and effectivesecurity for Db2 for i data managementBY SAR AH MACKENZI ED3ata is the lifeblood of the database. However,because of the large amount of data receivedevery day, managing your data can be difficult.Successfully managing your data goes beyond justacquiring and storing large amounts of data. Effectivedata management also requires you to ensure your data isboth of the highest quality and ever secure.Ensuring Quality DataIt’s easy to overlook some of the built-in features that Db2for i offers to help you with data management. Here are afew easily implemented features that you already own tohelp you better manage your data.Implementing constraints to enforce your business rules is asimple solution for enforcing consistency and accuracy.Strategies for Effective Data Management on Db2 for i and IBM Power Systems Data MigrationThe first step to successful data management is ensuringyour data is of high quality. Quality data is complete,accurate, consistent and normalized.Constraints
Primary key constraints can be added to ensure theuniqueness of a business element, such as an order numberor a customer identification number. For example, adding aprimary key constraint to a customer identification numberin a CUSTOMER table ensures you don’t have customerswith the same identification number leading to errors likebilling the wrong customer.Referential constraints, on the other hand, allow you toenforce that relationship between tables. For example, sayyou have an ORDERS table containing a row for each orderplaced and this table has a column containing the customeridentification number of the customer who placed theorder. You need to make sure any customer ID insertedinto the ORDERS table references a valid customer in theCUSTOMER table. A referential constraint relationshipbetween the customer ID column in the ORDERS tableand the customer ID column in the CUSTOMER table willestablish this protection.The third type of constraint, check constraints, can beadded to ensure data inserted or updated in a columnmeets your business logic. An example of logic that couldbe enforced using a check constraint is guaranteeing acustomer rating is between one and ten.The beauty of adding constraints is the database itselfis enforcing your business logic. If the value isn’t validaccording to the rules of the constraint, the insert orupdate will simply fail. You don’t have to try to enforce4How Open SourceStrategiesfor EffectiveBolstersDataPowerManagementSystems onModernizationDb2 for i andandIBMHybridPowerCloudSystemsStrategiesData Migration
the rule across all your differentinterfaces—the database will do itfor you.Data typesAnother simple solution for ensuringdata accuracy is confirming thatyour data is represented using thecorrect data types. For example, areyou using a character data type torepresent a timestamp instead ofusing the timestamp data type? Ifyou’re using a character data type,any characters can be inserted,including an invalid timestamp. Byusing the correct data type, youwill put the burden on the databaseto ensure that a real timestamp isinserted. Preventing data type errorscan ensure your data is accurate.Free, Expert-Led Education;Live or On-DemandWant to keep up on the latest IT trends? Wondering what yourpeers are doing? Need a solution for a business challenge?With many in-person conferences and expos on hold, there’s noTriggersIt’s also important to analyze how youimplement your business rules. Doesevery application have to ensure datainserted into the database conformsto a certain format? For example, youmay require a column always contain5better way than complimentary, expert-led TechChannel Webinarsto get the latest on all things tech. Attend now and interact with thetechnologists; ask the questions that matter most to you.View all live andon-demand webinarsStrategies for Effective Data Management on Db2 for i and IBM Power Systems Data Migration
a company name in uppercase characters. This can leadto consistency problems if some applications enforce thelogic to uppercase the company name and others do not.Consider moving your logic into a single place all of yourapplications can call. Even better, if you want to ensure thedata being inserted into your table conforms to certainbusiness rules, like our capitalization rule, move the logicto capitalize the company name into a before insert trigger.This ensures no matter how your data is inserted, whetherit be through a known application or an ad hoc driven insert,that business logic will be implemented.Db2 Web QueryAdditionally, if you have existing data you want to ensurethe quality of, products like Db2 Web Query can be usedto automatically cleanse and consolidate your data usingthe integrated Extract, Transformation and Load (ETL)DataMigrator feature.Effective Data SecurityIt’s critically important your data is secured. Data breachescost companies millions of dollars along with customertrust. Additionally, many countries have placed the rights todata privacy into law. Understanding and defining who canaccess what data is a critical aspect of data management.6How Open SourceStrategiesfor EffectiveBolstersDataPowerManagementSystems onModernizationDb2 for i andandIBMHybridPowerCloudSystemsStrategiesData MigrationIBM i ServicesDb2 for i provides many IBM i Security Services to helpyou understand and analyze your current data security.These services return information related to security suchas authorization lists, function usage, object ownershipand user profiles. IBM i Services can be easily queriedusing SQL. Querying a service like OBJECT PRIVILEGEScan help you identify problems like tables with excessive*PUBLIC authority. This is a very fast and easy way tounderstand who has access to your data.Security auditingIt’s vitally important you know not only who in yourorganization has access to your data but how that accessis changing over time. The security audit journal allowsyou to log and analyze security related events that occuron your system. You can analyze changes to objectauthorities, changes to object ownership, authorizationfailures and many other security events. Auditing securityevents helps you evaluate your security plan and ensurethe plan is keeping pace with the changes occurring onyour system.Authority collectionEnsuring a user has enough authority—but not too much—can be difficult. You need to make sure you give a userauthority to the objects they need to do their daily tasks,without granting them excessive authority. Authority
Good data management is an ongoing practice allowing you toobtain the maximum value from your data. Db2 for i has manyexcellent built-in tools that you already own that are easy toimplement to help you along your data management journey.collection is a useful tool that can be used toaccomplish this.Authority collection captures data during runtimeauthority checking and logs that data. This data canthen be queried to determine the lowest level of authorityneeded to complete a task and excessive authority canbe removed and appropriate authority granted.Row and column access controlSometimes you need more granular rules to enforceaccess to your data. Db2 for i allows you to enforce thisgranular authority using Row and Column Access Control(RCAC), letting you place access controls around the dataitself. These access controls are at the row level, columnSARAH MACKENZIE is a software engineer at IBM.7Strategies for Effective Data Management on Db2 for i and IBM Power Systems Data Migrationlevel or both. Data can be masked at a column level andbe subset on a row level based on the rules defined. Allusers of the tables are subjected to the rules, no matterwho they are or how they access the data, allowing forseparation of duties.Effective Data Management:An Ongoing PracticeThere are many small steps you can take to improve yourdata management. Good data management is an ongoingpractice allowing you to obtain the maximum value fromyour data. Db2 for i has many excellent built-in tools thatyou already own that are easy to implement to help youalong your data management journey.
Why Having a Backup and Recovery PlanImproves IBM i VitalityJ EN N I FER G O FO R TH G R EG O RYDebbie Saugen has heard all the excuses for why acompany isn’t prioritizing backup and recovery fortheir IBM i system. “Everyone says they aren’t goingto have a disaster, their business isn’t like our othercustomers’, or they don’t live in a disaster-prone area,”says Saugen, owner of Debbie Saugen Consulting. “ButI've worked with hundreds of customers in real-lifedisasters over the years. It’s not just natural disasters—it’s hardware failures, it’s user errors and now it’s aproblem with security. If you have a breach, you mayneed to recover our system in order to recover from thatsecurity breach. Every company needs a backup andrecovery plan and solution for IBM i.”Saugen finds that most IBM i clients currently back upthe IBM i locally to physical tapes. Recently, she metwith a client that backed up their IBM i system and dataevery day to the same physical tape, which she says is anespecially poor strategy. By moving to the cloud, clientshave their IBM i data off-site and have multiple copies ofthe data, which can greatly improve the quality and speedof recovery.Once you decide to move to the cloud, Saugenrecommends focusing first on recovery and then backup.Because the entire focus of recovery is getting yourbusiness back online and fully operating, it’s essential tounderstand exactly how quickly you need to recover yourIBM i system.Saugen also recommends testing your recovery ofIBM i data at least twice a year. Many companies onlythink about backup and recovery when they’re facing adisaster. By taking the time to plan now for the inevitabledisaster for some time in the future, you can improve thevitality of both of your IBM i system and your business.Learn more HA/DR strategies in the full article8Strategies for Effective Data Management on Db2 for i and IBM Power Systems Data Migration
SPONSORED BYLOGOMigrationIBM Power System DataConsiderations and StrategiesRichie Palma of iTech Solutions Group on IBM Power Systemsmigration considerations, and what migration strategies to usebased on your business needsBY R I CH I E PALMAAs businesses look to adopt the latest and greatestIBM Power Systems hardware into their data center landscapes and available outage tolerances areshrinking, the one-size-fits-all approach to migrations isno longer practical. Demands for 24-7-365 uptime are notonly for large organizations anymore, but also small to midsized ones. These growing demands require a new mindset and new tools to support migration. Fortunately, for usfolks running operations on IBM Power Systems, there aresome amazing options to support migrations regardless ofyour downtime tolerance.9Strategies for Effective Data Management on Db2 for i and IBM Power Systems Data MigrationBackup PlanningDuring the planning process, you need to take inventoryof all the existing physical and virtual environments youwill be migrating and any new environments that youneed as part of the project. Review the amount of diskyou have and plan for future growth for sizing. Once theenvironments that are being migrated are understood, it’simportant to size up an IBM Power System with adequatecompute resources to support the future workloads.
10010110001Regardless of your migration strategy, having a solidbackup before any upgrade or migration is important.This is true whether you migrate your environmentwith replication, LPM or SAN to SAN replication. A solidbackup to fall back on in the event something happens iskey here. Even when pressing on with migration beforegetting a full system save on the source, it’s wise tounderstand tape compatibility if you have to recoverhistorical data. The general rule of thumb for LTO tape isthat you can read tapes from two generations prior andcan write to tapes from the prior generation.01001100011101001000110100100010 Understanding System1101010001Pete Massiello, president of iTech Solutions Group, noteshis philosophy on upgrades: "iTech Solutions Groupdoes quite a lot of IBM Power Systems upgrades andmigrations every year. I can tell you from experiencethat all successful migrations encompass one majorsimilarity: they all were executed based on a provenand detailed plan of attack—a roadmap of steps andprocedures. It works every time. The steps may changebased upon your migration methodology and availableoutage window, but it comes down to building a plan andexecuting it.”10How Open SourceStrategiesfor EffectiveBolstersDataPowerManagementSystems onModernizationDb2 for i andandIBMHybridPowerCloudSystemsStrategiesData MigrationFootprints and OSCompatibilityIt’s also important to understand the physical footprintof both your existing IBM Power Systems stack andyour future IBM Power Stack. In many migrationscenarios, the hardware will remain in the same datacenter, so ensuring adequate rack space to run both theexisting hardware and new hardware simultaneously isimportant. The existing source machine should remainas stable and uninterrupted as possible while rackingand cabling the new hardware.OS compatibility is another key consideration at thispoint. This is especially true if you haven’t kept up on
Regardless of your migration strategy, having a solidbackup before any upgrade or migration is very important.This is true whether you migrate your environment withreplication, LPM, or SAN to SAN replication.regular PTFs and OS upgrades. There are scenarioswhere your OS is sitting so far back that you require anOS upgrade or PTFs on the source environment to getit to a level supported on the target machine. If you’vestayed relatively current on your hardware and OS, thisis typically not a problem. For example, let's look at anIBM i shop running IBM i 7.2 on an IBM POWER8 server.If the customer's 7.2 environment is below TR8, theywill need to apply PTFs to get beyond TR8 to migrate.While there are ways to migrate data on top of a new OSversion, anything you can do to keep the OS consistentbetween source and target significantly reduces riskand the overall complexity of the migration.Third-party application vendors also need to bereviewed for any licensing changes that need to bemade, OS compatibility if you’re jumping your OSduring the process, and keys if required for the newmachine. Depending on the licensing logic of the thirdparty vendor, your migration strategy, the number of11Strategies for Effective Data Management on Db2 for i and IBM Power Systems Data Migrationenvironments being migrated, and the timeline formigration, it may be necessary for you to obtain anadditional short-term license or temp keys for migration.Common Migration StrategiesSince I’ve touched on some of the critical areas in theplanning phase of the process, let's dive into some ofthe more common migration strategies. It's important tounderstand the balance between risk, complexity and enduser outage time while examining the following migrationoptions.Full system save and restoreIf your business can afford some scheduled downtime,there is nothing like the reliability and stability of a fullsystem save and restore. If you require 24-7 uptime or canonly afford an outage window of a couple of hours, then
thisWORDS50isn’t for you.ipsumThisdoloris forsittheamet,shopconsectetuerthat runs operationsadipiscingelit, sed diamMondaythroughnonummyFriday andnibhcaneuismodaffordtincidunta reasonablyut laoreetdolore magnaprolongedoutagealiquamfor saveeratandvolutpat.restore.Ut Backupwisi enimmediaad minimveniam, quis nostrudcompatibilityplays a significantexerci tationroleullamcorperin this migrationsuscipitlobortis nislstrategy.Backuput aliquipand restoreex ea commodohas low riskconsequat.and low Duisautem vel eumcomplexitybut iriurea largerdoloroutagein hendreritwindow.in.Live replication to a third target environment50 WORDS ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscingelit,Ifdowntimesed diamisnonummya concernnibhof lore magnaalreadyhave twisi enimfasterad minimveniam, quisrecoveryin thenostrudevent exerciof a disaster.tation ullamcorperIn most cases,suscipitthislobortissametechnislcanut aliquipbe utilizedex eatocommodosupport liveconsequat.replicationDuisto aautemthirdtargetvel eumenvironment,iriure dolorwhichin hendreritwould bein. the migrationtarget for the source partition. In almost all cases, you stillBest-in-ClassSMB Solutions:Start HereThe TechChannel 2021 Solutions Directory is the SMB users’ guide tothe latest in innovative, best-in-class Power Systems, IBM i, AIX, Linux onPOWER and storage solutions from ISVs and partners worldwide. Searchby OS, company or by 22 product categories for the latest informationand expert perspectives available on hardware, accessories, softwareproducts, education and services.Start your research now12How Open SourceStrategiesfor EffectiveBolstersDataPowerManagementSystems onModernizationDb2 for i andandIBMHybridPowerCloudSystemsStrategiesData Migration
seed this second high availability (HA) target with a point intime backup, e.g., physical tape.After restoring the migration target, HA replication wouldneed to be established and configured/modified. Afterreplication has started the business should run audits onthe replicated data and tune the HA replication to ensureeverything is replicated to the future target environment.IBM i shops that are confident in their HA configuration,test it regularly and closely monitor it will significantlyreduce the time spent auditing the future migration targetfor completion. When the business is ready to migrate,simply execute a role swap and move operations to thenew migration target. Utilizing replication technologyfor migrations does involve a moderate amount of riskdue to all the moving parts, and has a fairly high level ofcomplexity if confidence is not already established in thereplication solution. Still, the outage window typically ismeasured in minutes, not hours.LPMAnother option for migrating users is Live PartitionMobility (LPM). It has some very specific prerequisitesin order to use it, but is a solid setup for migration if youcan swing it. The first major requirement is external SANstorage, which is much more widely adopted now in theIBM Power Systems Midrange space than 5-7 years agodue to advanced functionality like encryption, Flashcopyand remote replication.13Strategies for Effective Data Management on Db2 for i and IBM Power Systems Data MigrationLPM also requires PowerVM Enterprise Edition and thatyou run your IBM i partition on top of VIOS. POWER9servers come with PowerVM Enterprise built in on everymachine, so if you’re moving to POWER9 then youautomatically get to check that box. Plus, you can get 60days of PowerVM Enterprise for your existing POWER7or POWER8 when you purchase your new POWER9 atno charge. The VIOS requirement may be a barrier toentry, but could be considered as businesses build out ahighly scalable virtualized infrastructure stack. An LPMsetup would typically consist of two separate IBM PowerSystems servers connected to a single SAN storage unit.All storage exists on the SAN, and everything in memoryis kept in sync through Active Memory Mirroring. Yourmigration would be handled with no outage to users byletting the new target server take over as the live partition.For clients with downtime concerns, this is a great way tohave no interruption as you migrate your IBM i workloadto POWER9. Utilizing LPM for your migration is pretty cutand dry once set up and comes with limited risk. Once youhave all of the infrastructure prerequisites in place, LPMrequires only a moderate level of complexity to get set up,and it has no outage for users.Separating storage from hardwareThis last step regards external storage. When youseparate the storage from the hardware, it opens sometremendous new avenues for simplifying upgrades
It’s important to understand that data migrations are not aone-size-fits-all process. It comes down to your needs andyour configuration. The investment you make in planning onthe front side will determine your success during execution.and reducing the outage window. For IBM i shops, onceyou have all of your storage on SAN, migrations are assimple as moving a couple of fiber cables and IPL-ingthe server. This will require a very small outage but it’sstraightforward and carries a low risk.I should also mention how easy it is to migrate frominternal storage to external storage for IBM i shops.Because IBM i manages its storage so well, you can useit to your advantage when moving from internal disk toexternal SAN storage. All there is to do is connect theSAN and provision LUNs to IBM i. Then, tell IBM i that youwant it to drain all the storage from the internal drives andmove it to the external drives. This can be done on the flywhile operations continue to run. Once all of the data ismigrated to external storage, all that remains on internalstorage is the load source. This is the only part thatrequires an outage. Once moved, you’re entirely runningon external IBM SAN storage and have all of the advancedfunctionality of IBM's robust storage portfolio.Migration Isn’t One SizeFits AllIt’s important to understand that data migrations arenot a one-size-fits-all process. It comes down to yourneeds and your configuration. The investment you makein planning on the front side will determine your successduring execution.RICHIE PALMA is an account executive and tech solutions consultant with iTech Solutions Group.He is also an IBM Champion for Power Systems.14How Open SourceStrategiesfor EffectiveBolstersDataPowerManagementSystems onModernizationDb2 for i andandIBMHybridPowerCloudSystemsStrategiesData Migration
Accelerating Clinical Trials With Big Data AnalyticsKEELIA E STR ADA M O ELLEROver the last two years, reflects Raj Indupuri, CEO,eClinical Solutions, companies in the life-sciencesindustry invested more into digital transformationinitiatives, with an emphasis on modernizing technologyinfrastructure. “That means more investments into datainfrastructures, whether it’s to handle big data, deployadvanced analytics and machine learning models. It’sleading into larger investments into data ecosystems,along with modernizing analytic capabilities, which ismuch needed to tap into the data that’s already beencollected and is available.”However, one less fortunate trend in the space is: “Theamount of data chaos is increasing significantly,” Indupurinotes. “So, we must find ways to tap into this data,transform this data into valuable insights.”This brings us to the importance of data managementin the healthcare industry. Data management is a verybroadly used term, but it takes on a particularly importantmeaning in our space: “Data management has a verycritical and important function as it relates to clinicaldevelopment or clinical trials—because you have all ofthese streams of data to be handled,” Indupuri says.That’s where big data, advanced analytics, AI andmachine learning come in. These strategies can helpreduce overall clinical trial cycle times needed to bringemerging research to fruition.Clinical trials are becoming increasingly complex, and theamount of data collected and used to conduct the trialsonly continues to increase. In addition to this growingdata for new research, there is already a plethora of datafrom past clinical trials that can be harnessed. Big data,advanced analytics, AI and machine learning can helptap into this data, transforming it into valuable insights—accelerating research, and bringing medicine to patientsfaster.Learn more about data management in healthcare15Strategies for Effective Data Management on Db2 for i and IBM Power Systems Data Migration
This e-book was published by901 N. 3rd St., Suite 195, Minneapolis, MN 55401 // (612) 339-7571staff listSenior Content Strategist: Claire O'LearySenior Editor: Keelia Estrada MoellerArt Directors: Mike Kooiman & Kelsey HanscomProject Manager: Noelle HeaslipPublishing Director: Mari Adamson-Bray(612) 336-9241 // [email protected] Executive: Darryl Rowell(612) 313-1781 // [email protected] Development Director: Linda Holm Copyright 2021 by MSPC, a division of MSP Communications. This e-book could contain technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Also,illustrations shown herein may show prototype equipment. Your system configuration may vary slightly. This e-book may contain small programs thatare furnished by MSPC as simple examples to provide an illustration. These examples have not been tested under all conditions. MSPC, therefore,cannot guarantee or imply reliability, serviceability or function of these programs. All programs contained herein are provided to you “AS IS.” IMPLIEDWARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, NON-INFRINGEMENT AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMED.All customer examples cited represent the results achieved by some customers. Actual environmental costs and performance characteristics willvary depending on individual customer configurations and conditions.The articles in this e-book represent the views of the authors and are not necessarily those of MSPC or TechChannel.16Strategies for Effective Data Management on Db2 for i and IBM Power Systems Data Migration
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your data is of high quality. Quality data is complete, accurate, consistent and normalized. Constraints Implementing constraints to enforce your business rules is a simple solution for enforcing consistency and accuracy. 3 Strategies for Effective Data Management on Db2 for i and I
