Original Launches iSeries Database Validation Tool

Published: August 8, 2006

by Alex Woodie

The heart of any iSeries installation is the data. If the database becomes corrupted, it can spawn some very unpleasant consequences across the system, and possibly bring business to a screeching halt. To prevent such occurrences, Original Software last week unveiled TestBench-Live, a new diagnostic tool that checks DB2/400 for data integrity problems. Most importantly, the product works with live data, thereby minimizing downtime.

Original Software has sold a suite of testing tools for iSeries environments for many years. It has also provided database validation checks through the suite, called TestBench for iSeries, in large part because DB2/400 is so tightly integrated with the iSeries system. Programmers and Quality Assurance (QA) personnel who used the TestBench suite invariably would check the database for errors during the course of using the tool.

However, the TestBench suite was different than TestBench-Live in several ways. First and foremost, the suite doesn't allow testers to check live data. This meant that users have to extract data before running tests to ensure applications are working properly. As a result, several TestBench users requested that Original develop a standalone database validation tool, and TestBench-Live--a subset of features of TestBench for iSeries--is the byproduct of that development effort.

Users get started with TestBench-Live by inputting the specific structure of their DB2/400 database into the tool--a process that is performed automatically by the product, Original says. Data rules defined by the user are then used to validate and test the content of the database. These rules are executed against the database during periodic health checks, which generate data integrity reports that describe any problems found.

This capability to constantly check live iSeries data for possible corruption gives users tremendous leverage, says Colin Armitage, CEO of Original Software. "Speed and accuracy are the cornerstones of all database systems. When either of these fails, a database becomes a quagmire, reducing efficient everyday business activities to a painstaking process," he says.

While every iSeries shop runs a database, it is the largest companies that suffer the most from database problems. "Financial, banking, and pharmaceutical companies, for example, require quick access and manipulation of huge amounts of data," Armitage says. "Missing information or inaccurate records can cause costly delays and even force transactions or development activity to stop altogether."

TestBench-Live also provides OS/400 journal analysis capabilities, which comes in handy for checking system diagnostics and pinpointing problems. It can also be used as a planning tool, for analyzing the structure of an application or seeing which programs are affected by updates, the company says. It can also be used for checking object authorities.

TestDrive-Live can be utilized on a standalone basis, or used with the TestBench for iSeries suite to provide real-time database validation or remote data extraction. The new software also works with TestMQ to ensure the integrity of the IBM WebSphere MQ environment.

TestDrive-Live is available now. Pricing starts at $9,000 per OS/400 partition. For more information, visit www.origsoft.com.