HiT's DBMoto Gains Enterprise Replication Features

Published: September 9, 2008

by Alex Woodie

Companies looking to move large amounts of data among various databases with the least amount of hassle may want to take a look at DBMoto version 6.5, a newly released data replication tool from HiT Software. With this release, DBMoto gains more enterprise features, such as the capability to automatically change the order of data replication to adhere to the constraints of referential integrity inside a database. More detailed log data, collection of metadata, and speedier data replication and data migration round out the release.

DBMoto is a Windows-based data replication tool that moves data among nearly 20 different database management systems, including DB2 for i (or DB2/400 as it is still commonly known), DB2 UDB, SQL Server, Oracle, Sybase ASE, Informix, MySQL, and others. The software supports multiple replication modes (refresh, mirroring, and synchronization) and does not require programming (wizards handle initial set up while customizations are done by writing Microsoft VB.NET scripts).

HiT Software is a vendor with a strong System i practice, and the company caters to the midrange community with many of its data and database connectivity products. And so it's not surprising to find that many DBMoto customers use the software to move data to and from DB2/400. In fact, all of the DBMoto case studies posted to HiT's Web site involve System i, iSeries, or AS/400 servers, and most of them also include Microsoft SQL Server databases, which AS/400 shops commonly use to host specific Web applications or to perform business intelligence analytics. Oracle is probably the second most-popular target for DB2/400 data.

With the delivery of DBMoto version 6.5 last month, HiT Software is giving AS/400 shops a higher degree of control over data replication, as well as more sensitivity to database rules dictating how data can be handled.

Topping the list is an addition to DBMoto's existing "grouping" feature, which is designed to "stack" replication tasks for performance or reliability reasons. With version 6.5, HiT augmented grouping with a new feature that automatically prioritizes the order of replication based on existing database relationships, which gives the software the capability to adhere to referential integrity constraints that programmers have built into a database.

HiT says that, by supporting referential integrity, DBMoto replication becomes more resilient, thereby lowering the chances of time-consuming recovery activities being needed. But, if a recovery is required, another new feature in version 6.5 will enable DBMoto to continue the replication from the point of failure, instead of requiring the replication to restart.

DBMoto has always kept a log of its activities, enabling administrators or auditors to see what was done, and where. With 6.5, new filters have been added that should cut down on the amount of time those users need to search through logs and find specific entries. This release also brings its own separate database for storing metadata generated by the configuration and execution of the tool.

Overall replication times should improve thanks to a new "non-critical data exclusion" feature that allows the user to instruct DBMoto to bypass certain data on its replication runs. Other changes have been made to speed the migration of large amounts of data to the Oracle database.

Giacomo Lorenzin, president and CEO of HiT Software, describes the effect the new features will have on customers. "DBMoto 6.5 streamlines the process to manage large-scale data replication projects and yet requires only a small footprint at a reasonable investment," he says. "The result is a huge benefit in focusing time on business-critical objectives rather than fine-tuning replication and synchronization procedures."

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