ARCAD Magnifies The i In Its Multi-Platform Array

ARCAD Magnifies The i In Its Multi-Platform Array

September 6, 2017 Dan Burger

While RDi development gets some help from one IBM i vendor, another vendor is enhancing its RDi-specific software. ARCAD Software, makers of ARCAD Pack for i, has enhanced its IBM UrbanCode Deploy and improved support for deployment to IBM i.

IBM’s UrbanCode is a tool for automating application deployments by expediting user feedback, and for providing audit trails and the approvals process. UrbanCode is being used primarily by large companies to deploy multi-platform code from a central point. It provides standardized tools and methodologies for managing all sources–including IBM i, z/OS, AIX and other Unix OSes, and all the open systems. It is compatible with existing IBM i Source Code Management tool already in place, such as ARCAD-Skipper, Rational Team Concert (RTC), Subversion (SVN) or Git.

ARCAD enhances IBM i capabilities in multi-platform environments.

ARCAD Pack for i was formerly known as ARCAD Pack for Rational because it provided the IBM i piece for Rational Team Concert (RTC), which is IBM’s collaborative change management system that emphasizes multi-platform collaboration. In May, ARCAD took another step in the cross-platform development arena by bringing an IBM i integration piece to GitHub. Compared to RTC, GitHub is far less expensive and far less complex. According to ARCAD CEO Philippe Magne, companies are replacing RTC with GitHub.

The Pack includes ARCAD Builder, Datachanger, Integrator, and Deliver. Builder automates dependency-based recompile for IBM i applications. Datachanger enables configuration data to be managed in a similar way to source code changes. Integrator analyzes the impact of third party software changes before they are installed in production. Deliver is an IBM i-based deployment automation tool for rapid and repeatable transfers to production.

The latest round of ARCAD Pack for i enhancements include automated features and functions for testing and deployment of IBM i applications, the building of IBM i apps, IBM i change management configuration data (application settings and critical data), the integration and change management of third-party software, and the deployment of high volume data with minimum downtime. ARCAD calls this feature “While Active Promotor.”

The automated deployment of code from test to production is the biggest benefit of the ARCAD Pack. That process includes integrity check prior to deployment, allocation of object, automatic database upgrades, automatic rollback, object management, traceability at the artifact level, and dynamic changes to configuration files.

Within the IBM i application build process, there are enhancements related to dependency recompiles and ordering of recompilations, integrity checking, automated change management of IBM i configuration data, check-out and check-in of configuration data, traceability of changes to configuration data, automated deploy and roll-back of configuration data to test and production systems, impact analysis for third-party software, and staged integration of new releases prior to deployment to production.

Magne believes there is a shift taking place in the enterprise IT balance of power and is positioning his software company to help companies that are replacing platform-specific dynamics and control with open systems. He says one of the challenges IBM faces is to move from designing and marketing proprietary systems to becoming part of a standardized IT environment.

“IBM is promoting open systems,” Magne points out. “Traditionally open systems have not been of widespread interest in the IBM i community, but now it is a different story because the need is coming from people with the non-IBM i systems.”

ARCAD is pursuing a strategy to surround RTC, GitHub, SVN, and other multi-platform development frameworks with additional tools to provide functionality in the areas of build management, deployment and release management, cross-referencing, and impact analysis.

Naturally, ARCAD’s products integrate with Rational Developer for IBM i (RDi).

It was just a month ago, when IBM announced it was accelerating its enhancements to RDi by outsourcing RDi development work (along with development work on PowerHA System Mirror for i, and Backup, Recovery and Media Services (BRMS) on i to HelpSystems. HelpSystems is taking the product enhancement development lead, while working with the existing team in Rochester. IBM will continue to integrate and deliver these products into the IBM i operating system.

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Tags: Tags: Git, IBM i, Multi-Platform Environment, Rational Team Concert, RDi, RTC, UrbanCode
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1. RELIABILITY. Up to 71% of restores from tape contain failures.
- BEST PRACTICE: Use disk-to-disk technology for backups.
With disk-to-disk technology, your backup data resides on disk drives, proven to be far more reliable than tapes. When your backup completes, you know the data is secure and accessible on the disk drive. With tapes you never really know if your data is usable until you try to restore it, at which point it’s too late.
1. BREADTH OF OFFERING. Choice in product and service offerings meet your business’ needs.
- BEST PRACTICE: Don’t settle for less than what you need.
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1. SECURITY. 60% of organizations using tapes don’t encrypt their backups.
- BEST PRACTICE: End-to-end encryption with no “back door.”
Using encryption with tape makes backups run slowly and often takes too long to fit within a backup window. As a result, most people simply turn encryption off, creating a security risk. Even with the physical safety of disk-to-disk backup, encryption is essential. Look for 256-bit AES. Find a solution that encrypts your data during transmission and storage. Make certain there isn’t a “back door” that would let someone else view your data.
1. ACCESSIBILITY. Companies waste thousands of hours waiting on tapes.
- BEST PRACTICE: Ensure that you can get your data back with minimal delay.
You should have direct access to your backups, with no time spent on physical transport (no trucks, no warehouses). Restores should take minutes, not hours or days. Set yourself up to work with your data, not wait for it. Make sure your solution provider can meet your Return-to-Operations (RTO) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) which determine how quickly you can recover your data and maintain business continuity. Inquire about onsite and offsite replication that provide both improved performance and a solid disaster recovery strategy.
1. CYBER SECURITY. More than 80 percent of U.S. companies have been successfully hacked, according to a Duke University/CFO Magazine Global Business Outlook Survey.
- BEST PRACTICE: Regular cyber security training and phishing tests for all employees using company email are essential to your organization.
Your end-users are the weak link in your network security. Today, your employees are frequently exposed to advanced phishing attacks. Trend Micro reported that 91% of successful data breaches started with a spear-phishing attack. Be sure your vendor of choice includes cyber security training as part of their backup and DR package.
1. SCALABILITY. Some backup systems can’t scale readily.
- BEST PRACTICE: Invest in a data protection architecture that can grow with your business.
You should be able to back up your data no matter how large it grows. Starting small? Look for an option that handles your backups automatically. Then, as you grow, gives you tools to manage complex environments. Look for “changes-only” and compression technologies to speed backups and save space. And insist on bandwidth throttling to balance traffic and ensure network availability for your other business applications. Make sure that their solution offerings rely on common technology to scale easily as your business––and data––grow.
1. COST-EFFECTIVENESS
- BEST PRACTICE: Calculate the true total cost of tape-based back up.
A 2019 Server OS Reliability Survey found that one hour of downtime costs at least $100K for 98% of companies to over $5 million for 34% of surveyed companies. When you do the math, the dollars make sense: Go with disk-to-disk. Unlike tape, there are close to zero handling costs—no rush deliveries, loading, accessing, locating, or repeated steps. And there’s one benefit you can’t factor directly: Reputation. Reliability and security can make an incalculable difference with just one avoided breach or failure.
1. COMPLIANCE. Most companies have problems satisfying privacy, security, and data retention regulations.
- BEST PRACTICE: Choose a data protection partner who has deep know-how about compliance, and the technology to ensure it.
1. Disaster Recovery. Most companies lack a comprehensive, tested plan for disasters.
- BEST PRACTICE: Find a vendor that delivers a complete DR solution.
You can’t say your data protection is complete until you have a disaster recovery plan that is itself complete and tested. Your backup vendor should have both the product mix and professional services team to help you prepare for a worst-case scenario. Make sure they can help configure your backups so you rebound quickly. Best bet: A vendor who can train you to deal with disasters confidently, based on your company’s actual configuration.
1. EASE OF USE. Some companies don’t —or can’t—manage their backups from one place.
- BEST PRACTICE: Get control and reporting you can use anywhere, with ease. Managing your backup environment should be simple, and the software you use should eliminate any guesswork that could lead to lost data. You should know at all times if your data is protected across your entire network—including remote offices—by simply looking at a dashboard. The software should be simple to configure using wizards, yet powerful enough to meet your specific needs with customizable views, job propagation, and roles-based security.
1. OPERATING SYSTEM AND PLATFORM SUPPORT. Most backup vendors support a limited range of OS, server types, and applications.
- BEST PRACTICE: Look for broad and deep technology that supports your complete environment. Your backup solution should accommodate your environment, not vice versa.
1. CUSTOMER SUPPORT. Backup vendors’ product support varies widely.
- BEST PRACTICE: Find a vendor whose support is passionate, maybe even slightly obsessed. Customer support should be one of your vendor’s main selling points. You shouldn’t have to wonder if they’ll be there to help when you need them most. Do they offer phone support or email only, and who exactly are you talking to when you call that 800 number? Find a vendor that will treat your data as if it were their own.
1. REPUTATION. Does your backup vendor have a quality reputation and the financial resources to stay in business for the long haul?
- BEST PRACTICE: Find a vendor with strong financial backing and customer references. There are a lot of vendors that have come and gone. When you consider a service provider, look for one that has strong financial backing, a solid business plan and the ability to be in business as long as your data needs to be stored. Ask for customer references and case studies as their customers are the best validation you can get.
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