IBM has launched two new tools designed to lower the administrative
costs of databases as well as improve their performance through a
number of self-managing capabilities.
IBM's DB2 Recovery Expert offers administrators simplified recovery
features and a range of diagnostic and self-managing capabilities
designed to minimise database problems.
The second tool, called the DB2 Performance Expert, is designed to
consolidate reports and analyses, and to recommend changes to DB2
performance-related information.
The new tools represent the first fruits of IBM's Self Managing and
Resource Tuning (SMART) database initiative that has been focusing
on accelerating autonomic computing in database technology.
IBM has also announced it is expanding its multiplatform series of
tools, including the DB2 High Performance Unload, which is intended
to quickly and efficiently unload and extract data from DB2 so that
it can be shared across the enterprise. The company also unveiled
the DB2 Table Editor, which can access updates and delete data
existing across multiple DB2 database platforms including Informix
and the DB2 Web Query Tool, which allows for users to be directly
connected to multiple enterprise-class databases regardless of
their location.
"The whole idea behind autonomic computing is to help database
administrators reduce database complexity and improve the quality
of their service. It is generally believed now that system
administration can account for the lion's share of the total cost
of database ownership," said John Charlson, an IBM company
spokesman.
In a recent report The Aberdeen Group said that system
administration can account for 75% of the overall total cost of
maintaining ownership of an enterprise-class database.
Charlson added, however, that while the new tools automate what in
the past have traditionally been human tasks, they should not
result in IT workers being replaced given that there is already a
shortage of trained professionals carrying out those tasks.
IBM has also rolled out 15 enhanced tools targeted at its zSeries
of mainframes. Some of those include the DB2 Administration Tool,
for administrators responsible for keeping DB2 performing at peak
levels; the DB2 High Performance Unload tool, a high-speed DB2
utility for unloading DB2 tables from either a tablespace or an
image copy; and the DB2 SQL Performance Analyzer for users who need
to do extensive analysis of SQL queries without executing them, as
well as tuning their performance.
The new multiplatform tools will be made generally available on 26
July while the DB2 Recovery Expert will be available on 27
September. The zSeries eServer database tools will be made
available by 26 July.