In-Depth

Briefs: IBM DB2, IMS manageability tools; Verio's free migration services program

IBM products help manage DB2 and IMS environments; Verio program offers three months of free Web hosting plus migration services to an NTT/Verio data center.

• By Stephen Swoyer
• 07/08/2003

IBM Corp. announced new products for DB2 and IMS that boast features that enhance manageability in both environments. Big Blue unveiled two new and two enhanced tools for its mainframe databases.

For IMS, IBM introduced IMS Multi-Dialog Manager for z/OS and IMS Problem Investigator for z/OS, along with an enhanced version 2.1 release of IMS Database Recovery Facility for z/OS.

For DB2, Big Blue announced version 2 of DB2 Archive Log Accelerator for z/OS.

IMS Multi-Dialog Manager for z/OS is said to enhance application management. Among other features, it allows users to switch more quickly between IMS sessions. IMS Problem Investigator for z/OS enhances performance management and features new navigation aids, along with canned and customizable personalized reporting services, to allow DBAs to troubleshoot IMS Transaction Manager and IMS Database Manager systems.

IMS Database Recovery Facility for z/OS 2.1 is a database recovery product that supports all recoverable IMS databases.

Big Blue has renamed DB2 Archive Log Accelerator for z/OS 2—previously released as DB2 Archive Log Compression. The product provides DFSMS hardware compression for DB2 archive logs, which reduces storage and I/O requirements for managing large DB2 archive logs.

The revamped and re-branded DB2 Archive Log Accelerator for z/OS Version 2 is available now. IBM says that the three other products will appear sometime this month.

See http://www.ibm.com/software/data/db2imstools for more information.

Verio Offers Free Migration Services Program

NTT Communications subsidiary Verio Inc. announced a free migration services program that is designed for companies that immediately require dedicated and co-located Web hosting solutions.

Last week, Verio—a provider of managed IP services—announced "Here Today, Here Tomorrow", a program that offers business customers up to three months of free Web hosting services. The Verio program includes hardware installation services, along with migration services to an NTT/VERIO data center.

Verio says that its existing migration services have helped businesses transition to its managed services. Because of prolonged market instability—which has caused some hosting providers to shutter their facilities—Verio believes many businesses may have an urgent need to change their hosting arrangements. To further entice would-be customers, the company announced it will provide up to $20,000 in site migration and related professional service costs free of charge.

The company says that as a result of its experience dealing with hundreds of customer migrations, it has developed a methodology that ensures timely, successful Web site migrations.

Customers opting for the program are assigned a migration team that includes a manager who acts as a single point of contact.

See http://verio.com/powerplatform/promos for more information. Or call 1-800-GET-VERIO.