Technology Solutions

Stelo + IBM Db2 for i

Stelo helps you connect data from IBM DB2

Stelo’s vendor-agnostic data replication and migration technology is a responsive, agile solution that supports IBM Db2 for i (formerly iSeries) as a source and a destination. The IBM Db2 relational database products can process vast amounts of data but extracting that data for downstream processing can burden already highly loaded production systems.

Our team has worked with each version of Db2 over the last 25+ years, allowing us to create the most resilient, robust, and efficient solution for offloading source data into other applications. We understand both the IBM i operating system and the integrated relational database to seamlessly bridge your Db2 database within a larger data ecosystem. We can connect all source and destination types for every database, so you can move data from Db2 to anywhere.

Stelo is a cost-efficient, low-impact, real-time data replication software for enterprise Db2 environments. Easily replicate millions of transactions per hour and transfer data sets over 1TB.

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Connects To

Stelo Star Icon_Centered_Green Expertise

IBM Replication Experts

Stelo is supported by experts who know your system, not generalists who may not understand data replication.

IBM specific features include:

  • Remote Journal support
  • Multi-member support
  • Support for Minimize Entry Data (MINENTDTA) and (*AFTER)

Flexible Deployment Icon_Noun 4351350_Green Customizable

Anywhere-to-Anywhere

Avoid vendor lock-in. Stelo uses heterogeneous replication for bi-directional support across all source and destination types. Our open-standards approach allows us to remain vendor-agnostic while providing highly flexible deployment models.

 Time and Labor Icon_Noun 4636078_Green Easy-to-Use

Set It and Forget It

Simple installation with GUI interface, configuration wizard, and advanced tools makes product setup and operation straightforward, with no programming needed. Once running, Stelo reliably operates in the background without requiring dedicated engineering support to maintain and manage. Alter, add, and drop schema changes are replicated automatically.

Near-Zero Footprint Icon_Noun 1465960_Green Low Impact

Near-Zero Footprint

Our process provides ultra-low CPU load (less than 1% typical) to minimize production impact and avoid operational disruption. No source or destination software installation required. Only transfer data you need thanks to Dataset Partitioning.

Data Scalability Icon_Noun 1304652_Green Cost-Efficient

Unlimited Connections

A single instance can support multiple sources and destinations without additional licensing. The Stelo license model is independent of the number of cores to either the source or destination, so you only pay for the capacity required to support the transaction volume. Your data ecosystem can change over time without additional costs.

Automatic Restoration Icon_Noun 4647448_Green Reliable

Automatic Recovery

If a connection is broken, no data is lost. Stelo will automatically resume replication without needing to re-baseline in the event of a connectivity failure.

Stelo Creates Real-Time Data Reporting and Inventory Management for E-Commerce

Top Notch Distributors offers over half a million residential and commercial electronic access control products, parts, and accessories from more than 60 manufacturers. The company has an SQL-based website with sales, inventory and business data residing on an IBM iSeries with ERP software. However, Top Notch needed real-time data to power the e-commerce store without using iSeries resources and adding extra system load. Stelo now seamlessly moves data into SQL reporting tools that populate a dynamic e-store with up-to-the-second inventory and provides all departments with access to the information they most need.

Stelo delivered the following results:

  • Site traffic doubled and e-commerce sales from their online store increased dramatically
  • The IT team reduced time spent on reporting and data issues by 10-20%
  • Employees gained instantaneous data access to save time on checking inventory levels to process orders
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FAQ

Can Stelo handle high-volume requirements without breaking my bank?

IBM Db2 databases can generate large datasets, but Stelo can handle large-scale data replication with sub-second latency. A single instance can support multiple sources and destinations without additional licensing. The Stelo model is independent of the number of cores of either the source or destination—so you only pay for the capacity required to support the transaction volume. This cost-efficient method merges source data flows into one stream, and then it is applied to any number of subscribing destinations. Stelo delivers enterprise-level performance without enterprise-level cost.

How does your replication solution react to schema changes?

Stelo is responsive to database schema changes without disrupting production systems. Alter, Add and Drop schema changes are replicated automatically. In the event of all other DDL Alter processing, the user will be notified of the change to be resolved. There are many levels of notification, including email and log access, so you can tailor alerts to your preference.

Does Stelo software coexist with high availability products? If so, which ones?

Yes, Stelo uses only standard IBM i commands and APIs to interact with the journal receiver and will not interfere with other applications. We have numerous customers using Stelo’s software with high availability (HA) products such as Vision Solutions MIMIX, IBM DataMirror, IBM Infosphere CDC, Trader's QUICK-EDD, and MaxAVA HA. The main issue customers have is deciding if they want to use *AFTER only imaging; this decision forces Stelo’s software to be exposed to reorganization.

Can Stelo use pre-generated tables or indexes to migrate my Oracle JDE data from Db2 to SQL Server or MySQL?

We encourage customers to configure Stelo’s software to create the destination tables on SQL Server and MySQL. In part, this is to ensure the proper mapping of change data captured on the IBM i system and the destination table. Also, if your high availability (HA) software utilizes *AFTER images only for capturing change data, then Stelo’s software must rely upon a synthetic column (the Relative Record Number or "RRN") to uniquely identify the row in the destination table, and it is unlikely that the Oracle JD Edwards (JDE) tool would provide this column. Therefore, it is best to allow Stelo to create the destination, including this column for each table. Alternatively, if the HA software configures *BOTH images in the journals then we can dispense with the RRN column and just utilize any unique index (including a primary key) to identify rows.

Another issue that should be addressed in the planning stage is the use of Unicode datatypes on the destination SQL Server. We strongly encourage customers to use NCHAR/NVARCHAR data types for SQL Server, as this provides the greatest fidelity when mapping data from IBM i EBCDIC to Windows and other non-EBCDIC environments. Our recommendation is to allow Stelo to create the tables and exploit UNICODE data types, and then use the tool to create any additional indexes.

Support Features

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Accessible Support

Quick support is available for training, troubleshooting, version updates, and data replication architecture. 24/7 Urgent Incident Support is included in annual subscriptions.

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Highly Experienced Team

Stelo’s technologists have more than 30 years' experience developing reliable data software. Whether you need basic support or have a tricky technical challenge, we can work with you to solve any problem.

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End-to-End Proficiency

Our team has detailed knowledge of every data platform we support and can troubleshoot end-to-end replication pairing in heterogeneous environments to ensure the pairings are working properly.

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Constant Evolution

Unlike some other solutions, Stelo won't go out of date. New source and target types are continuously added through active updates to stay compatible with emerging market requirements.

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1

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2

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3

Go Live

When you're ready, we can deploy your Stelo instance in under 24 hours with no disruptions to your operations.

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