SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS


RRDF Log Apply for DB2 and DB2 Version 8 New Function Mode

Announcement Date: 05/31/2003


With the advent of DB2 for z/OS Version 8 (i.e. DB2 on the mainframe platform) in 2003, IBM introduced significant new functionality requiring E-Net to confront a key set of questions: should the existing technology (i.e. Log Apply for DB2) be enhanced and modified to support the new DB2 features, or is it appropriate to re-engineer the technology? E-Net determined that it was the right time to build a new product, and EDR (Enterprise Data Replicator) is that new product.

Under DB2 V8 New Function Mode, catalog and directory structures were radically changed. Many catalog/directory tables were converted to Unicode. Utilities were significantly altered and enhanced. Object names can be much longer. Many other internal facets of DB2 were changed or enhanced.

Customers wishing to accomplish off-site replication of DB2 tables should upgrade from Log Apply to EDR prior to migrating to DB2 Version 8 NFM. Log Apply is certified to run properly under DB2 V8 Compatibility Mode, but is NOT certified to run properly under DB2 V8 New Function Mode. Although some features may run properly, or may appear to run properly, results are unpredictable. Most importantly, Log Apply is not supported under DB2 V8 New Function Mode or any future versions of DB2 for z/OS.

Our new product, EDR, offers real-time and peer-to-peer replication and is E-Net's strategic product for DB2 data replication going forward.

It should be noted that RRDF itself (without Log Apply) is perfectly capable of capturing and transmitting DB2 log data under DB2 V8 NFM (and also future versions of DB2 for z/OS). This means that offsite recovery to point-of-failure is perfectly possible even though the source/sending/production system is running at DB2 V8 NFM. Customers using RRDF for offsite recovery can continue to use RRDF; offsite recovery is made possible using image copies and DB2 archive log data produced by RRDF. This mode of offsite recovery is sometimes called "redbook recovery".



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