IBM's Visual Warehouse for Windows NT (VWNT) addresses information
distribution problems for organizations with lots of data--especially for
organizations that distribute data across databases on different platforms
(mainframes, UNIX systems, PC clusters, etc.). VWNT uses a database-warehouse
(see, "Database Warehousing,") approach to
provide information to users, and it includes IBM's DB2 database software.
Because IBM's DB2 database server is the backbone of IBM's database offerings on
all its hardware platforms, this inclusion comes as no surprise. Although VWNT
is relatively new, DB2 has a solid track record.
The Core
VWNT consists of five main parts: DB2, VWNT desktop, VWNT server, VWNT
agent, and DataGuide. DB2 is a full copy of IBM's DB2 database server for NT.
DB2 is necessary for the VWNT and the DataGuide databases it uses. NT can mine
information from a variety of databases, including DB2, Oracle, Sybase, and
Microsoft SQL Server. NT can also use nonrelational databases, such as Internet
Mail Server (IMS) and MVS flat files, as data sources. Check IBM's Web site
(http://www.ibm.com) for an extensive list of database sources.
The VWNT desktop is the front-end application that manages the VWNT
database (as shown in Screen 1). This database holds source database information
(also called tables or files), destination database information
(also called business views, as shown in Screen 2), extraction
procedures, schedules (as shown in Screen 3) and other related information.
The desktop component manages the VWNT server which, in turn, coordinates
one or more VWNT agents. These agents extract information from the source
databases (as shown in Screen 4). Destination databases are DB2, and the VWNT
desktop shows these agents (as shown in Screen 5).
DataGuide maintains a meta-directory for VWNT. You can have the extraction
tools automatically create it. In brief, DataGuide helps users find information
in the warehouse. DataGuide includes both user and manager aspects, which let
managers limit user access to information. As noted, DB2 databases store all of
the DataGuide information.
After VWNT puts information into the destination database, a client
application can use it. Clients typically use Open Database Connectivity (ODBC)
to access business views, but clients can use any tool, such as Microsoft
Access, to access the destination database. DataGuide lets database managers
organize databases in groups, so users can easily select, drill down in, and use
databases. In addition, you can associate predefined queries and reports with
DataGuide entries, which lets you access information even without front-end
applications.
These five VWNT components can run on a single server, but administrators
usually distribute them among servers in a much larger network. For example, an
agent might be on a corporate network where it can access source databases at
high speeds and send consolidated and summarized information to a branch office
over a low-speed communications link. Similarly, you can distribute destination
databases so they can send one extraction to many locations--this capability is
handy with temporary or low-speed connections to remote sites and when the
extraction occurs at night during low utilization.
VWNT comes with Lotus Approach 96 for Windows 3.1 and Windows 95 (it also
runs on NT). Approach 96 is a database front-end application that uses ODBC to
access information. Approach can also use DB2 client software to directly access
DB2 servers. Approach 96 supports queries. It also supports scripting through
LotusScript and SQL Assistant for creating stored queries. The Approach package
includes a single copy for the database manager, and you must buy additional
licenses for end users.
VWNT's performance depends on the source and destination database servers
and their location on the network with respect to the VWNT agent. The VWNT
server uses TCP/IP to communicate with its agents, and both the server and
agents run on NT Server systems. Many database managers consolidate large
databases infrequently and coordinate this task with other events, including
backup. VWNT's agent and server performance usually do not come into play here
because the time needed to process the data is much greater than placing the
results into the destination database.