It is a visitor submit by Supreet Padhi, Know-how Architect, and Manasa Ramesh, Know-how Architect at Exactly in partnership with AWS.
Enterprises depend on mainframes to run mission-critical purposes and retailer important knowledge, enabling real-time operations that assist obtain enterprise targets. These organizations face a typical problem: learn how to unlock the worth of their mainframe knowledge in at this time’s cloud-first world whereas sustaining system stability and knowledge high quality. Modernizing these techniques is crucial for competitiveness and innovation.
The digital transformation crucial has made mainframe knowledge integration with cloud companies a strategic precedence for enterprises worldwide. Organizations that may seamlessly bridge their mainframe environments with trendy cloud platforms achieve important aggressive benefits by means of improved agility, decreased operational prices, and enhanced analytics capabilities. Nonetheless, implementing such integrations presents distinctive technical challenges that require specialised options. A number of the challenges embrace changing EBCDIC knowledge to ASCII, the place the dealing with of knowledge sorts is exclusive to the mainframe, corresponding to binary knowledge and COMP knowledge. Information saved in Digital Storage Entry Technique (VSAM) information could be fairly advanced because of practices to retailer a number of completely different document sorts in a single file. To handle these challenges, Exactly—a worldwide chief in knowledge integrity, serving over 12,000 clients—has partnered with Amazon Net Companies (AWS) to allow real-time synchronization between mainframe techniques and Amazon Relational Database Service (Amazon RDS). For extra on this collaboration, try our earlier weblog submit: Unlock Mainframe Information with Exactly Join and Amazon Aurora.
On this submit, we introduce another structure to synchronize mainframe knowledge to the cloud utilizing Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (Amazon MSK) for larger flexibility and scalability. This event-driven method supplies further prospects for mainframe knowledge integration and modernization methods.
A key enhancement on this resolution is the usage of the AWS Mainframe Modernization – Information Replication for IBM z/OS Amazon Machine Picture (AMI) accessible in AWS Market, which simplifies deployment and reduces implementation time.
Actual-time processing and event-driven structure advantages
Actual-time processing makes knowledge actionable inside seconds moderately than ready for batch processing cycles. For instance, monetary establishments corresponding to International Funds have leveraged this resolution to modernize mission-critical banking operations, together with funds processing. By migrating these operations to the AWS Cloud, they enhanced consumer expertise, improved scalability and maintainability, whereas enabling superior fraud detection – all with out impacting the efficiency of present mainframe techniques. Change knowledge seize (CDC) allows this by figuring out database adjustments and delivering them in actual time to cloud environments.
CDC presents two key benefits for mainframe modernization:
- Incremental knowledge motion – Eliminates disruptive bulk extracts by streaming solely modified knowledge to cloud targets, minimizing system affect and guaranteeing knowledge forex
- Actual-time synchronization – Retains cloud purposes in sync with mainframe techniques, enabling rapid insights and responsive operations
Answer overview
On this submit, we offer an in depth implementation information for streaming mainframe knowledge adjustments from DB2z by means of AWS Mainframe Modernization – Information Replication for IBM z/OS AMI to Amazon MSK after which making use of these adjustments to Amazon Relational Database Service (Amazon RDS) for PostgreSQL utilizing MSK Join with the Confluent JDBC Sink Connector.
By introducing Amazon MSK into structure and streamlining deployment by means of the AWS Market AMI, we create new prospects for knowledge distribution, transformation, and consumption that increase upon our beforehand demonstrated direct replication method. This streaming-based structure presents a number of further advantages:
- Simplified deployment – Speed up implementation utilizing the preconfigured AWS Market AMI
- Decoupled techniques – Separate the priority of knowledge extraction from knowledge consumption, permitting either side to scale independently
- Multi-consumer help – Allow a number of downstream purposes and companies to eat the identical knowledge stream in accordance with their very own necessities
- Extensibility – Create a basis that may be prolonged to help further mainframe knowledge sources corresponding to IMS and VSAM, in addition to further AWS targets utilizing MSK Join sink connectors
The next diagram illustrates the answer structure.
- Seize/Writer – Join CDC Seize/Writer captures Db2 adjustments from Db2 logs utilizing IFI 306 Learn and communicates captured knowledge adjustments to a goal engine by means of TCP/IP.
- Controller Daemon – The Controller Daemon authenticates all connection requests, managing safe communication between the supply and goal environments.
- Apply Engine – The Apply Engine is a multifaceted and multifunctional part within the goal setting. It receives the adjustments from the Writer agent and applies the modified knowledge to the goal Amazon MSK.
- Join CDC Single Message Rework (SMT) – Performs all crucial knowledge filtering, transformation, and augmentation required by the sink connector.
- JDBC Sink Connector – As knowledge arrives, an occasion of the JDBC Sink Connector together with Apache Kafka writes the information to focus on tables in Amazon RDS.
This structure supplies a clear separation between the information seize course of and the information consumption course of, permitting every to scale independently. The usage of MSK as an middleman allows a number of techniques to eat the identical knowledge stream, opening prospects for advanced occasion processing, real-time analytics, and integration with different AWS companies.
Stipulations
To finish the answer, you want the next conditions:
- Set up AWS Mainframe Modernization – Information Replication for IBM z/OS
- Have entry to Db2z on mainframe from AWS utilizing your accepted connectivity between AWS and your mainframe
Answer walkthrough
The next code content material shouldn’t be deployed to manufacturing environments with out further safety testing.
Configure the AWS Mainframe Modernization Information Replication with Exactly AMI on Amazon EC2
Observe the steps outlined at Exactly AWS Mainframe Modernization Information Replication. Upon the preliminary launch of the AMI, use the next command to connect with the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) occasion:
Configure the serverless cluster
To create an Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL-Appropriate Version Serverless v2 cluster, full the next steps:
- Create a DB cluster through the use of the next AWS Command Line Interface (AWS CLI) command. Change the placeholder strings with values that correspond to your cluster’s subnet and subnet group IDs.
- Confirm the standing of the cluster through the use of the next command:
- Add a author DB occasion to the Aurora cluster:
- Confirm the standing of the author occasion:
Create a database within the PostgreSQL cluster
After your Aurora Serverless v2 cluster is working, it’s essential to create a database on your replicated mainframe knowledge. Observe these steps:
- Set up the psql shopper:
- Retrieve the password from secret supervisor:
- Create a brand new database in PostgreSQL:
Configure the serverless MSK cluster
To create a serverless MSK cluster, full the next steps:
- Copy the next JSON and paste it into a brand new file
create-msk-serverless-cluster.json
. Change the placeholder strings with values that correspond to your cluster’s subnet and safety group IDs. - Invoke the next AWS CLI command within the folder the place you saved the JSON file within the earlier step:
- Confirm cluster standing by invoking the next AWS CLI command:
- Get the bootstrap dealer handle by invoking the next AWS CLI command:
- Outline the setting variable to retailer the bootstrap servers of the MSK cluster and regionally set up Kafka within the path setting variable:
Create a subject on the MSK cluster
To create a Kafka subject, it’s essential to set up the Kafka CLI first. Observe these steps:
- Obtain the binary distribution of Apache Kafka and extract the archive in folder
kafka
: - To make use of IAM to authenticate with the MSK cluster, obtain the Amazon MSK Library for IAM and duplicate to the native Kafka library listing as proven within the following code. For full directions, discuss with Configure shoppers for IAM entry management.
- Within the listing, create a file to configure a Kafka shopper to make use of IAM authentication for the Kafka console producer and shoppers:
- Create the Kafka subject, which you outlined within the connector config:
Configure the MSK Join plugin
Subsequent, create a {custom} plugin accessible within the AMI at /choose/exactly/di/packages/sqdata-msk_connect_1.0.1.zip
which comprises the next:
- JDBC Sink Connector from Confluent
- MSK Config supplier
- AWS Mainframe Modernization – Information Repication for IBM z/OS Customized SMT
Observe these steps:
- Invoke the next to add the .zip file to an S3 bucket to which you may have entry:
- Copy the next JSON and paste it into a brand new file
create-custom-plugin.json
. Change the placeholder strings with values that correspond to your bucket. - Invoke the next AWS CLI command within the folder the place you saved the JSON file within the earlier step:
- Confirm plugin standing by invoking the next AWS CLI command:
Configure the JDBC Sink Connector
To configure the JDBC Sink Connector, observe these steps:
- Copy the next JSON and paste it into a brand new file
create-connector.json
. Change the placeholder strings with applicable values: - Invoke the next AWS CLI command within the folder the place you saved the JSON file within the earlier step:
- Confirm connector standing by invoking the next AWS CLI command:
Arrange Db2 Seize/Writer on Mainframe
To ascertain the Db2 Seize/Writer on the mainframe for capturing adjustments to the DEPT desk, observe these structured steps that construct upon our earlier weblog submit, Unlock Mainframe Information with Exactly Join and Amazon Aurora:
- Put together the supply desk. Earlier than configuring the Seize/Writer, make sure the DEPT supply desk exists in your mainframe Db2 system. The desk definition ought to match the construction outlined at
$SQDATA_VAR_DIR/templates/dept.ddl
. If it’s essential to create this desk in your mainframe, use the DDL from this file as a reference to make sure compatibility with the replication course of. - Entry the Interactive System Productiveness Facility (ISPF) interface. Sign up to your mainframe system and entry the AWS Mainframe Modernization – Information Repication for IBM z/OS ISPF panels by means of the provided ISPF software menu. Choose choice 3 (CDC) to entry the CDC configuration panels, as demonstrated in our earlier weblog submit.
- Add supply tables for seize:
- From the CDC Major Choice Menu, select choice 2 (Outline Subscriptions).
- Select choice 1 (Outline Db2 Tables) so as to add supply tables.
- On the (Add DB2 Supply Desk to CAB File panel), enter a wildcard worth (%) or the precise desk identify
DEPT
within the (Desk Title) area. - Press Enter to show the listing of accessible tables.
- Sort
S
subsequent to theDEPT
desk to pick out it for replication, then press Enter to substantiate.
This course of is just like the desk choice course of proven in determine 3 and determine 4 of our earlier submit however now focuses particularly on the DEPT
desk construction.
With the completion of each the Db2 Seize/Writer setup on the mainframe and the AWS setting configuration (Amazon MSK, Apply Engine, and MSK Join JDBC Sink Connector), you now have a completely useful pipeline able to seize knowledge adjustments from the mainframe and stream them to the MSK subject. Inserts, updates, or deletions to the DEPT
desk on the mainframe might be routinely captured and pushed to the MSK subject in close to actual time. From there, the MSK Join JDBC Sink Connector and the {custom} SMT will course of these messages and apply the adjustments to the PostgreSQL database on Amazon RDS, finishing the end-to-end replication move.
Configure Apply Engine for Amazon MSK integration
Configure the AWS aspect elements to obtain knowledge from the mainframe and ahead it to Amazon MSK. Observe these steps to outline and handle a brand new CDC pipeline from DB2 z/OS to Amazon MSK:
- Use the next command to change to the
join
consumer: - Create the apply engine directories:
- Copy the pattern script from
dept.ddl
: - Copy the next content material and paste it in a brand new file
$SQDATA_VAR_DIR/apply/DB2ZTOMSK/scripts/DB2ZTOMSK.sqd
. Change the placeholder strings with values that correspond to the DB2z endpoint: - Create the working listing:
- Add the next to
$SQDATA_DAEMON_DIR/cfg/sqdagents.cfg
: - After the previous code is added to the
sqdagents.cfg
part, reload for the adjustments to take impact: - Validate the apply engine job script through the use of the SQData parse command to create the compiled file anticipated by the SQData engine:
The next is an instance of the output that you simply get if you invoke the command efficiently:
- Copy the next content material and paste it in a brand new file
/var/exactly/di/sqdata_logs/apply/DB2ZTOMSK/sqdata_kafka_producer.conf
. Change the placeholder strings with values that correspond to your bootstrap server and AWS Area. - Begin the apply engine utilizing the controller daemon through the use of the next command:
- Monitor the apply engine by means of the controller daemon through the use of the next command:
The next is an instance of the output that you simply get if you invoke the command efficiently:
Logs can be discovered at
/var/exactly/di/sqdata_logs/apply/DB2ZTOMSK
.
Confirm knowledge within the MSK subject
Invoke the Kafka CLI command to confirm the JSON knowledge within the MSK subject:
Confirm knowledge within the PostgreSQL database
Invoke the next command to confirm the information within the PostgreSQL database:
With these steps accomplished, you’ve efficiently arrange end-to-end knowledge replication from DB2z to RDS for PostgreSQL, utilizing AWS Mainframe Modernization – Information Replication for IBM z/OS AMI, Amazon MSK, MSK Join, and the Confluent JDBC Sink Connector.
Cleanup
Whenever you’re completed testing this resolution, you’ll be able to clear up the assets to keep away from incurring further prices. Observe these steps in sequence to make sure correct cleanup.
Step 1: Delete the MSK Join elements
Observe these steps:
- Record present connectors:
- Delete the sink connector:
- Record {custom} plugins:
- Delete the {custom} plugin:
Step 2: Delete the MSK cluster
Observe these steps:
- Record MSK clusters:
- Delete the MSK serverless cluster:
Step 3: Delete the Aurora assets
Observe these steps:
- Delete the Aurora DB occasion:
- Delete the Aurora DB cluster:
Conclusion
By capturing modified knowledge from DB2z and streaming it to AWS targets, organizations can modernize their legacy mainframe knowledge shops, enabling operational insights and AI initiatives. Companies can use this resolution to make the most of cloud-based purposes with mainframe knowledge to offer scalability, cost-efficiency, and enhanced efficiency.
The mixing of AWS Mainframe Modernization – Information Replication for IBM z/OS AMI with Amazon MSK and RDS for PostgreSQL supplies an enhanced framework for real-time knowledge synchronization that maintains knowledge integrity. This structure could be prolonged to help further mainframe knowledge sources corresponding to VSAM and IMS, in addition to different AWS targets. Organizations can then tailor their knowledge integration technique to particular enterprise wants. Information consistency and latency challenges could be successfully managed by means of AWS and Exactly’s monitoring capabilities. By adopting this structure, organizations hold their mainframe knowledge regularly accessible for analytics, machine studying (ML), and different superior purposes.Streaming mainframe knowledge to AWS in close to actual time represents a strategic step towards modernizing legacy techniques whereas unlocking new alternatives for innovation, with knowledge transfers occurring in subseconds. With Exactly and AWS, organizations can successfully navigate their modernization journey and keep their aggressive benefit.
Be taught extra about AWS Mainframe Modernization – Information Replication for IBM z/OS AMI within the Exactly documentation. AWS Mainframe Modernization Information Replication is offered for buy in AWS Market. For extra details about the answer or to see an illustration, contact Exactly.
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