We have finally finished the testing of RAP Version 4.1 and have placed it on the website for download. The product has many new features which will allow us to compete on a level footing with other HA products. Previously we had always described RAP as a Data Replication tool but with the new features we have added we now feel it is more akin to a High Availability Tool than the Data Only Replication tool it started from.
If you are interested here are a few of the new features.
We have improved the data apply process and provided a more detailed view of the replication as it occurs. While we still cannot show the actual journal entry being applied (I question why you need to know that anyhow) we do show the current block of journal entries the process is working on. New functionality has been added to show other replication status as it occurs as well while trying to keep the management requirements to a bare minimum.
Object replication was something we steered away from, we feel the most important asset any company has is it’s data, objects tend to be fairly static in terms of change activity while the data is in constant change. This release has added automated object replication to the mix, we use the audit journal to determine when objects change. Once we find an entry we will determine if the change can be carried out by a simple command or if we have to run a save and restore process to bring the source and target objects into sync. As we move forward we see this as one area where we will continue to provide additional improvements to cover additional objects and filtering.
Job Queues are important for recovery, if you don’t know what jobs were running and how they ended you will have to spend a lot of time doing data analysis to find a restart point for your applications. With JobQGenie we provided a very granular process to capture a jobs life cycle as it went through loading to a job queue, when it became active and how it ended, RAP has less granular version of the technology built in but still using the latest capture technology. In fact we built the new capture technology for RAP and migrated it to JobQGenie because it was so good! As part of this option we had to build a data apply process which uses the journal entries in the remote journal and applies them directly to the database, this is a first step into bringing an alternative apply method to RAP which is the same technology our current competition uses. The foundation is there to be built upon and we will continue to improve and add functionality to this technology for future releases.
Sometimes it would be very nice to see what jobs were active prior to a system crash, the new Snapshot process allows the active job data to be captured and sent to the remote system on a regular basis. Should a system failure occur you can start up the snapshot browser and view the data in the same manner as you would using the WRKACTJOB command.
iASP technology is starting to take hold with more and more companies looking at its capabilities. RAP has supported iASP level replication since Version 3.1 and this release adds further functionality. One area we felt this technology would be useful is in a recovery center where many customers can be set up in dedicated iASP groups to ensure data segregation without the need for LPAR level configurations.
As you can see this release adds major new functionality to the product, yet the price structure will not change to that of the previous level. New functions are already on the drawing board to support Output Queue replication and other objects. We will continue to add new features to the Job Queue Replication option and have a number of new interface options under consideration, RAP is already a very capable replication solution and as the new features are added we are sure its popularity will grow.
We have added download links to the Blog under the download tab for those of you who have registered here. For those who have associate memberships for the Shield website we have also added the relevant objects and links there. The product installs with a 30 day key which gives you time to install and test some of the functionality prior to buying. There is no obligation to purchase so download a copy and give it a whirl!
Chris…