It is a visitor publish 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 functions and retailer important knowledge, enabling real-time operations that assist obtain enterprise aims. These organizations face a standard problem: easy methods to unlock the worth of their mainframe knowledge in at present’s cloud-first world whereas sustaining system stability and knowledge high quality. Modernizing these methods is vital 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 fashionable cloud platforms acquire important aggressive benefits by means of improved agility, lowered operational prices, and enhanced analytics capabilities. Nevertheless, implementing such integrations presents distinctive technical challenges that require specialised options. Among the challenges embrace changing EBCDIC knowledge to ASCII, the place the dealing with of knowledge varieties is exclusive to the mainframe, akin to binary knowledge and COMP knowledge. Information saved in Digital Storage Entry Technique (VSAM) recordsdata could be fairly advanced resulting from practices to retailer a number of totally different file varieties in a single file. To handle these challenges, Exactly—a worldwide chief in knowledge integrity, serving over 12,000 prospects—has partnered with Amazon Net Providers (AWS) to allow real-time synchronization between mainframe methods and Amazon Relational Database Service (Amazon RDS). For extra on this collaboration, try our earlier weblog publish: Unlock Mainframe Information with Exactly Join and Amazon Aurora.
On this publish, we introduce an alternate structure to synchronize mainframe knowledge to the cloud utilizing Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (Amazon MSK) for higher flexibility and scalability. This event-driven strategy offers further potentialities for mainframe knowledge integration and modernization methods.
A key enhancement on this answer is using 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 akin to International Funds have leveraged this answer 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 methods. Change knowledge seize (CDC) allows this by figuring out database adjustments and delivering them in actual time to cloud environments.
CDC provides 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 functions in sync with mainframe methods, enabling instant insights and responsive operations
Resolution overview
On this publish, 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 potentialities for knowledge distribution, transformation, and consumption that develop upon our beforehand demonstrated direct replication strategy. This streaming-based structure provides a number of further advantages:
- Simplified deployment – Speed up implementation utilizing the preconfigured AWS Market AMI
- Decoupled methods – Separate the priority of knowledge extraction from knowledge consumption, permitting either side to scale independently
- Multi-consumer help – Allow a number of downstream functions and companies to eat the identical knowledge stream in keeping with their very own necessities
- Extensibility – Create a basis that may be prolonged to help further mainframe knowledge sources akin 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 vital 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 info to focus on tables in Amazon RDS.
This structure offers a clear separation between the info seize course of and the info consumption course of, permitting every to scale independently. The usage of MSK as an middleman allows a number of methods to eat the identical knowledge stream, opening potentialities for advanced occasion processing, real-time analytics, and integration with different AWS companies.
Stipulations
To finish the answer, you want the next stipulations:
- Set up AWS Mainframe Modernization – Information Replication for IBM z/OS
- Have entry to Db2z on mainframe from AWS utilizing your accredited connectivity between AWS and your mainframe
Resolution 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 hook up with the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) occasion:
Configure the serverless cluster
To create an Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL-Suitable 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. Exchange 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, that you must create a database to 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
. Exchange 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 deal with 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, that you must 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, check with Configure purchasers 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 customers:
- 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 accommodates 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 have got entry:
- Copy the next JSON and paste it into a brand new file
create-custom-plugin.json
. Exchange 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, comply with these steps:
- Copy the next JSON and paste it into a brand new file
create-connector.json
. Exchange 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 determine the Db2 Seize/Writer on the mainframe for capturing adjustments to the DEPT desk, comply with these structured steps that construct upon our earlier weblog publish, 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 that you must 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. Check in to your mainframe system and entry the AWS Mainframe Modernization – Information Repication for IBM z/OS ISPF panels by means of the equipped ISPF software menu. Choose possibility 3 (CDC) to entry the CDC configuration panels, as demonstrated in our earlier weblog publish.
- Add supply tables for seize:
- From the CDC Major Choice Menu, select possibility 2 (Outline Subscriptions).
- Select possibility 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 title
DEPT
within the (Desk Title) area. - Press Enter to show the record of accessible tables.
- Kind
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 publish 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 practical 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 can be robotically 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 circulation.
Configure Apply Engine for Amazon MSK integration
Configure the AWS facet 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
. Exchange 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 whenever 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
. Exchange 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 whenever you invoke the command efficiently:
Logs will also 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 info 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 answer, you may clear up the sources to keep away from incurring further costs. Observe these steps in sequence to make sure correct cleanup.
Step 1: Delete the MSK Join elements
Observe these steps:
- Checklist present connectors:
- Delete the sink connector:
- Checklist {custom} plugins:
- Delete the {custom} plugin:
Step 2: Delete the MSK cluster
Observe these steps:
- Checklist MSK clusters:
- Delete the MSK serverless cluster:
Step 3: Delete the Aurora sources
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 answer to make the most of cloud-based functions with mainframe knowledge to offer scalability, cost-efficiency, and enhanced efficiency.
The combination of AWS Mainframe Modernization – Information Replication for IBM z/OS AMI with Amazon MSK and RDS for PostgreSQL offers an enhanced framework for real-time knowledge synchronization that maintains knowledge integrity. This structure could be prolonged to help further mainframe knowledge sources akin 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 functions.Streaming mainframe knowledge to AWS in close to actual time represents a strategic step towards modernizing legacy methods whereas unlocking new alternatives for innovation, with knowledge transfers occurring in subseconds. With Exactly and AWS, organizations can successfully navigate their modernization journey and preserve 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 obtainable for buy in AWS Market. For extra details about the answer or to see an indication, contact Exactly.
In regards to the authors