DSXchange

Hi,

I am confused!

What is the difference between UniData and Universe (in the context of Datastage)?

I get the feeling that UniData is to do with pre 7.x versions of Datastage whereas UniVerse is fairly new? Am I correct or am I just confused because Datastage uses UniVerse as its 'back end'? Also how does DSEngine relate to UniData and/or Universe?

If there are any pdf's or doc on this I would appreciate a pointer. Something to do with the Datastage Architecture.

My previous experience of Datastage (prior to 7.5) was with 3.6 and 5.1 so I hope you can see why I am confused.

Thanks for your help.[size=12][/size]

Welcome.

Universe is the tree that DSEngine branched off from. From what I recall, Ascential removed unneeded Universe functionality, renamed it and continued developing it specifically into what we now know as 'DSEngine'. Somewhere in the 9.x version, I do believe.

UniData is a different database, unrelated to DataStage other than the fact that it ships with a plug-in for it, AFAIK.

UniVerse and UniData are both database products, now in the IBM stable where they are jointly called "U2" (not to be confused with a certain group of Irish balladeers).

They were created by separate companies. VMARK Software, Inc. was a public company that created UniVerse in 1984; UniData was a private company that created UniData about the same time. Each was an attempt to gather some of Prime INFORMATION's database market dominance though running on cheaper (UNIX) hardware.

VMARK initially developed DataStage as a UniVerse-based application, with the first release being in Feb 1997. Subsequently VMARK and UniData merged to form Ardent Software, Inc. and that was later bought by Informix. Informix only owned the databases for 13 months before selling them (and others) to IBM, at which time Informix reinvented itself as Ascential Software and continued to develop DataStage and associated products and to acquire advantageous technologies such as MetaRecon (now ProfileStage) and INTEGRITY (now QualityStage).

The last release of DataStage to be built on UniVerse was 5.2 (built on UniVerse 9.6). The first release of DataStage to be built on DS Engine was 6.0. The next release of UniVerse following the split was 10.0.

IBM has continued to develop UniVerse and UniData, and the divergence has become wider, so that these products contain libraries that DS Engine lacks (such as HTTP functions, socket functions in BASIC), while DS Engine contains functionality that the "U2" databases lack (for example optionally-sharable memory-cached hashed files).

And, as you would now be aware, IBM has recently acquired Ascential Software. But DS Engine and the "U2" databases will not be merging; it's now a matter of keeping the right tool for the right job.

Ah... my first manuals still said VMARK on them, in spite of having purchased an Ascential product. What I didn't know was the 'UniData
merger' part. Oh, and I guess I was a little off on the product split version...

Thanks for the explanation. Definitely clearer now.

I know the Universe used to be the source of quite a few performance and locking problems around version 3.6 but I understand the intention is to make the back end DB thinner (or even remove it all together?).

Thanks again.

There is a long-term project to change the back end. In the next major release of the product the structure of the Repository database will be changed, so that all the products in the Enterprise Integration Suite can share the one repository. However, no major changes to DS Engine are envisaged in this release.

Version 3.6 is a long time ago - can you remind us of the "quite a few performance and locking problems" to which you referred?

Longer term there will be a new engine, referred to as "E2" a couple of Ascential Worlds ago. But this will be a huge task, so don't expect it any time soon.

There is no intention at all to "remove the back end". A new active dashboard (code name "Sorcerer") is currently in beta (July 2005).