DATA PACKER®/IMS - Data Sheet

DATA PACKER^®/IMS

DATA PACKER/IMS:

Reduces DASD requirements for full-function databases and DEDBs by 30% to 80%
Improves online IMS application response time through efficient use of IMS buffers and virtual storage
Incorporates features that reduce segment splits and related I/O
Provides efficient free space utilization
Reduces elapsed time and I/O activity for sequential batch IMS applications

Overview

The DATA PACKER/IMS product from BMC Software is a time-saving and cost-saving IMS compression utility for full-function and data entry databases. It reduces database reorganization and image copy run times by 30% to 50%. DATA PACKER/IMS allows you to select the best compression method to match your data and delivers features that ensure data integrity.

Multiple compression options

Because not all compression methods achieve the best possible compression results for a given data record, DATA PACKER/IMS offers seven different data compression techniques. Because compression is performed on a segment type basis, you can use several compression techniques within the same database. Compression options include:

Static Huffman – Needs no external tables; yields good compression percentages/low CPU overhead
Custom Huffman – Builds compression tables customized to your data; yields excellent percentages with low CPU overhead
Shared Table – Builds customized Huffman tables you can name and assign to selected segments
Basic Character – Minimizes repetitive character sequences and does not require external tables; uses the least amount of CPU
Extended Character – Recognizes repeated character strings and reduces them to a smaller symbol; greater compression percentages are realized on segment sizes larger than 600 bytes

DATA PACKER/IMS also offers two hardware compression options which exploit the Hardware Compression facility of IBM's* ES/9000 processor or S/390 server, including the ability to create custom dictionaries for use with hardware-assisted compression.

Ensure data integrity

DATA PACKER/IMS ensures the integrity of your business-critical DASD data. It recognizes uncompressed data and does not expand it, protecting this data from corruption. DATA PACKER/IMS incorporates BMC Software's Extended Compression Architecture^® (XCA^®), which eliminates the possibility of double compressing data. It also performs extensive data integrity checks and verifies that the expanded data retrieved from compressed databases matches the originally stored data.

Predict compression results

DATA PACKER/IMS incorporates an easy-to-use trial utility that allows you to preview the effects of data compression on your databases using any one of several different input files. You can create a batch job stream by coding the appropriate command statements, or use the trial utility to generate the JCL. This utility produces reports that help you analyze which segments should be compressed, and which technique will yield the most effective compression.

With full-function databases, you can run the DATA PACKER/IMS product's Space Estimation utility to estimate actual DASD savings obtained by segment compression. Statistics are produced on space savings for segments, records and blocks.

Improve resource management

DATA PACKER/IMS incorporates numerous features that help manage resources efficiently.

Improves response time by decreasing the physical number of I/Os needed to process the data
Reduces segment splits and related I/O with its Minimum Segment Length and Fixed Pad Segment features.
Provides for more efficient use of virtual storage by allowing more database segments to be kept in the IMS buffer pools without increasing virtual storage allocation