[May 25, 2012] SoftBase Releases Automated Multi-Row FETCH Capability for DB2 Applications Tweet May 25, 2012 (Close-Up Media via COMTEX) -- SoftBase, a division of Candescent SoftBase and a provider of DB2 z/OS coding, testing and deployment tools, has announced the availability of a new product feature, Attach Facility's Multi-Row FETCH (MRF), enabling DB2 users to automatically retrofit older applications for IBM's Multi-Row FETCH technology. With Attach Facility's MRF, SoftBase said that DB2 administrators can simultaneously improve application performance by as much as 74 percent while bypassing the expensive recoding and testing process required to upgrade by hand. IBM introduced Multi-Row FETCH to enable users to process multiple records (rows) simultaneously - saving time and reducing CPU overhead - a significant cost factor for DB2 shops. However, upgrading existing applications from single-row to multi-row requires an expensive manual recoding and testing process. SoftBase's Attach Facility sits between the application and DB2, providing an interface that enables administrators to pull multiple rows of data into a temporary memory space, immediately eliminating the need for the application to "go back" and retrieve additional information. "We decided to run some test scenarios using SoftBase Attach Facility's Multi-Row FETCH feature," said Jeff Boggess, senior database administrator, NC Farm Bureau. "Because we didn't have to manually code and test the processes, we were up and running much more quickly than expected. Being deployed so soon enabled us to run a SQL statement in which the CPU time went from 45 seconds to 11 seconds ...that is a 74 percent improvement! The time savings translates to immediate dollar savings and reinforces the value we derive from SoftBase DB2 z/OS tools every day." As described by the Company, key benefits of SoftBase Attach Facility's Multi-Row FETCH includes: -the ability to improve legacy application performance, minimizing CPU utilization -reduction of mainframe computer usage, thus reducing IT expenses and -little-to-no recoding and testing of applications. "Our estimates have shown that by using Attach Facility, an average sized DB2 shop could potentially achieve positive ROI in as little as 1 year, and within 5 years it could save more than $1 million," said Sheryl M. Larsen, IBM Information Champion & Gold Consultant, president, smlsql.com. "There are approximately 2,000 IBM mainframe shops in the United States, most of whom have not taken advantage of IBM's Multi-Row FETCH because of the time and cost associated with manual upgrades," said Steve Woodard, CEO, SoftBase. "With the new automated MRF capabilities available in Attach Facility, the need for manual coding and configuration goes away and MRF becomes a much more valuable, realistic option. Some of these organizations are already implementing MRF and experiencing success - we expect many more to follow." ((Comments on this story may be sent to [email protected])) [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]