SURVEY RESULTS: The New Mainframe: Data Integration and Service-Oriented Architecture, Big Iron Style

Publication Date: September 2007

Author: Unisphere Research

Abstract: "The New Mainframe: Data Integration and Service-Oriented Architecture, Big Iron Style" presents the results of a survey of SHARE, the largest independent IBM users group conducted in July and August 2007. The survey and this report were produced by Unisphere Research (publishers of Database Trends and Applications), and sponsored by GoldenGate Software.

The survey revealed that many mainframe systems are at the center of efforts to achieve enterprise data integration, as well as to extend applications into SOA. Mainframes are evolving into a leading role both as a source of mission-critical data, as well as key services. The mainframe is essentially an immense, scalable, real-time transaction platform for the highly integrated environments needed by today's businesses.

The new SHARE survey also revealed that most mainframe data is still locked up, and most integration efforts are still done with hand-coded scripting. There are proactive efforts underway to better integrate mainframe data with more distributed data environments, and to be able to deliver this data in real time, meaning within seconds. In addition, many organizations are showing an interest in SOA as a way to better leverage mainframe resources.

Key findings in this 19-page report include:

- At least half of the surveyed sites still use hand-coded scripts to move data from their mainframes to other platforms or databases.
Mainframes store and manage much of an organization's enterprise data.
However, most of this data remains inaccessible in these environments.

- Most mainframe sites share only a small portion of their data across enterprise systems. A majority, however, do need to make what data is available viewable on a real-time basis.

- Close to one out of four respondents' companies have SOA efforts now in progress, and another one-third are planning or considering SOA. At least half of these efforts will employ mainframes in a central role.

- Most SOA efforts do not yet have an enterprise reach. However, many companies are preparing SOA to meet real-time requirements.
Approximately 40 percent of companies are deploying or considering event-driven architecture-seen as a real-time adapting of SOA.