Connect: Immediate Results

Avoid delays waiting for COBOL reports or extractions
Improve throughput by retrieving only the data you need
Optimized performance
Implements in just days
Easy and flexible to set up and administer

Avoid delays waiting for COBOL reports or extractions

In the past, the only way you may have been able to get at your legacy data was by requesting a report or an extraction. This process inevitably took days, weeks or even months. Worse, very often what you got wasn’t exactly what you expected.

Connect can directly access your mainframe data. As a result there is no turnaround delay at all! You control the query yourself, and immediately see the results. If it’s not exactly what you expected, then you can change the request and repeat the query in seconds.

The result is you get your data when you need it.

Improve throughput by retrieving only the data you need

Using Connect, you don’t need to access the entire mainframe data set. You are given a number of alternatives that increase throughput by reducing data transfer. Firstly, during table definition you can pre-select specific columns, and pre-filter to select only the rows that are relevant for the situation. When the table is accessed, only those columns and rows will be available.

Secondly, you can restrict the data accessed “on the fly” at the time you run a query. By using your application’s own query capabilities you can further limit the rows and columns selected, beyond that specified in the table definition. Only the selected data is transferred to the Windows application.

Optimized performance

Connect is built on technology that has been in use for over fifteen years. As a result, all internal operations are highly refined and execute surprisingly quickly. As well, we have specific technologies that analyze your queries and choose the most efficient means to retrieve them.

Implements in just days

With the Arbutus technology you can be up and running in a matter of days, keeping your focus on what really matters - achieving timely results. Ongoing maintenance using our administrative tools is even simpler.

Easy and flexible to set up and administer

To set up or modify your access to a specific data set the administrator uses our friendly Analyzer application. This presents a read-only view of the raw mainframe data, in a standard Windows interface. Our Data Definition Wizard is an expert system that leads you through the table definition process in a step-by-step manner.

As a result, creating new links between Windows applications and the mainframe data can be accomplished in minutes. Just work through the menu choices and save the new link.

A user-specific definition can be created in which rows are filtered or column structures manipulated to present only the data the application and user actually need. This ensures security, speeds up response times, and adheres to established business rules and practices. Definitions can be customized to individual requirements or shared across departments.

Remember, administrators also have immediate access to our staff of data experts, who will provide full ongoing support.