A reference guide for the features common to the components
of Optim on a distributed platform.
Introduction
The IBM® InfoSphere Optim™ solutions manage enterprise
data throughout every stage of the information lifecycle, enabling
your company to assess, classify, subset, archive, store, and access
enterprise application data.
Main window, menus, and dialogs
The graphical user interface for the Optim solution is designed for a Windows operating environment and includes
many features that are standard for Windows applications.
Optim Directory
The Optim Directory
is a set of tables in which Optim stores
the objects that are needed for processing and tracking processing
status. Before you use Optim,
you must use the Configuration program to create or configure the Optim Directory tables and stored
procedures that are needed to access the Directory.
Access Definitions
An Access Definition defines a set of related data to be
processed by Optim.
Column Maps
A Column Map provides specifications that are needed to
match or exclude columns from processing. A Convert, Create, Insert,
Load, Restore, or multi-table Compare Request must reference a Table
Map, which might reference one or more Column Maps. A Compare Request
for a single table comparison can reference a Column Map directly.
Column Map Procedures
For data transformations in a convert, insert, load, or
restore process that are beyond the scope of native column map functions,
you can specify an exit routine or, for processes that run in a Windows environment, a column
map procedure for a source column. If the process is delegated to
an Optim server
on a Windows machine, the
column map procedure is also executed on the server. You cannot run
a column map procedure in a UNIX or Linux environment. Optim Basic and column map procedures of the
type described here are deprecated and are being replaced with procedures
written in the Lua scripting language. Lua procedures are used with
services created with the designer component.
DB Aliases
A DB alias is a user-defined object that is associated
with a database. When you define a DB alias, you provide parameters
that are used to communicate with the associated database. These parameters
include the type and version of the database management system (DBMS)
and any required connection specifications. DB Aliases are defined
when the Optim solution is
configured. You must be authorized to define a DB alias.
Primary Keys
A primary key is the column or columns that contain values
that uniquely identify each row in a table. A database table must
have a primary key for Optim to insert,
update, restore, or delete data from a database table. Optim uses
primary keys that are defined to the database. However, you can also
define primary keys to supplement those in the database.
Relationships
A relationship is a defined connection between the rows
of two tables. This connection is generally determined by values in
selected columns from a parent table that correspond to values in
the child table. Optim uses
relationships to determine the data to be retrieved from related tables
and relies upon relationships defined to the database,
when available. However, you can also define relationships to supplement
those in the database.
Table Maps
A Table Map identifies and matches two sets of tables.
Restart/Retry
Use the Restart/Retry Utility to restart a process that
terminated abnormally or to retry a process when all rows are not
successfully processed. These incomplete processes are referred to
as “pending” processes. You can use this utility to restart or retry
a Delete, Insert, or Insert/Update Process.
Calendars
Use the calendar utility to customize handling of dates
for aging data and scheduling process requests. The Calendar
Editor allows you to create and maintain calendars that
provide general specifications, special types of dates (for example,
holidays, workdays, and weekends), and business rules to apply to
those special types of dates.
Currency
Use the Currency Utility to create, browse, edit and delete
Currency Definitions. Currency Definitions provide currency conversion
parameters specified in a Column Map, including conversion rates and
conversion method (direct conversion or triangulation via the euro
dollar).
Schedule
Use the Scheduler to schedule process requests, edit the
schedule, and monitor processing for Optim. The
Scheduler allows you to run process requests at a later time, periodically,
or on a regular schedule.
Browse
Use the Browse Utility to review the contents of an Archive,
Compare, Extract, or Control File. You can browse the contents of
a file to obtain information or to determine that the data is as expected.
Export and Import
Use the Export and Import Utilities in Optim to migrate
definitions of Optim Directory
objects from one Optim Directory
to another, including Access Definitions, Table Maps, Column Maps,
Primary Keys, DB Aliases, Relationships, Calendars, and Convert, Delete,
Extract, Insert, and Load Requests.
Create
Use the Create Utility to create objects that are based
on definitions in a source Extract or Archive File.
Personal Options
You can use Personal Options to customize Optim for use at each workstation.
Enhanced File Names
Optim allows you
to automatically generate file names for: Extract Files, Archive Files,
Archive Index Files, Compare Files, Control Files.
Exit routines for column maps
The Optim solutions offer several ways to specify a column value in a
column map. One way is to specify an exit routine as the source; the
exit sets values that could not otherwise be defined for destination
columns. Another way is to use exit routines to exclude rows from
processing.
Row List Files
Point and Shoot allows you to select individual rows (primary
key values) from a Start Table to begin Extract Processing. These
selected rows are stored in a Point and Shoot File. However, if you
need to extract values from data that does not reside in a database
table or resides in a database that is not easily accessible, you
can create a Row List File manually or by using a utility appropriate
for your data source.
Glossary
This Glossary defines some of the terms used with Optim.