OneWorld®/EnterpriseOne®
EnterpriseOne® represent the newest generation of powerful business applications. They include an advanced technical architecture, flexible ways to configure and extend them, and the use of SQL to access data. This power does not come for free however. With the inclusion of multiple platforms and complex interconnections, IT shops that are used to applications with fewer "moving parts" can be easily overwhelmed. Besides the learning curve to master these new technologies, it can be a daunting task to take on the new system, database and application maintenance.
At the system level the application architecture surfaces in many forms. The first is that work is not done by a single job, but by a multitude of database server, business function, and batch subsystem jobs. As a result, systems management means keeping track of hundreds of jobs and occasionally having to diagnose performance or functional problems in this vast array of activity.
At the database level, the use of SQL introduces its own set of challenges. Unlike traditional RPG applications, the use of SQL means that system and application administrators must now understand how to tune database access by building the right indices. OneWorld and EnterpriseOne are tuned when they are built, but it is impossible for any software vendor to fully tune an SQL-based application because the query optimizer makes decisions based on an individual company's use of the database.
At the application level, new functions can be added easily and rolled into production. Even with proper testing it can be very difficult to accurately simulate a production environment. This can lead to both functional and performance challenges as new functions are added. Furthermore, batch work and reporting (UBE processing), is heavily influenced by the availability of indices. Without tuning, UBEs can run too long impacting production schedules, end-user productivity, and key business processes.
Leftfield has a suite of products to help bridge the gap between current skill and needed skill, between the application and the database, and between IT personnel doing the work and management. The following products are designed to assist IT shops with the very challenging job of managing OneWorld and EnterpriseOne.
- insure/INDEX and insure/ANALYSIS - effectively tune the database for fast interactive and UBE performance.
- insure/MONITOR - allow operations personnel to tie what they know the best (iSeries jobs) with the actual end-user so they can diagnose performance and application issues.
- insure/SECURITY - protect production data against accidental destruction or modification easily possible through Microsoft Excel or Access.