Re: Archive BPCS data outside of the AS400 / series / IBM i

Roy,

Yes - that is what we are trying to accomplish. But on a multiplatform lvl - for example unix as well.

Bill


-----Original Message-----
From: bpcs-l-bounces+bill.moy=invensys.com@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:bpcs-l-bounces+bill.moy=invensys.com@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of lwl
Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 2010 11:11 AM
To: 'BPCS ERP System'
Subject: Re: [BPCS-L] Archive BPCS data outside of the AS400 / iSeries / IBM i

Bill

Over the 12 years I've been associated with data warehousing and ETL
processes the simplest and easiest to use I've seen to extracting data from
the "AS400" platforms is BI Express from Advanced Systems Design out of
Peoria, IL (asd.net) (I have no vested interest here).

However once the data is on the targeted platform there is still the need to
build the warehouse on that platform.

One other thing: what you seem to be suggesting is a one-time extraction:
1. setup the data extraction process
2. test it through several iterations
("several" because the users' requirements will change every time they
see the results of the previous iteration).
3. run it that one last time ("last time" because the "AS400" platform
gets removed shortly thereafter).

Is this what you are facing?


Roy Luce

Direct: 847-540-9635
800-913-PLUS (7587)
Cell: 847-910-0884
Email: rluce@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

-----Original Message-----
From: bpcs-l-bounces+lwl=ix.netcom.com@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:bpcs-l-bounces+lwl=ix.netcom.com@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Moy,
Bill
Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 2010 10:43 AM
To: BPCS ERP System
Subject: Re: [BPCS-L] Archive BPCS data outside of the AS400 / iSeries / IBM
i

Group,

Sorry I was not very clear on my request. We rum BPCS, as well as
several other ERPs, on several platforms. We are looking at some way to save
the data and have it accessible / usable after we migrate off the ERP as
well as off the supporting platform. We are currently looking at ETL
(Extract Transform and Load) tools (Data warehouse tools kind of fall in
this category) that cover multiple platforms.
Thanks to all that responded.

Bill



-----Original Message-----
From: bpcs-l-bounces+bill.moy=invensys.com@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:bpcs-l-bounces+bill.moy=invensys.com@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Milt
Habeck
Sent: Monday, July 12, 2010 5:09 PM
To: BPCS user group
Subject: [BPCS-L] Archive BPCS data outside of the AS400 / iSeries / IBM i


< vendor >
Good afternoon ...



I spoke with our technical staff to make sure I understood the concept of
"de-normalized
format." Maybe I'm the only one on the BPCS BBoard who didn't immediately
know what that
meant .... but in case there is another person on the BBB like me, here's
what I learned:

Vanilla BPCS is in "3rd form" normalization, which is the most common data
storage

approach we've found on the IBM i. Basically that means that the files
don't carry
redundant data. For example, the BPCS vendor master file carries
information about
the vendor but the A/P invoice file only carries the vendor number which
refers
back to the vendor master rather than storing redundant information (e.g.
vendor's
name, address, etc.)



"3rd form" normalization also means that a single record would not carry
groups
of like data; each of those occurrences would be it's own record. For
example,
there is a separate order line file with one record for each order line
rather
than an order file with 25 fields for item and another 25 fields for
price, etc.


Now, a de-normalized format archiving strategy would summarize and maybe
consolidate
information for historic reference. To illustrate, perhaps a company wants
to summarize
sales history by item and date rather than keeping all the order line
detail.



So, to us, Bill's request reads like a project to populate a data warehouse
with a format his

enterprise would find most useful. That sounds like an assignment for
reporting software

which has Cognos-like functionality.



I wish we could sell you our made-specifically-for-BPCS or ERP LX archiving
software called
Locksmith ( www.unbeatenpath.com/software/locksmith/archiving.pdf ), but
the result of
that product is archived records that have precisely the same database
structure as the
production files. The records are removed from the production libraries and
written to an
archiving library where they can be accessed for historical information or
saved to tape
for removal from the IBM I.



Warm regards,

Milt Habeck

Unbeaten Path

(888) 874-8008

+(262) 681-3151

www.unpath.com



< /vendor >







Date: Thu, 8 Jul 2010 12:50:17 -0500
From: "Moy, Bill"
To: "bpcs-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx"
Subject: Archive BPCS data outside of the AS400

Fellow Users,

I have been asked to research / find software that will archive BPCS
data in a de-normalized format for historic Analysis/audit purposes.
They would like to store access it outside of BPCS, and off the AS400.
Does anyone know of a product that would accomplish this?

Thanks in advance

Bill Moy
Business Systems Analyst
Invensys Controls
191 E. North Avenue
Carol Stream, IL 60188
T 1.630.260.3303 M 1.630.715.9401
F 1.630.260.3280 E Bill.Moy@xxxxxxxxxxxx
www.InvensysControls.com