IBM InfoSphere DataStage is a high-quality data integration tool that aims to design, develop, and run jobs that move and transform data for organizations of different sizes. The product works by integrating data across multiple systems through a high-performance parallel framework. It supports extended metadata management, enterprise connectivity, and integration of all types of data.
The solution is the data integration component of IBM InfoSphere Information Server, providing a graphical framework for moving data from source systems to target systems. IBM InfoSphere DataStage can deliver data to data warehouses, data marts, operational data sources, and other enterprise applications. The tool works with various types of patterns - extract, transform and load (ETL), and extract, load, and transform (ELT). The scalability of the platform is achieved by using parallel processing and enterprise connectivity.
The solution has various versions, catering to different types of companies, which include the Server Edition, the Enterprise Edition, and the MVS Edition. Depending on which version a company has bought, different goals can be achieved. They include the following:
- Designing data flows to extract information from multiple sources, transform the data, and deliver it to target databases or applications.
- Delivery of relevant and accurate data through direct connections to enterprise applications.
- Reduction of development time and improvement of consistency through prebuilt functions.
- Utilization of InfoSphere Information Server tools for accelerating the project delivery cycle.
IBM InfoSphere DataStage can be deployed in various ways, including:
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As a service: The tool can be accessed from a subscription model, where its capabilities are a part of IBM DataStage on IBM Cloud Park for Data as a Service. This option offers full management on IBM Cloud.
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On premises or in any cloud: The two editions - IBM DataStage Enterprise and IBM DataStage Enterprise Plus - can run workloads on premises or in any cloud when added to IBM DataStage on IBM Cloud Pak for Data as a Service.
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On premises: The basic jobs of the tool can be run on premises using IBM DataStage.
IBM InfoSphere DataStage Features
The tool has various features through which users can integrate and utilize their data effectively. The components of IBM InfoSphere DataStage include:
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AI services: The tool offers services such as data science, event messaging, data warehousing, and data virtualization. It accelerates processes through artificial intelligence (AI) and offers a connection with IBM Cloud Paks - the cloud-native insight platform of the solution.
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Parallel engine: Through this feature, ETL performance can be optimized to process data at scale. This is achieved through parallel engine and load balancing, which maximizes throughput.
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Metadata support: This feature of the product uses the IBM Watson Knowledge Catalog to protect companies' sensitive data and monitor who can access it and at what levels.
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Automated delivery pipelines: IBM InfoSphere DataStage reduces costs by automating continuous integration and delivery of pipelines.
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Prebuilt connectors: The feature for prebuilt connectivity and stages allows users to move data between multiple cloud sources and data warehouses, including IBM native products.
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IBM DataStage Flow Designer: This feature offers assistance through machine learning design. The product offers its clients a user-friendly interface which facilitates the work process.
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IBM InfoSphere QualityStage: The tool provides a feature that automatically resolves data quality issues and increases the reliability of the delivered data.
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Automated failure detection: Through this feature, companies can reduce infrastructure management efforts, relying on the automated detection that the tool offers.
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Distributed data processing: Cloud runtimes can be executed remotely through this feature while maintaining its sovereignty and decreasing costs.
IBM InfoSphere DataStage Benefits
This solution offers many benefits for the companies that utilize it for data integration. Some of these benefits include:
- Increased speed of workload execution due to better balancing and a parallel engine.
- Reduction of data movement costs through integrations and seamless design of jobs.
- Modernization of data integration by extending the capabilities of companies' data.
- Delivery of reliable data through IBM Cloud Pak for Data.
- Utilization of a drag-and-drop interface which assists in the delivery of data without the need for code.
- Effective data manipulation allows data to be merged before being mapped and transformed.
- Creating easier access of users to their data by providing visual maps of the process and the delivered data.
Reviews from Real Users
A data/solution architect at a computer software company says the product is robust, easy to use, has a simple error logging mechanism, and works very well for huge volumes of data.
Tirthankar Roy Chowdhury, team leader at Tata Consultancy Services, feels the tool is user-friendly with a lot of functionalities, and doesn't require much coding because of its drag-and-drop features.
Mule Anypoint Platform is a high-ranking solution that creates a communication layer between disparate systems to eliminate integration problems. The product retrieves and stores data streams from any source type, device, or application, both in the cloud and locally. Mule Anypoint Platform solves the most challenging connectivity problems across Software as a Service (SaaS), service-oriented architecture (SOA), and application programming interfaces (APIs) through connectivity, control, and composability. The unified hybrid integration platform achieves this by creating an application network of data, apps, and devices with API-led connectivity.
The solution consists of a set of out-of-the-box connectors that work on any type of system and offers a configuration with low coding effort while minimizing the cost and constraints of hard point-to-point connections. The use cases of Mule Anypoint Platform include:
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Mule Anypoint Platform Features
Mule Anypoint Platform consists of features for APIs and integrations that are separated into three categories: API management, integration, and deployment and monitoring. These features include:
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Anypoint Flex Gateway: This feature is designed to manage and secure APIs running across any environment.
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Anypoint API Governance: This feature ensures consistent API security and quality with self-service tools.
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Anypoint API Designer: API Designer offers a visual or code-based guided process for designing, documenting, and testing APIs in any language.
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Anypoint Studio: Through this feature, users can accelerate implementation with prebuilt modules for common integration requirements.
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CloudHub: This is the Platform as a Service (PaaS) component of Mule Anypoint Platform.
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Anypoint Security: This feature offers advanced defense for users' APIs and integrations.
Mule Anypoint Platform Benefits
Mule Anypoint Platform offers multiple benefits for companies that utilize its services. Some of the biggest advantages of the product include:
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- Mule Anypoint Platform comes with automated security and governance that ensures customers' data is protected at enterprise levels.
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Reviews from Real Users
Michael S., a senior enterprise architect at a tech services company, gives Mule Anypoint Platform a high rating and states that the product is constantly improving to help connect applications, data, and devices.
A senior technical architect at a tech services company likes Mule Anypoint Platform for the good stability with an easy setup and good technical support that the product provides.