Fast Route To Legacy DataFast Route To Legacy Data

When it comes to data integration, getting access to legacy data stored on mainframes can be an IT manager's biggest headache. DataMirror Corp. is looking to address that problem with iFederate, software that makes it easier to extract data from mainframes.

Most IT departments have developers write complex data-extraction programs to pull legacy data from mainframes--often a requirement even for relatively simple reporting requests. IFederate lets companies define queries against a virtual database that consolidates data from a range of legacy-storage formats.

Transforming legacy data into a useful strategic asset usually takes hundreds of programming hours, says Judith Hurwitz, president of consulting and research firm Hurwitz & Associates. "All the info is there, but if you can't use it appropriately for making decisions, what good is it?" she asks.

The iFederate tool helps IT staffers quickly build links between heterogeneous legacy-data systems without requiring detailed knowledge of the underlying data structures. Data can be extracted into a flat file, a consolidated report, an XML database, or a relational database. The data can then be used to create reports that executives and knowledge workers can easily access.