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Fit for the Future

New IMS 12 offers flexibility and support for business growth

The IMS* 12 era has arrived, and with it comes a release that builds even more performance into what is arguably the fastest database-management system (DBMS) on the market. IMS on System z* manages one of the largest bases of mission-critical applications and critical operational data in the world.

IMS 12 helps organizations manage IT’s top-three challenges: reducing cost, improving service and reducing risk. With it, you can continue to trust IMS with your most important business asset: operational data. From its performance gains to its key integration points across the robust IBM portfolio, IMS 12 is truly fit for your future.

Architected for Performance

IMS 12 was designed to lower costs through simplification, growth enablement and business flexibility. Because it’s built on the IBM System z platform, which continues to offer the highest levels of virtualization in the industry, you can enjoy synergy with other System z components.

For instance, the z/OS* platform on System z is designed to be a highly secure, multitenant, shareable system, and the collaborative synergy can reduce CPU use by leveraging the latest processor improvements, increased memory, solid-state disk and z/OS enhancements.

While the list of enhancements is extensive, here is a closer look at some of the key improvements.

Database Management

For starters, support for Java* and XML is enhanced, simplifying IMS development and direct access to data.

IMS Fast Path Buffer Manager enhancements utilize 64-bit storage and full-function dynamic buffer pool support, centralized repository support and improved commands, providing greater availability and overall system performance. Those with capacity constraints can expect relief with extended address volume (EAV) support, database recovery control (DBRC) enhancement, and Fast Path and full-function database (FFDB) upgrades.

Early performance testing of the IMS 12 Fast Path secondary index (FPSI) showed remarkable gains in internal throughput (ITR). For example, IMS data entry databases (DEDBs) with two secondary indexes executed a sample workload with a 60-percent ITR improvement compared to the same workload with hierarchical direct access method (HDAM) databases with two secondary indexes. Additionally, I/O activity per second is reduced by 43 percent through the use of FPSIs and DEDBs.

For IMS FFDBs, you can now dynamically add, modify and delete overflow sequential access method (OSAM) and virtual storage access method (VSAM) buffer pools without taking IMS offline. The number of VSAM shared-buffer-pool IDs is increased from 16 to 255, enabling you to easily grow databases and applications. FFDB storage is also improved. Some working pools obtained in 31-bit virtual storage can be page-fixed in 64-bit real storage, allowing them to be fixed, which, for some clients, improves the performance of application scheduling.

While IMS is more than 40 years old, Version 12 brings new energy.

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