Introduction to i5/OS DDM

 

This topic describes the purpose of distributed data management (DDM), the functions that DDM supplies on the iSeries™ server, and the concepts of i5/OS^® DDM.

DDM is part of the i5/OS licensed program. i5/OS DDM as a source supports Level 2.0 and below of the DDM architecture. i5/OS DDM as a target supports Level 2.0 and below for record file (a file on disk in which the data is read and written in records) types and Level 3.0 and below of the DDM architecture for stream files (documents) and directories (folders).

The DDM support on the iSeries server allows application programs or users to access data files that reside on remote systems, and also allows remote systems to access data files on the local iSeries server, as shown in Figure 1. Any system that supports the DDM architecture as a source system can access data (if authorized to do so) on any other system to which it is attached. The attached system must support DDM as a target system (the system that receives a request from another system to use one or more files located on the system). However, the source and target systems must support compatible subsets and levels of the DDM architecture.

The folder management services (FMS) support allows personal computer users to access folders and documents that reside on an iSeries target server. Remote systems that support Level 3.0 or Level 2.0 of the DDM architecture for the stream access method can access folders and documents on the local iSeries server.

DDM extends the file accessing capabilities of the iSeries server database management support. In this topic collection, database management refers to the system function that controls local file processing; that is, it controls access to data in files stored on the local iSeries server, and it controls the transfer of that data to requesting programs on the same server.

Distributed data management controls remote file processing. DDM enables application programs running on one iSeries server to access data files stored on another server supporting DDM. Similarly, other systems that have DDM can access files in the database of the local iSeries server. DDM makes it easier to distribute file processing between two or more servers. Figure 1. Source and target systems

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Systems that use DDM communicate with each other using the Advanced Program-to-Program Communication (APPC) support, Advanced Peer-to-Peer Networking^® (APPN) support, or TCP/IP. See the Communications Management manual on the V5R1 Supplemental Manuals Web site

and the APPC, APPN, and HPR topic for information needed to use APPC and APPN.

Folder management services (FMS) allows local access to documents or folders that are on the iSeries server. Personal computers might access folder management functions on the server by using DDM.

Distributed data management for the IBM^® Personal Computer uses the iSeries portion of the iSeries Access Family licensed program.

As shown in Figure 2, the server on which a user application issues a request involving a remote file is called a source system. The server that receives the request for one of its files is called the target system. A system can be both a source and target system for separate requests received at the same time.

Using DDM, an application program can get, add, change, and delete data records in a file that exists on a target system. It can also perform file-related operations, such as creating, deleting, renaming, or copying a file from the target system to the source system.

When DDM is in use, neither the application program nor the program user needs to know if the file that is needed exists locally or on a remote system. DDM handles remote file processing in essentially the same way as local file processing is handled on the local system, and the application program normally does not receive any indication of where the requested file is located. (However, in error conditions, messages are returned to the user that indicate, when necessary, that a remote system was accessed.) Informational messages about the use of target system files are included in the source system's job log.

When DDM is to be used, only application programmers need to know where the file is located and, using control language (CL) commands outside of the high-level language (HLL) programs, they can control which file is used. However, the programmers can also choose to use specific recovery functions to handle certain communications failures; the HLL programs might need to be changed to include handling any such failure.

Therefore, iSeries BASIC, ILE COBOL, ILE RPG, ILE C, and iSeries programs that are compiled to process database files on the local server might not need to be changed or recompiled for DDM to process those same files when they are moved to or exist on a remote server. Figure 2. Move a program from a source to a target system

• System compatibility
  DDM can be used to communicate between systems that are architecturally different.

• Overview of DDM functions
  This topic gives an overview of the types of DDM functions that can be done on a target server.

• Basic DDM concepts
  This topic collection gives the basic concepts of DDM.

• Parts of DDM
  DDM consists of several parts to handle remote file processing among the systems using DDM.

• Additional DDM concepts
  Most users of DDM will not need the information in the remainder of these topics; it is intended primarily for experienced programmers who need to know more about DDM.

• Examples: Access multiple remote files with DDM
  These examples show a single application program using DDM to access multiple remote files.

 

Parent topic:

Distributed data management

 

Related concepts

Prepare to use DDM
Use language, utility, and application support for DDM