A Manchester-based solution provider is urging System i-driven firms in the UK to seriously consider modernising their databases.

CHH Consulting is championing the cause of Data Description Specification (DDS)-to-SQL Data Definition Language (DDL) conversion and has become UK distributor of Xcase, a new tool that automates the process. IBM has been recommending DDS-to-DDL conversion since 2005 when it quietly published a Redbook on the subject (SG24-6393) as part of the iSeries Developer Roadmap. Yet many users remain unaware of the issue.

"We are now at the point where SQL Data Definition Language is the clear industry standard for defining RDMS [Relational Database Management System] databases," says CHH Consulting's Bernard Hesford. "Going forward, this affects everything from the availability of tools, skills in the market place, performance of queries and support for the newer data object-types in DB2.

"For example, on performance the System i has two query engines; the CQE and the SQE -- the Classic Query Engine and the SQL Query Engine. The CQE is pretty much stabilised, with all IBM's development money going into enhancements on the SQE. This has been particularly noticeable with V5R4 and just recently with the V6R1 announcements. The SQE optimiser is mainly implemented below the machine interface which means customers get greater speed and application performance."

Another important reason to convert from DDS to DDL is data integrity, says Hesford. "SQL/DDL moves the business rules -- the data access logic -- into the database. With old-style DDS these are often embedded in the application programs and this causes problems for maintenance and future enhancements. When the business rules are in the database, all application programs can benefit from this whether they are written in RPG, .NET, Java, PHP or whatever. This is fundamental in taking SOA forward -- being able to write application functions in whatever language best suits the job and then being able to reuse that 'application routine' throughout the organisation."

A System iNetwork online poll in January found that 49% of respondents had never heard of DDS-to-DDL modernisation. 21% said that they had converted most of their databases, 10% had started and 6% said that they had started but still had lots to do. 14% said they had no intention of converting at all. So why has the topic fallen so far below System i users' radar?

Hesford says: "It's hard to say precisely but I guess it's down to 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' because iSeries/System i shops are traditionally conservative, particularly the smaller installations. I feel it is also because it is not a highly visible problem like modernising green screens, and look how long that has taken to really get on people's radar."

CHH Consulting already had specialist experience of fine-tuning DB2/SQL installations as UK distributors of Centerfield Technology's HomeRun software when it came across Israeli firm Resolution Software and its Xcase for System i conversion solution. In fact, Xcase was only officially launched at the COMMON user conference in Nashville earlier this month.

"For the last two years, Resolution have been writing Xcase to automate the recommendations in IBM's Redbook and make it easy for installations to make the move," says Hesford. "I always think of it like IBM wrote the book, Resolution made the movie, or something like that! Resolution have been into database tools since 1988 and what they've produced is completely new and unique. Xcase fundamentally breaks the back of what was a massively time-consuming and complex process."

When asked what factors will drive UK firms to adopt conversion to DDL, Hesford says: "Well, it has to be made easy to do. Then awareness is one thing and the other is precisely how important it is. If people don't know about the issue and why it is important it is still under the radar, isn't it? In more practical terms, when performance suffers, when they find they can't recruit anybody with DDS skills as they only know SQL/DDL and when they can only find tools that support SQL or when they can't use some new feature or data-type in DB2, then they will understand."