ARCAD Software has announced the availability of V8.07 of its ARCAD integrated Application Lifecycle Management suite with improvements that enhance automation, upgrade user interfaces, and provide V6R1 compatibility.

The ARCAD suite includes ARCAD-Open Repository, -Skipper (change management), -Observer (application analysis), -Qualifier (test automation), and ARCAD-Customer (help desk).

The company said that Included among the many important technical innovations in the new version is a major redesign of ARCAD-Qualifier.

"In 8.07, we placed particular emphasis on the ARCAD-Qualifier test automation suite," notes Philippe Magne , CEO and chairman. "This suite has reached a mature stage, with functional and technical enrichment that attests to our expertise in this increasingly important area," he says.

Two solutions in the ARCAD-Qualifier suite were completely rewritten. The non-regression testing solution ARCAD-Verifier was implemented as an Eclipse plug-in, allowing strong integration with IBM's WDSc and Rational products. Other ARCAD-Verifier enhancements include:

·         Management of test campaigns

·         More options for the management of test environments

·         Comprehensive execution reports (including a new report that shows results from comparing spool files)

·         A new, more flexible emulator

ARCAD-Extract, dedicated to extraction of data sets, also has undergone a major overhaul, with extensive enhancements to the data model analysis engine-the engine shared with ARCAD-Open Repository and ARCAD-Observer. It now features more analysis functionality based on data types, naming rules, and even reference files, enhanced with version integrity analysis.

This solution also is available as an Eclipse plug-in or as an independent client. It provides a graphical interface that greatly improves ease of use.

Other Major Advances

In V8.07, ARCAD-Skipper also receives a number of new features that include:

·       Integrated change management for JD Edwards (ORACLE) components, including standard objects (*PGM, *FILE) and related parameters (such as Dream Writers)

·       A 4GL integration level for SYNON components, in addition to ARCAD-Skipper's existing ability to manage sources/objects generated by this CASE tool

"With this level of interface, ARCAD confirms its openness toward other products on the market to meet the needs of businesses who are updating their information systems," says Magne.

This new ARCAD version coincides with the release of V6R1 of the IBM i operating system. "We were able to test V6R1 in pre-release on our machines," says Magne. "We are pleased to announce the ARCAD solutions' full compatibility with V6R1."

ARCAD Skipper WAP

ARCAD also announced ARCAD-Skipper WAP (While Active Promoter) that helps to reduce downtime associated with data file updates for 24/7 business applications.

"Updating databases is time-consuming work. Since information systems must be available around the clock to meet business requirements and support Web-based applications and global networks, it is a great challenge for companies to find time to make data file changes," says Magne.

ARCAD-Skipper WAP substantially reduces business application downtime associated with large data file updates, he says. Using state-of-the-art high availability and change management processes, this new product allows companies to convert IBM i database files with a minimal amount of interruption to application availability.

Since ARCAD-Skipper WAP rebuilds active databases, it reduces unproductive downtime from many hours to several minutes, even for companies with multimillion and multibillion record files that have an extensive amount of update activity associated with them. Downtime is limited to the few minutes it takes to apply final changes and move converted files into production. Throughout the entire process, users have normal read/write authorities and continue to work normally.

"With ARCAD-Skipper WAP, IT departments don't have to worry about scheduling lengthy downtime. This means you can react immediately to the change requests that keep your company competitive," Magne says.

ARCAD-Skipper WAP lets users structure the new file's members and its related logical files exactly as they are structured in production, so the conversion proceeds smoothly. Creating a journal on the target server is not mandatory, so ARCAD-Skipper WAP can be used with applications that cannot be journaled. If there is no journal, its unique synchronization tool will restore the source during the return to the production system. This spares system resources, and conversion happens behind the scenes while work continues.

ARCAD-Skipper WAP can convert several files concurrently. If a business is converting one or many files, it takes only minutes of downtime to change them all. It makes all changes in a safe staging environment. If, during the record processing phase, there is any kind of interruption (such as a hardware problem, power outage, subsystem termination, or the like), all that is lost is run time. Data remains intact.

In addition, ARCAD-Skipper WAP works in conjunction with ARCAD-Skipper change management so users can promote related non-data objects along with data files for seamless installation.

ARCAD-Skipper WAP is available with V8.07 of the ARCAD software suites, which is currently shipping to customers.

Founded in 1992, ARCAD Software develops and markets a complete, integrated software suite dedicated to automating and ensuring the reliability and traceability of application changes in multi-platform environments. The ARCAD solutions are modular, covering software configuration and release management, data configuration management, test automation, application modernization and user relationship management. Each solution can either be adopted as part of a package or implemented separately. All solutions are integrated via a shared multi-platform metadata repository, allowing progressive adoption of best practices and regulatory constraints (e.g. ITIL, SOX, CMMi). ARCAD’s product offering has been developed over the last 20 years by the same R&D team and provides functional coverage that is unequalled in the international market. ARCAD has over 1000 licenses deployed in 34 different countries, including internationally-known clients such as IBM, HSBC, NASDAQ OMX, ABN AMRO, GE Capital, etc. Visit our site for more information: www.arcadsoftware.com.