Overview
In today’s data-driven world, organizations leveraging IBM Z mainframes often face significant challenges when trying to access and visualize their critical business data in modern analytics tools like Tableau. The process of moving data from mainframe systems to cloud environments or modern databases for real-time analysis can be complex, costly, and time-consuming.
Enter PropelZ™, VirtualZ’s no-code data extraction solution. PropelZ simplifies this integration by replicating mainframe data to a modern database, allowing seamless access to Tableau.
With PropelZ, organizations can streamline their data pipelines, automate replication, and ensure that Tableau works with the freshest mainframe data — all without extensive manual processes or custom coding.
Why Replicate Mainframe Data to a Database for Tableau?
Mainframe systems like IBM Z house critical business data, but accessing and using that data in modern BI tools like Tableau can be a daunting task due to the complexity of traditional data pipelines. PropelZ addresses these challenges by:
- Replicating Data to a Modern Database: PropelZ extracts mainframe data and replicates it to a cloud or on-premises database that can be easily accessed by Tableau.
- Automating Data Pipelines: PropelZ automates data extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL), converting mainframe data into formats that are compatible with Tableau.
- Reducing Costs and Complexity: PropelZ eliminates the need for custom coding and simplifies the data flow, making the process of getting data into Tableau faster and more cost-effective.
By replicating mainframe data to a Tableau-compatible database, businesses can enhance their analytics capabilities and make data-driven decisions with ease.
How PropelZ Simplifies Mainframe Data Replication for Tableau
PropelZ offers a no-code solution for extracting, transforming, and replicating mainframe data to a modern database where it can be accessed by Tableau. Here’s how PropelZ simplifies this process:
- Configuring PropelZ for Tableau: PropelZ operates directly on the IBM Z mainframe, extracting data and replicating it to a database for Tableau access. This setup requires no coding expertise, enabling quick integration.
- Automating Data Preparation: PropelZ handles the transformation and normalization of mainframe data into rows and columns for modern databases, ready for Tableau analysis—all without manual intervention.
- Database Replication for Tableau Access: PropelZ replicates the mainframe data to a designated database, eliminating the need for direct interaction with the mainframe or dealing with complex data migration efforts, thereby providing Tableau with easy access to up-to-date data.
Step-by-Step Process for Configuring PropelZ for Tableau Integration
- Setup PropelZ: Start by installing PropelZ, a zIIP-enabled workload, on your IBM Z environment and define the target database for data replication.
- Define Data Sources: Within PropelZ, specify the field-level metadata for your mainframe data files and outline the fields and transformations needed for replication.
- Automate Data Replication: PropelZ automates the extraction, transformation, normalization, and replication process, ensuring that the replicated data remains current in the designated database.
- Access Data in Tableau: Tableau can now access the target database, enabling real-time visualization and analysis of the mainframe data for improved insights and reporting.
Additional PropelZ Capabilities
Beyond replicating mainframe data for Tableau, PropelZ offers several advanced features:
- On-Demand Data Replication: PropelZ updates the data on demand, allowing Tableau to reflect real-time changes.
- Broad Data Compatibility: PropelZ supports various databases, providing flexibility in choosing the best data storage solution for your organization.
- Comprehensive Data Transformation: PropelZ automatically handles complex transformations to ensure mainframe data is compatible with modern databases and Tableau.
Benefits of Using PropelZ for Tableau Integration
- No-Code Simplicity: PropelZ’s no-code interface simplifies data replication, allowing organizations to focus on analysis rather than managing data pipelines.
- Efficiency: Automated data replication to the target database reduces the time required to get mainframe data into Tableau, speeding up time to insights.
- Cost-Effectiveness: PropelZ eliminates extensive manual processes and reduces infrastructure costs by automating the replication of mainframe data to modern databases.
- Real-Time Analytics: With on-demand data replication, Tableau users have access to the latest mainframe data, enabling up-to-date reports and analytics.
Conclusion
PropelZ transforms how organizations replicate mainframe data for use in Tableau by automating the process and eliminating the need for complex data pipelines. By replicating data to a Tableau-compatible database, PropelZ ensures that organizations can harness real-time insights from their IBM Z systems without the usual challenges and costs of manual data migration.
If your organization is looking for an efficient, scalable solution to integrate mainframe data with Tableau for real-time insights, PropelZ offers a powerful, no-code option that modernizes your data infrastructure and empowers your team to make data-driven decisions.
