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BMC Software Simplifies SmartDBA Data Management Offerings

BMC Software Inc, a leading provider of enterprise management, has announced new SmartDBA data management solutions for IBM DB2 Universal Databases (UDB). With its next wave of deliverables for Project Golden Gate, BMC Software is continuing to provide database administrators (DBAs) with a consistent strategy for managing their mixed database environments. By providing intelligent, automated data management tools that have a common look and feel across all database platforms, BMC Software is reducing data management costs by eliminating the need for companies to have "experts" for each database.

With this announcement, BMC Software delivers complete integrated SmartDBA Performance, Administration, and Recovery management solutions for DB2 UDB. SmartDBA Performance Management for DB2 Universal Database v2.5 provides event management, diagnostic, visualization, administration, space management, and tuning of DB2 UDB environments. SQL-BackTrack for DB2 Universal Database v3.0 enables DB2 UDB customers to access the advanced backup and recovery functionality of SQL-BackTrack through its SmartDBA Web-console. In addition, SmartDBA allows database administrators to manage DB2 UDB, Oracle, and SQL Server databases together, all from a common SmartDBA Console.

"As a leading healthcare provider we are responsible for maintaining constant availability of vast amounts of data," said Randy Wilson, UDB database administrator, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee. "Working in a multi-platform environment increases the complexities associated with managing this data. BMC's extension of its Oracle data management offerings to the DB2 UDB platform provides a better means for us to manage these disparate systems."

With a forecasted growth rate of 16% from 2001 through 2006, DB2 UDB is the fastest growing distributed database platform(1). BMC Software continues to leverage its great heritage of DB2 on the mainframe to build upon its offerings for NT and Unix customers. Additionally, delivering on its commitment to helping customers reduce IT costs by providing common data management tools across the broadest database platforms in the industry, BMC Software it is continuing to extend the functionality of its Oracle data management offerings to include DB2 UDB.

"Today's announcement takes us one step closer to achieving heterogeneous data management, the goal of our Project Golden Gate initiative," said Karl Chen, vice president of Marketing for the Enterprise Data Management business unit, BMC Software. "With the integrated SmartDBA Performance Solution and SQL-BackTrack for DB2 UDB, we are extending common management across database platforms."

Extended Support for Database Performance

Performance is the most significant driver in maintaining database availability. If applications are not accessible or performance is significantly degraded, a business can be severely impacted. SmartDBA Performance Management for DB2 UDB optimizes performance and availability of DB2 databases through an integrated set of expert DBA tools all managed from a centralized Web console.

With the introduction of SmartDBA Performance Management for DB2 Universal Database v2.5, BMC Software is significantly enhancing the monitoring capabilities for DB2 customers by integrating common alerts which enable DBAs to easily monitor, tune, and manage space within DB2 UDB databases, lowering the cost of managing DB2 environments.

The combined solution enables DBAs to easily resolve performance problems regardless of the cause -- poor space utilization, poorly written SQL statements or even inefficient database configuration settings -- thus maximizing the performance and availability of DB2 UDB applications.

Advanced Backup and Recovery

BMC Software's SQL-BackTrack provides DBAs with an intelligent, automated backup and recovery solution that simplifies complex operations to enable quick and accurate recovery of data for minimized downtime. With today's announcement of SQL-BackTrack for DB2 Universal Database v3.0, BMC Software is integrating its backup and recovery solution with its SmartDBA console. This integration enables DB2 UDB customers to access the advanced functionality of SQL-BackTrack through a common interface via the Web, allowing for increased business availability and productivity of DBAs by enabling them to conduct necessary backups and recoveries from virtually any location at anytime.

Common Management Across Database Platforms

Using SmartDBA, DBAs of all experience levels are afforded a consistent database management environment for Oracle, DB2 UDB and Microsoft SQL Server databases. Using the SmartDBA Web console, DBAs can simply, quickly and effectively manage their databases to share knowledge, increase productivity and reduce unnecessary training costs.

(1) Source: IDC 2002 Software Market Forecaster