Macro 4 data management solution helps IBM mainframe shops improve data governance as they embrace stricter privacy rules

InSync® includes support for Splunk reporting and enhanced features for test data generation and anonymization

Crawley, UK, July 10, 2018 – Macro 4, a division of UNICOM® Global, has introduced a new release of InSync®, the data management and manipulation solution for IBM Z. InSync 6.9 includes enhanced features to help mainframe users improve data governance as they seek to embrace stricter data privacy regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

To make it easy for companies to track and analyze all data manipulation activities in test and production environments, the new release supports real-time management reporting through Splunk, with easy-to-understand graphical dashboards. InSync management reporting also supports all leading business intelligence and reporting tools, including TIBCO JasperReports and Oracle Business Intelligence.

“InSync’s new reporting features enable companies to keep a close watch over which data sets are being handled, by which technicians, and to monitor the processes that are being applied to them,” explained Keith Banham, Mainframe Development Manager at Macro 4. “For example, are data privacy processes being correctly applied, such as the anonymization of personal data from the production environment before it is used in software testing by development teams?”

Where production data has to be anonymized, for example in application testing or when diagnosing data errors, InSync provides a data privacy function that allows the IT department to centrally define and administer how data sets from Db2, z/OS and now IMS databases are disguised. This ensures that every time someone accesses the data it is automatically disguised according to pre-defined rules.

In InSync 6.9 individual developers now also have the flexibility to define their own rules to disguise data when working on extracts from files that include sensitive data such as personal details.

A new bulk data creation facility within InSync allows development teams to generate sample test data easily and quickly without the need to create records from scratch or to copy production data. From a single data record the software can create multiple new records for testing purposes, using randomization or specific rules, which saves time and supports data privacy:

“If you have to do it manually, generating usable test data is often a long and laborious process that slows down software development,” said Keith Banham. “InSync can generate thousands of unique test records from a single record in just a few seconds – something that could take days if done manually.”

InSync is a comprehensive and cost effective data management and manipulation solution for IBM Z data sources including Db2, IMS, WebSphere MQ and other z/OS files. It is part of Macro 4’s integrated suite for mainframe fault analysis and testing.