Software Manages Mixed Data Centers

Database-management tool vendors are flooding the market with support for heterogeneous database mixes, including new offerings from Veritas Software Corp., BMC Software Inc., Quest Software Inc. and Embarcadero Technologies Inc.

Veritas plans to release a version of its Veritas i3 application performance management software (formerly called Precise i3) that will be tailored for Microsoft Corp.s SQL Server database, according to sources close to the Mountain View, Calif., company. Veritas i3 for SQL Server is now in beta testing and is slated to ship next quarter.

Separately, Houston-based BMC last week put out versions of its SmartDBA Performance Monitoring solutions for Sybase Inc. and Microsoft SQL Server databases. The idea is to give database administrators a single console with a common look and feel to support all major databases, officials said.

SmartDBA Performance Monitoring for Microsoft SQL Server 2.5 costs $2,255 per workgroup server. SmartDBA Performance Monitoring for Sybase 2.5 costs $2,690 per workgroup server. The software is available now.

Quest, of Irvine, Calif., is also branching out. The company earlier this month released Spotlight on Sybase ASE (Adaptive Server Enterprise), real-time database performance diagnostics software designed to help DBAs anticipate and correct performance issues before systems slow down.

Spotlight on Sybase ASE is available now. It starts at $2,400 per server.

Finally, officials at San Francisco-based Embarcadero announced a major new release of the companys model-driven data management tool, ER/Studio 6.

ER/Studio 6 support for MySQL ABs namesake database and NCR Corp.s Teradata database fits the clamoring for heterogeneity. The update also features an advanced data model comparison and merge utility that increases productivity by allowing design teams to work independently yet concurrently.

A consolidated and upgraded reporting engine simplifies communication of designs and metadata to the Web. In addition, the interface now has Windows XP/ .Net 2003 controls.

ER/Studio 6 and ER/Studio Repository 2.5—Embarcaderos collaboration server—will be generally available late this month. ER/Studio 6 will start at $2,995. ER/Studio Repository will start at $10,000. The two work in tandem.