EnterpriseDB, a commercial distributor of Open Source PostgreSQL database for enterprise use, has developed a DBA dashboard in partnership with the commercial Open Source reporting firm JasperSoft.
The idea behind the dashboard is to provide DBA critical database performance and configuration information for any EnterpriseDB or PostgreSQL environment, Astor said. The JasperReports DBA Dashboard for EnterpriseDB, will enable EnterpriseDB admins to monitor database performance, and to identify configuration issues across an unlimited number of servers.
EnterpriseDB CEO Andy Astor told Open Enterprise Trends that his company’s work with JasperSoft underscores an important factor in enterprise acceptance of Open Source: visibility and manageability of Open Source software needs to be easier.
“It is important for enterprise DBAs to monitor the status and performance of their databases, and this product provides a real-time window into that information,” he added. “The work with JasperSoft is a recognition that Open Source [software] vendors are realizing that enterprise IT managers want the same level of visibility and information into all their products, whether it is Open Source or not,” Astor told OET.
Notably, DBAs won’t need to purchase a commercial product to obtain this DBA Dashboard capability. An Open Source version of JasperReports DBA is also available for direct use PostgreSQL databases. JasperReports DBA Dashboard for PostgreSQL is an Open Source project on SourceForge, and is available for free download, Astor said.
Bringing Real-Time Visibility, Reporting to Open Source DBAs
JasperReports DBA Dashboard for EnterpriseDB enables database administrators to capture real-time database performance and view statistics for an unlimited number of EnterpriseDB or PostgreSQL database servers. The product also delivers compelling, highly formatted reporting in a variety of output types, including HTML, PDF, Excel, CSV and XML
One other element Astor said that is of growing importance to IT customers – a single point of support. “We’re also finding that [enterprise IT] customers don’t want to know that here is a database product here, and a report product over there — that might work with it. Customers want to know they can call the fewest number of people possible, because they don’t have the time to manage their vendors one-by-one.”
In that spirit of one-stop support, Astor said that EnterpriseDB will continue to explore Open Source partnerships, especially if the theme is ease-of-use or ease-of support, Astor said. To wit: EnterpriseDB said the JasperReports DBA Dashboard EnterpriseDB will ship bundled with the JBoss Application Server, and is ready to use immediately following download and installation. “We are helping JEMS by packaging JBoss with this dashboard, so rather than take the software we deliver and look for the app server, you can just install the software in one we’ve bundled together and it runs because we’ve already bundled an app server,” Astor told OET. .
“We [at EnterpriseDB] all come from an enterpriser software background, and because we are based on the mature PostgreSQL Open Source database, we can focus on just those aspects customers want. And, today, customers want a full solution, not just a few add-on features or capabilities,” Astor added.
DBA Dashboard Project Follows EnterpriseDB Upgrade
Last month, EnterpriseDB released an upgrade to its EnterpriseDB 2005. The upgrade, dubbed EnterpriseDB 2005 Release 2 is based on PostgreSQL Version 8.0.4, (the most recent version of PostgreSQL), sports a new cursor structure that better maps to that used by the Oracle DB, and several performance enhancements, including better performing data loading capabilities and easier install support for ISVs looking to run their products with the EnterpriseDB database.
EnterpriseDB 2005 was already compatible with many Oracle database features, including compatible SQL syntax, datatypes, triggers and native stored procedures PostgreSQL’s architecture assures data integrity and has the scalability and performance required for high-volume online transaction processing (OLTP). The product includes EDB Database Server, the RDBMS engine, EDB Studio, a graphical console for developers and DBAs, and EDB Connectors, which provide access to EDB from JDBC, ODBC, .NET, ESQL/C++, PHP, Perl and Python.