What is A2B Data™?
In simplest terms, A2B Data™ extracts data from A (source) and inserts data onto B (target).

How is A2B Data™ different from other data extract tools?

• Requires minimal setup and minimal on-going administration; a substantial savings compared to traditional ETL (extract-transform-load) products
• Utilizes various change data capture mechanisms
• To provide data privacy, it is a collaborative architecture involving a Cloud based, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and A2B Data™ Agents on your servers, with no data ever sent to the Cloud
• Automatically will collect metadata about any/all databases and tables you wish A2B Data™ to process
• Automatically generates a data extract processes for all or customer selected columns, in all or customer selected source tables, and automatically generates the process to insert new and changed data into the associated target tables

Can A2B Data™ process source data from different source or OLTP data servers?
Yes. There is no limit to the number of data sources (e.g. tables and files) across any number of servers.

Since A2B Data™ is Cloud based, does the data ever leave the customer’s servers?
The data never leaves the customer’s servers.

Is there a maximum number of tables, maximum number of rows / records or maximum number of columns / fields?
No. There are no maximums. Practical limitations include: the source and target data servers’ availability and speed, the processing priorities set by the customer, and the window of time A2B Data™ is given to process data.

What source file and databases does it support?

Any file delimited (CSV, pipe delimited, etc) and Commercially available RDBMS
MPP: Netezza, Teredata
Hadoop
**Future release: GreenPlum, Hana

What target databases does it support?

MPP: Netezza, Teredata
Hadoop
**Future release: GreenPlum, Hana

Can the customer have any number of A2B Data™ profiles (data extract processes)?
Yes. There is no limit to the number of A2B Data™ profiles.

Can the customer control when each A2B Data™ profile (data extract process) executes?
Yes. A2B Data™ works collaboratively with scheduling systems and is thereby limited by the flexibility and functionality of the scheduling system used by the customer. A2B Data™ supports running the processes on customer chosen intervals (e.g. every 10 minutes, hourly, daily, etc).

Does A2B Data™ automatically identify the source tables and the associated column names and data types?
Yes. The customer chooses which source databases and tables A2B Data™ is to process. A2B Data™ will collect metadata about the databases and tables including column names and data types.

Does A2B Data™ automatically define the target table column names and column data types?
Yes.

Will A2B Data™ automatically handle data type conversions from source to target systems?
Yes. For instance, if the source system table has a column defined in Oracle as Number(5,2) , A2B Data™ will automatically define an appropriate data type and format for the target system (e.g., in Netezza it would be Numeric(5,2)).

Will A2B Data™ extract all data from source tables each time the data extract processes are executed?
This depends. The way A2B Data™ handles source data is customer configured for each source object (table) as either:

• Extract all source data each time and copy all the data to the target .
• Use change data capture mechanisms.
• Extract only data that has changed and copy that data to a target LAND area that only has today’s changes.
• After a source table has been extracted in-full the first time, all subsequent executions of the extract process will extract and insert only the new and changed rows (records) into the target table. This results in a persistent Stage with history of all data changes.

Since A2B Data™ is Cloud based, what information does the A2B Data™ cloud server collect?
A2B Data™ collects meta data such as database names, table names, column names, data types and data formats. The Cloud server also collects information for each A2B Data™ profile (data extract process) execution: when it runs, the names of the tables processed, the number of rows processed, any errors encountered, and run times.

Where do the A2B Data™ profiles (data movement/update processes) execute?
A2B Data™ will define/create the data extract processes but the processes will execute on the customer’s server with no data rows being sent to the Cloud.

Does any A2B Data™ code need to be installed on the customer’s server(s)?
The customer will need to install an A2B Data™ agent. The agent will create and execute the extract and load data processes.

Since A2B Data™ is Cloud based, how much network traffic will occur?
The A2B Data™ agent only occasionally communicates with the A2B Data™ Cloud server. The vast majority of network traffic will occur between the source and target data servers as one would expect from any data movement software product.

Can A2B Data™ be used for a one time data conversion?
Absolutely. A2B Data™ can process any number of files / tables from more than one server, read all the data in the source files and tables, and copy all the data to one or more target servers. For example, convert any number of Oracle tables to Netezza.

Is there an audit trail and error log?
Yes, A2B Data™ creates an audit trail and error log for each execution of a data extract process. A2B Data™ includes a facility to view or print the audit trail and error log.

Does A2B Data™ have different support levels like other software vendors?
Yes. A2B Data™ has two support offerings: Basic and Gold.

Is product training available?
A2B Data™ has minimal configuration and administration. A half-day, on-site class on the setup and configuration of A2B Data™ for two people is included with the initial installation and customization agreement.