The latest version is based on a new codebase and many enhancements allow the product to run in volatile environments while still maintaining low CPU and memory requirements. 

Shield Advanced Solutions (Canada) Limited has announced new features in V5.1 of JobQGenie,  a product the company says is the only one on the market capable of capturing job queue activity for replication. 

JobQGenie is a solution which allows the tracking of jobs as they flow through their lifecycle. The information collected is stored in database files which can be replicated via high availability/DR software to a remote system where it can be used for application recovery.  Today, no other company provides this functionality within its high availability products. During a planned role swap, this may not be an issue because the system is quiesced before the swap is carried out. However, when an unplanned event occurs, the data collected can be invaluable to allow data to application alignment. 

Among the advantages of the product are the following: 

1. Allows the job data to be collected for all jobs flowing through configured job queues
2. The data collected can be used to automatically resubmit jobs on either system
3. Tools provide job-to-data mapping via the journal entries to show what data a job has created
4. Very efficient, can process in excess of 12,000 jobs per hour, with under 0.1 percent average CPU utilization
5. Allows the data produced in the journals to be mapped to the job information
6. It is the only tool to provide the above functionality 

New Features

The following features have been added or improved upon this release: 

• Jobs sitting on a job queue during an IPL are properly managed through the rebuild process. Previously, the product would be unable to manage data collection for any job which had been sitting on a job queue and the system was IPL'd. 
• Additional data has been collected and stored in the file system to allow better control of jobs which require re-submission, this includes the *CURLIB parameter, LOGCLP and if held on the job queue settings plus the Job Queue priority.  
• Automated job resubmission is now possible based various criteria that can be set by the user, jobs which meet multiple requests will only be resubmitted once.  
• The messaging has also been improved by the addition of further error information in the message text, plus some messages can be omitted through a configuration parameter reducing the administration of the product. 

Shield’s president, Chris Hird says, “This is a new codebase for the JobQGenie product, many of the enhancements have been made to allow the product to run in very volatile environments while still maintaining its low CPU/memory requirement.” 

JobQGenie V5.1 installs as an IBM Licensed Program Product. The product ships with a 30 day trial license which allows full use of all of the products functions. After expiration of the trial period a new license can be obtained from Shield Advanced Solutions. 

Base pricing is by IBM processor group. For additional information please contact Shield Advanced Solutions Ltd. www.shield.on.ca or write to Chris Hird at chrish@shield.on.ca.