Analytics, visualizations, data preparation and self-service business intelligence for a wide variety of data sources

IBM® Db2® Query Management Facility (QMF) provides self-service business intelligence with interactive dashboards and intuitive visualizations.

QMF is a security-rich, simple-to-use business analytics and visualization tool optimized for IBM Z® data sources. It offers direct access to relational data sources such as IBM® Db2® for z/OS®, and virtualized access to traditional, non-relational sources such as Information Management Systems (IMS), Adaptable Database System (ADABAS), Virtual Storage Access Method (VSAM), Integrated Database Management Systems (IDMS), System Management Facilities (SMF), and other disparate data sources including non-relational databases, flat files and web services.

It helps to ensure secure, role-based access to various resources by using the IBM Resource Access Control Facility (RACF®) as the foundation and supports enterprise-wide use through web, workstation and interactive system productivity facility (ISPF) interfaces.

Features

Optimized for IBM Z with expanded support for hybrid cloud deployment and cloud native data sources and databases.

• **Enhanced QMF-based analytics and visualization with JavaScript: **QMF for Workstation, QMF for IBM® WebSphere®, and the QMF Z Client allow the use of JavaScript in procedures to add logic ‘if-then’ statements, loops and more.
• Via a REST API, JavaScript facilitates rapid development of web-based front ends. A QMF JavaScript column enables data manipulations that are not otherwise practical or possible in SQL. 
• **Expanded hybrid cloud and new file format support: **Hybrid cloud deployment on IBM Cloud® and Azure with support for new data sources and databases including Athena, Redshift, Snowflake, Apache Spark, IBM® Cloudant® and MongoDB. 
• New file format support for Apache Avro and Apache Parquet provides substantial performance improvements for the importing and exporting of data.
• **Usability enhancements increase productivity: **Simplified workstation configuration rollout and QMF for WebSphere deployment on IBM® z/OS® Container Extensions (IBM zCX) facilitate an easier setup and maintenance of QMF.
• Multiple user enhancements have been implemented to improve the overall QMF experience.

Benefits

• **Surfaces actionable business insights: **Conflate multiple IBM Z data sources with other structured and non-structured data sources to create enterprise-wide views.
• **Expands analytics to everyone: **Use an intuitive user interface enabling business users to help automatically create visualizations across data sources and instantly share insights with peers.
• **Consolidates and reduces costs: **Eliminate the need for multiple business intelligence tools tailored to different data sources and associated per-user costs. Create fast, in-place analytics for multiple users and data sources.