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◆ Flex

What does Flex Do

FLEX is a file management tool designed to control disk space usage, automate file backup and recovery procedures, provide "virtual disk" capabilities and provide enhanced file maintenance commands. FLEX has the ability to apply OPAL (rules-based methodology) to disk/file management and operations.

 

Flex is available in more than one format: Flex/1 and Flex/3.

  • designed to control disk space
  • provide virtual disk capability
  • file backup and recovery
  • manage pack families

 

Where other pack managers attempt to circumvent the MCP, Metalogic integrated FLEX with the MCP. Wherever possible, FLEX takes advantage of standard MCP features, files, utilities, and requires no patches to the MCP. The result is a seamless environment where the MCP and the pack manager act as a single entity in managing files and pack families. Most important, FLEX is an Expert System.


 

The Expert System

Expert Systems capture the knowledge of human experts in an electronic knowledge base. Using this knowledge, Expert Systems make intelligent decisions - the same decisions that human experts would make if faced with identical circumstance. In FLEX, Metalogic applies this Expert Systems technology to the problems of file and pack management. FLEX is a Rules-based Expert System. Using FLEX's powerful OPAL Expert Systems Language, the FLEX user defines rules that correspond to file and pack management policies. With OPAL, the FLEX user can define not only policies, but also the complex exceptions to policies.

OPAL includes extensive selection and reporting statements, allowing precise file identification, and giving the user full control of report and screen layouts. OPAL attributes give the FLEX user access to unlimited file-related information, allowing file selection based on any conceivable criteria, and reports and displays that include any conceivable criteria. Even codefile data is available.

FLEX's Expert System design is the key to its flexibility. With conventional, hard-coded pack management tools, the user is forced to adopt to the pack manager. With FLEX, the pack manager adapts to the user, since the user actually instructs FLEX how to behave using Expert Systems rules.

The Total Solution

The FLEX Family is based on two increasingly-powerful products, FLEX/1 and FLEX/3. Each higher level of FLEX includes all of the features of lower-level products. The FLEX Family provides an integrated, total solution for file, pack, and family management.

FLEX/1

The Ideal First Step Into The FLEX Family

FLEX/1 includes interactive file maintenance commands that are fast, safer, and more powerful than those found in CANDE. When listing files, for example, FLEX/1 displays 23 files per screen, and allows the user to browse up and down a full screen at a time. Also, FLEX/1's Action mode displays a full screen of selected files, and allows the user to take specific actions on each file, including removal. When files are removed, FLEX/1 always verifies the request with the user prior to taking action.

Some important features are listed below:

  • Increased programmer, operator, and user productivity
  • Fewer accidental file deletions and other costly mistakes
  • FLEX/1 includes interactive, context-sensitive help
  • FLEX/1's intelligent lookup algorithm finds both exact and close topic matches
  • FLEX/1 searches directories 20 to 1000 times faster than SYSTEM/FILECOPY
  • Faster file lookups and incremental backups increase user productivity and minimize machine time

With FLEX/1 and OPAL, the FLEX user can create powerful macros, including custom displays and reports, large scale file crunches and recompilations, and "Snap Backups." Backup times are reduced through intelligent file selection.

Using FLEX/1's Rules, the user can define and document file management policies in a single step. Simple Rules can automatically remove unnecessary files, enforce file security, and manage other site policies.

 

  • No more wasted disk space
  • Increased file security
  • Less time wasted enforcing policies and doing file cleanups
 

FLEX/3

Adds Family, Rules Base, and Backup Tape Management to the Features of FLEX/1

FLEX/3 supports Advanced Rules with Rules Base Management. The FLEX user can maintain any number of rules in the Rules Base. FLEX/3 locates, resolves, and applies all rules for a given pack family simultaneously. FLEX/3 includes friendly, interactive facilities for rules maintenance and testing. If desired, non-technical users can even define and test their own rules.

  • All of the cost benefits of FLEX/1 rules, yet far easier to manage, boosting productivity
  • Interactive rules maintenance and testing reduces file management time and prevents mistakes

Enhanced Backup & Recovery Processing

FLEX/3 enhances backup and recovery processing. Unless you define rules to the contrary, FLEX/3 ensures that every file has two good backups, so you can not forget to back up a file. By multitasking backups, FLEX/3 dramaticallyincreases backup speed. When possible, FLEX/3 always places files onto a single tape for faster recovery. FLEX/3 can also create special back-up sets that are ideal for fast disaster recovery. FLEX/3 allows quick recovery from pack failures in large multi-pack families.

  • Faster recovery from pack failures, reduced downtime and associated costs
  • Large pack families become practical, more space-effective than small families
  • increased backup safety

Share-Based Space Allocation (SBSA)

FLEX/3 implements an advanced, automatic space allocation technique known as Share-Based Space Allocation (SBSA). SBSA allocates disk space by shares rather than fixed segment limits. This way, segment limits adjust themselves automatically based on changes in active users or available pack space. SBSA is based around a hierarchical, multi-level group structure, so the FLEX user can allocate space at the division, department, and user levels. User departments can even manage their own space allocation.

  • Greatly reduced time and effort versus manual space allocation
  • Extends Virtual Disk concept for even more efficient pack utilization
  • Ensures that pack space is fully utilized before releasing files and eliminates unnecessary file shuffling
  • Optional space allocation by user departments puts responsibility in proper hands and reduces overall workload

Merge Backup Tapes

FLEX/3 automatically merges backup tapes, freeing under-utilized tapes for reuse. FLEX/3 can merge older files onto newer tapes, allowing files to be retained for five, ten, or even 25 years.

  • Reduces tape reel requirements, tape media costs
  • Makes long-term file storage safe and practical
  • FLEX is easy to implement
  • FLEX/1 can be installed in an afternoon
  • FLEX/3, along with Cataloging, can be installed within a week
  • Each FLEX product comes with a pre-defined Knowledge Base developed by METALOGIC and other expert A Series users
  • This Expert Knowledge Base makes FLEX implementation even simpler, since most of the rules that you need to support sophisticated file management are already available.
  • lights-out and self-healing automated operations capabilities

Most A Series users can easily justify FLEX based on disk space savings alone. In fact, METALOGIC provides a Cost Justification Report with FLEX, which calculates approximately how much space FLEX can free, and translates that figure into dollar savings. FLEX is a file management software tool designed to control disk space, provide virtual disk capability, file backup and recovery, and manage pack families.