IBM InfoSphere DataStage Reviews

Complex data integration projects which require integration from multiple data sources.

I have worked during many implementations using DataStage. All of the projects that I worked on have been successful. This is due mainly to the strict discipline around best practices, and by following a set of standards and templates designed to reduce complexity and improve automation, including strong reference architecture.

• Its parallel processing capability allows you to go through extremely large data sets in no time at all, if you do your job right. 
• Highly customizable: Allowing you to handle multiple data latencies (scheduled batch, on-demand, and real-time) in the same job. 
• High scalability: Start small and go big with the same job. You just need to adjust the configuration file, no need to recompile.
• Strong metadata management: Business, technical, and process metadata can all be managed from a single place.
• Ease of integration with other tool sets: Easily supports APIs (or build your own) to support data streaming (or batched) from other systems.
• Data Quality Management from within the tool: Supporting data sampling, including profiling of data, directly from the development canvas.
  

High-cost of ownership: They could take a page from open source software, such as Talend.

Working with some of the big data components is good, but I can see improvements are needed, such as native support for Spark and HBase.

No issues.

No issues.

Support is always good.

Have used quite a few ETL tools in my job.

• Ab Initio: Even pricier, but has a highly competent ETL tool. It is complete, but hard to use. 
• Informatica: Not as flexible and does not support the same level of complexity in its maps.
• Talend: It is a good tool suite, extensive, but can be cumbersome to cite all its pieces.
• ODI: For the Oracle centric world.
• SSIS: Week when compared to any of the above tool sets.

Depends on type of environment that is being installed. I have seen fairly simple to overly complex initial setups due to the environment, not due to the tool.

Both vendor and in-house team implementations:

IBM has top-notch support and tool services along with other partners as well. Depending on the partner, this can go from installation and configuration to solution development, etc.)

Most in-house teams that I have seen tend to have have good developers, but not always good architects. Like most every data integration project, if you do not have a strong architecture, your solution will eventually fail.

Depends on the project.

Have done many ETL tool evaluations based on client requirements. DataStage has always been in the top-three. It may not have been selected due to different weights being used for different sections of the evaluation for different clients, but it has always been in the top-three consistently.

If you have the budget and your solution requires industrial/enterprise strength data integration, this product is always a good choice.

• Unlimited database connectors and free-of-charge application connectors - Siebel in our case
• Lot of transformation components
• High scalability

It's standardized our batch integration.

It needs a better scheduling mechanism.

I've been using it as a customer for six years.

We had no issues with the deployment.

We had issues with Java on AIX platform (version 8.7) - currently migrated to Linux platform without issues.

It's highly scalable.

We have close contact with support in their Polish lab.

The initial setup is easy as it's done through a web installation process with an HA setup option.

Check the Information Server bundle offering, especially with InfoSphere Information Server for Data Integration.

Our customer checked AbInitio and Informatica PowerCenter – DataStage was best as it could be delivered quickest.

You should also look at Redbooks and DeveloperWorks articles for knowledge gathering.

Anything that is administrative related, as I don't program in this environment.

The recovery feature. We had DS repos in a bad condition, but IBM couldn't recover it.

I've been using it for one year.

No issues encountered.

No issues encountered.

No issues encountered.

Mostly, I would give 9/10. I did have one bad experience, so that leaves a bad impression.

It's generally good, although sometimes I see a lot of confusion about how to resolve issues.

It was complex.

It was setup by an outside vendor.

No other options were evaluated.

Don't use the Netezza adapter, as it's poor