Browse and Manage the In-Memory Data Grid

Access and Examine In-Memory Objects

The ScaleOut Object Browser lets you directly browse data stored within the in-memory data grid (IMDG). This gives developers and administrators a unique, new means of accessing the contents of the IMDG, including a list of object namespaces and both metadata and serialized data for individual C/C++, Java, and .NET objects. In addition, the object browser can deserialize .NET objects and display properties/fields from custom classes, including items within ASP.NET session objects.

Examine object properties using the ScaleOut Object Browser.

Manage Stored Objects

The object browser also lets users manage grid data. For example, the browser can list all objects in a specified namespace, sort them by name, size, or other attributes, and then clear individual objects, groups of objects, or the entire grid’s contents.

The object browser is extremely useful during application development to verify correct behavior by enabling developers to examine the contents of the IMDG during program testing. The browser is also useful to system administrators for tracking grid usage during ongoing operations (for example, to verify that timeout and eviction policies are ensuring a stable object population).

Backup and Restore Live Data

Backup Live Data — Fast

The ScaleOut Parallel Backup and Restore Utility saves and restores live, in-memory data to and from the file system. This utility was designed for use in operational environments, enabling backups to be performed without taking the IMDG offline. Backup/restore operations run in parallel on all grid servers to deliver scalable performance and avoid creating a bottleneck as the IMDG grows to handle large volumes of data.

Beyond just using this utility to archive grid data for disaster recovery, the ability to back up live data opens up additional uses. For example, snapshots of the IMDG’s data can be captured at key times and saved for later analysis, and multiple snapshots can be taken over time to analyze trends.

Easily Manage Backup/Restore Operations

To simplify usage, the ScaleOut Parallel Backup and Restore Utility is fully integrated into the ScaleOut Management Console as an optional feature. (ScaleOut’s command-line control program also can be used to manage backup and restore requests.) The console initiates and controls backup/restore operations and reports on the status of ongoing operations. It allows either the entire grid or individual namespaces to be selected for backup.

To maximize performance, backup operations can be configured to store files in parallel on all grid servers. This avoids the overhead of network transfers and takes advantage of the combined disk I/O bandwidth on all grid servers. Alternatively, backups can be directed to a network file share to consolidate all files in one location.

The ScaleOut Management Console controls parallel backups and restores.

Build Custom Management Tools

Included with the ScaleOut Management Pack, ScaleOut’s management APIs can be accessed by custom management tools to report on the grid’s status and activity or to perform management functions, such as adding or removing grid servers. These APIs enable the integration of grid management into the overall management infrastructure already in use within a mission-critical, operational system.