Smart Associates — New Product

Full Netezza Diagnostics.
No SSH Required.

nz_controller is a web-based management GUI that gives engineers complete visibility and control over Netezza hardware and software — running behind a modern, hardened, SOC2-compliant Enterprise Linux 9 host. Support legacy systems without exposing them directly.

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nz-controller.yourco.internal
System Overview — Striper-2 1 Warning
SPU Nodes
12/12
Storage
68%
Sessions
2
Alerts
1
ComponentStatusDetail
SPU Cluster Healthy 12/12 online
Cooling System Warning FAN-04 RPM ↑
Network Bonds Active All bonds up
NPS Services Running v7.2.1.3-P1
Hardware Diagnostics 1 Alert
ComponentStatusReading
FAN-01 Normal 3,240 RPM
FAN-02 Normal 3,195 RPM
FAN-03 Normal 3,210 RPM
FAN-04 Elevated 4,890 RPM ⚠
Disk Shelf Healthy 16/16 drives OK
PSU-01 / 02 Normal Redundant
Active Sessions 2 Running
SessionUserStatusDuration
#1041 etl_prod Running 00:14:32
#1052 analyst_1 Running 00:02:11
#1038 report_svc Idle 00:00:04
Audit Log Today: 24 events
TimestampEngineerActionResult
09:41:05 j.smith hardware.fan_status() OK
09:38:12 j.smith query.active_sessions() OK
09:30:47 r.patel system.health_check() OK
09:22:03 r.patel auth.login() OK
System Overview

The Problem We Solve

Legacy Netezza Systems Are Hard to Support Safely

Older Netezza appliances run operating systems and firmware that are well past security patching. Supporting them requires direct SSH access to systems with significant vulnerability exposure. nz_controller changes that.

✗ Before nz_controller

  • Support engineers require direct SSH access to legacy Netezza systems
  • Appliances run old, unpatched Linux and firmware with known CVEs
  • Every engineer needs their own SSH key and network path to the appliance
  • No audit trail of CLI commands run during support sessions
  • Diagnosing hardware issues requires knowledge of obscure NPS CLI commands
  • Security teams uncomfortable with direct access to legacy systems
  • Access management is ad hoc and hard to revoke promptly

✓ After nz_controller

  • All support operations performed through a modern web GUI
  • Legacy appliance sits behind a hardened Enterprise Linux 9 host — isolated from direct access
  • Engineers authenticate to the controller host, not the appliance directly
  • Full audit log of every action taken through the interface
  • Hardware diagnostics, query management, and system checks in a structured UI
  • SOC2-compliant host architecture satisfies security and compliance requirements
  • Role-based access control for support engineers managed centrally

Capabilities

Everything You Could Do Over SSH, In a Browser

nz_controller exposes the full range of Netezza diagnostic and management operations through a structured, auditable web interface. Nothing is left out because it was "too complex" for a GUI.

Hardware Diagnostics

Fan status, disk health, SPU node states, temperature readings, and component alerts — presented clearly without needing to parse raw CLI output. Spot hardware problems before they become failures.

System Performance

Active sessions, query status, workload queue depth, resource utilisation, and long-running job identification. All the visibility a support engineer needs without direct database access.

Software & Version Management

NPS version information, patch level, installed packages, service status, and system configuration review. Everything needed to understand the software state of the appliance at a glance.

Full Audit Log

Every action taken through nz_controller is recorded: who did what, when, and what the output was. For compliance and support accountability, this is invaluable. No more "did someone restart that service?" archaeology.

Role-Based Engineer Access

Manage which engineers can access which systems and what operations they can perform. Access is granted and revoked centrally through the controller — no SSH key rotation required across multiple appliances.

Alerting & Notification

nz_controller monitors system state continuously and raises alerts when hardware components degrade, services stop, or performance thresholds are breached. Integrated with email and webhook notification channels.

Architecture

Containerised and Hardened by Design

nz_controller runs on a modern Enterprise Linux 9 host that sits in front of the legacy Netezza appliance. The controller host is fully patched, hardened per SOC2 requirements, and is the only system that communicates with the Netezza appliance. Support engineers connect to the controller — never directly to the appliance.

This architecture achieves something that previously seemed incompatible: you can maintain full support capability for a legacy Netezza system running vulnerable old software, while satisfying modern security and compliance requirements. The vulnerable system is isolated. The access point is hardened.

The controller host can be deployed on-premises alongside the Netezza appliance, or in a cloud VPC with an appropriate network path. The Netezza appliance requires no changes — it does not know nz_controller exists.

Deployment Architecture
Support Engineer (Browser)
↓ HTTPS
nz_controller Host — Enterprise Linux 9
SOC2-compliant · Fully patched · Hardened
SOC2 Compliant
↓ Internal Network Only
Legacy Netezza Appliance
Striper / Mako / CP4D — no direct external access
Network Isolated
Deployment Options
On-premises alongside the appliance
Cloud VPC with VPN/private link to appliance
Smart Associates managed hosting (included with Netezza Support Plus)

When You Need It

Who Benefits From nz_controller

Organisations with Legacy Netezza Systems Past EOS

If you are running Striper, Mako, or CP4D beyond its EOS date, your appliance is running unpatched software. nz_controller lets you continue to operate and support those systems without exposing them to additional risk through direct access.

Security and Compliance Teams

If your security team is uncomfortable with direct SSH access to legacy infrastructure — or if a recent audit has flagged it as a risk — nz_controller provides the hardened access boundary that satisfies SOC2 and ISO 27001 control requirements.

Organisations Using Smart Associates Managed Support

Smart Associates engineers use nz_controller as the standard access method for managed support engagements. This gives clients full visibility into every action taken by Smart Associates engineers on their systems, with a complete audit trail.

Teams Without Deep Netezza CLI Expertise

Not every team has engineers who know Netezza's obscure CLI commands by heart. nz_controller exposes those capabilities through a structured interface that any competent infrastructure engineer can use effectively from day one.

Built with Security at the Centre

nz_controller was designed from the ground up for environments where security and compliance are non-negotiable. The controller host architecture separates the modern access point from the legacy appliance, giving security teams a clean, auditable boundary.

Enterprise Linux 9
SOC2-Compliant Architecture
Full Audit Logging
RBAC Access Control
HTTPS Only
🔒

Network Isolation

The legacy Netezza appliance is accessible only from the controller host. No direct external access paths exist. This dramatically reduces the attack surface of the legacy system.

📋

Complete Audit Trail

Every operation performed through nz_controller is logged with timestamp, operator identity, and full output. Audit reports are available on demand.

👤

Centralised Access Management

Engineer access is granted and revoked from a single management point. When an engineer leaves a team, their access is removed immediately — no SSH key rotation across multiple systems.

🛡

Hardened Host Configuration

The controller host follows CIS benchmark hardening for Enterprise Linux 9. OS patches are applied automatically. The attack surface is minimal: HTTPS inbound, and controlled outbound to the Netezza appliance.

Availability & Pricing

How to Get nz_controller

nz_controller access is included for Netezza Support Plus customers. The full host upgrade and legacy containerisation package is available at an all-in fixed price of £5,000+VAT.

Included

nz_controller Access

Full web GUI access to nz_controller is included for all Netezza Support Plus customers. Smart Associates engineers use it as the standard access method for all managed support activity on your system.

Included with Netezza Support Plus
Requires an active Netezza Support Plus engagement
  • Full diagnostic and management GUI
  • Hardware health monitoring
  • Active session and workload visibility
  • Complete audit log of SA engineer actions
  • Alerting and event notification
Add-On Service

Controller Host Upgrade & Legacy Containerisation

Everything needed to harden and isolate your legacy Netezza appliance — in a single, all-in engagement. Smart Associates supplies and installs the controller host hardware, configures the OS, deploys nz_controller, and isolates the legacy system behind the new hardened boundary.

£5,000 + VAT
USD equivalent available on request. Fixed price — no day-rate surprises.

What's Included

  • 4 × enterprise SSDs (2 per host for active/standby redundancy), fitted into spare slots in your existing chassis
  • Enterprise Linux 9 — AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, or RHEL (BYOL)
  • Full OS hardening per CIS benchmark
  • SOC2-compliant configuration and documentation
  • Network isolation of legacy Netezza appliance
  • nz_controller deployment and configuration
  • Role-based access control setup
  • Audit log configuration
  • Handover documentation and engineer walkthrough
Scope note: The legacy containerisation service is designed for IBM Netezza PureData for Analytics appliances. The miniMAKO form factor is currently out of scope for this service. If you are running miniMAKO, please contact us to discuss alternative approaches.

Get a Netezza Support Quote

Tell us about your Netezza environment and we will prepare a flat-rate quote within 3 working days. No obligation.