A modern web-based management GUI for Netezza – both PureData for Analytics hardware appliances and NPS on CloudPak for Data (Hammerhead). Makes Netezza dramatically easier to monitor, manage, administer, tune and support, replacing the legacy SSH and CLI workflow with a single web application. Optionally pair it with our DISA STIG-configurable, OpenSCAP-verifiable Legacy OS Hardening service to bring unsupported RHEL 6/7 PDA appliances back into modern security compliance. NZ Controller is bundled at preferential pricing for Netezza® Support Plus Managed Service customers, substantially below the standalone list price.
See It in Action
What NZ Controller Delivers
A modern browser-based web application that makes Netezza dramatically easier to monitor, manage, administer, tune, and support, covering both PureData for Analytics hardware appliances and Netezza Performance Server (NPS) on CloudPak for Data (Hammerhead). System overview, hardware health, active sessions, query diagnostics, audit logs, backup management, and host operations are all in one web UI – without needing to memorise IBM’s legacy CLI command set or maintain SSH expertise across an operations team. New engineers become productive in hours rather than months; existing teams stop running cryptic shell scripts from memory; management gets the visibility command-line tools never provided. Smart Associates engineers use NZ Controller as the standard access method for all managed support activity.
Bring an unsupported RHEL 6/7 PureData appliance back into modern security compliance – configurable to your required DISA STIG profile, independently verifiable via OpenSCAP. Four new SSDs (shipped to your site, 2 per host for redundancy) host a hardened Enterprise Linux 9 shell that wraps the legacy NPS environment; the Netezza database and original OS continue running on the existing RAID array, but now fully isolated behind the modern outer shell. Critical CVEs in the unsupported legacy OS are no longer reachable from the network. Externally, only the ODBC/JDBC database port (5480) and NZ Controller’s authenticated web interface are exposed – SSH and direct CLI access are eliminated, dramatically reducing attack surface. The appliance becomes easier to administer, not harder: NZ Controller (running on the new EL9 host) is the modern web UI that replaces the legacy command-line workflow. Applies to legacy PureData for Analytics hardware only – NPS on CloudPak for Data (Hammerhead) is already on a modern Linux base and does not need this service.
Why It’s Needed
Netezza N2001 and N3001 systems run on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, which reached end of support in November 2020. IBM® has never provided an official path to upgrade Netezza to RHEL7 or above, and RHEL7 itself reached end of support in July 2024. Known CVEs on RHEL6 Netezza systems will not receive patches from IBM or Red Hat.
This is often the main obstacle to keeping a Netezza appliance running long-term. Even where the business continues to get significant value from the platform, a compliance or security team that cannot accept an unpatched OS will push for decommission or expensive migration, regardless of whether the data platform itself is performing well.
Smart Associates’ Legacy OS Hardening service removes that obstacle. The legacy RHEL6 environment continues to host the Netezza database on its original RAID array, but is now wrapped inside a hardened Enterprise Linux 9 outer shell – configurable to your required DISA STIG profile and independently verifiable via OpenSCAP scans. Known CVEs in the unsupported legacy OS are no longer reachable from the network. Compliance teams get the formal documentation they need; security teams get the dramatically reduced attack surface; the appliance keeps running with no migration cost.
Management Interface
Modern web-based monitoring, management, and tuning for PureData for Analytics. On any Netezza system, NZ Controller is dramatically more productive than the legacy CLI. On a hardened system, where SSH and direct shell access have been eliminated to reduce attack surface, it becomes the operational interface for all host-level work.
A consolidated dashboard showing the current state of your PureData for Analytics appliance: hardware status, software versions, and system health at a glance.
Real-time visibility into hardware health across the appliance chassis: disk status, fan speeds, temperatures, and firmware versions – in one web view rather than scattered across a dozen shell commands. On a hardened system, with SSH eliminated, this is the standard interface for hardware diagnostics.
Monitor current database sessions, query activity, and connected users. Identify long-running or problematic queries and take action directly from the browser.
A tamper-evident record of management actions and system events, supporting compliance requirements and providing the audit trail needed for security reviews and incident investigation.
Deployment
Smart Associates ships the SSDs directly to your site. Our engineers then guide you through the full process remotely: SSD installation, EL9 host configuration, RHEL6 VM migration, firewall hardening, and NZ Controller setup. No on-site visit required.
The EL9 outer shell can run any Enterprise Linux flavour – Rocky, Alma, Oracle, or RHEL – to match your organisation’s standards.
Discuss DeploymentPricing
Subscribe to NZ Controller standalone, or with the optional one-off Legacy OS Hardening add-on for compliance. Self-service via the Smart Associates portal.
Monthly subscription · Flat per-appliance pricing · Annual prepay available
Modern web-based monitoring, management, and tuning for any PureData for Analytics appliance. System overview, hardware health, active sessions, audit logs, backup management, performance diagnostics – all in one web UI. Single flat rate covering your management Master plus the appliances you’re licensing, billed monthly or annually (pay for 10 months, get 12).
View NZ Controller pricing →NZC subscription + $7,500 one-off per appliance · DISA STIG configurable · OpenSCAP verifiable · Legacy PDA hardware only
Add Legacy OS Hardening to your NZ Controller subscription to bring an unsupported RHEL 6/7 PureData for Analytics appliance back into modern security compliance. 4× SSDs supplied per appliance (shipped, 2 per host for redundancy) hosting a hardened EL9 outer shell – configurable to your DISA STIG profile, OpenSCAP-verifiable. The legacy Netezza database continues on the original RAID, now fully isolated behind the modern shell so known CVEs are no longer reachable. NZ Controller (running on the new EL9 host) is the modern web UI for ongoing administration. For legacy PureData for Analytics hardware only – NPS on CloudPak for Data (Hammerhead) is already on a modern Linux base and does not need this service.
View NZ Controller pricing →Already on Managed Support?
Smart Associates engineers use NZ Controller as the standard access method for all managed support activity on your system. Existing NSP Managed customers receive NZ Controller at preferential pricing, billed on a single integrated invoice with a complete audit trail of every action taken.
View Managed Support →Get Started
NZ Controller is bundled with Netezza Support Plus Managed at preferential pricing. Talk to us about your appliance or the OS hardening service, or explore our managed support options.
Have specific requirements? Discuss with our team
Frequently Asked Questions
NZ Controller is a web-based management interface for IBM Netezza PDA and Hammerhead (Cloud Pak for Data System) appliances from Smart Associates. It provides a modern GUI for system administration tasks that previously required the command line, and includes a Legacy OS Hardening add-on to upgrade the underlying Linux OS.
The Legacy OS Hardening add-on for NZ Controller upgrades the Netezza appliance’s underlying Linux operating system from RHEL 6 to Enterprise Linux 9, applies DISA STIG security benchmarks, and validates the result with OpenSCAP. This extends the supportable life of the appliance and brings the OS into compliance with modern security standards.
The Legacy OS Hardening add-on for NZ Controller is priced at $7,500 as a one-off fee. It is also included at no additional charge within the NSP Managed tier of the Netezza Support Plus contract.
DISA STIG (Defense Information Systems Agency Security Technical Implementation Guide) is a set of security hardening standards required for US government and defence contractors. Smart Associates’ NZ Controller Legacy OS Hardening applies DISA STIG benchmarks to the Netezza appliance’s Linux OS, making it suitable for regulated and security-conscious environments.
OpenSCAP is an open-source framework for automated security compliance checking. Smart Associates uses OpenSCAP as part of the NZ Controller Legacy OS Hardening process to validate that the DISA STIG benchmarks have been correctly applied to the Netezza appliance’s operating system.
IBM Netezza PDA appliances shipped with RHEL 6 as the host operating system. RHEL 6 reached end of life in November 2020 and no longer receives security patches, meaning that without remediation the host OS contains unpatched vulnerabilities. Smart Associates’ Legacy OS Hardening resolves this by upgrading to Enterprise Linux 9.
NZ Controller from Smart Associates supports IBM Netezza PDA and Hammerhead (Cloud Pak for Data System) appliances. It is designed for the physical appliance form factor rather than cloud-hosted Netezza deployments.
NZ Controller from Smart Associates complements rather than replaces IBM’s native Netezza tools. It provides a web-based interface optimised for the most common day-to-day administration tasks on PDA and Hammerhead systems, reducing reliance on the command line for routine operations.
NZ Controller is available to IBM Netezza PDA and Hammerhead customers. The Legacy OS Hardening add-on is available as a $7,500 one-off purchase or included within Netezza Support Plus Managed contracts. Contact Smart Associates to confirm availability for your hardware configuration.
Smart Associates NZ Controller provides a web-based dashboard for common Netezza administration tasks — system status monitoring, user management, and workload visibility — accessible without specialist command-line knowledge. This reduces the skill barrier for day-to-day operations.
Yes. NZ Controller and the Legacy OS Hardening add-on are bundled within the NSP Managed tier of Netezza Support Plus at no additional charge. They are also available as standalone purchases for customers on other support tiers.
Visit smart-associates.biz/products/nz-controller/ or contact Smart Associates directly. NZ Controller is available as a standalone product and is bundled within the NSP Managed tier of Netezza Support Plus.