IBM Previews zIIP DB2-Assist Mainframe Engines
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

Contrary to his name, Jim Stallings, the general manager of IBM's System z mainframe business line (formerly known as the zSeries) who was put into that position two weeks ago, wasted no time in getting out there and banging the drum for the mainframe and launching a new product. Stallings last week gave customers a preview of a new feature of the System z, called the z9 Integrated Information Processor, or zIIP, which will allow certain functions of DB2 database processing to be offloaded from general purpose mainframe engines to less expensive zIIPs. READ MORE >

Top Mainframe Stories and Vendor Announcements

(eWeek) Platform Solutions, which is planning to roll out a mainframe system later this year, has joined the Itanium Solutions Alliance. Its system will be powered by Intel's Itanium 2 chip and will run z/OS workloads, as well as Linux and Windows. READ MORE >

(Enterprise Systems) Despite hardware and software costs that are prohibitively expensive for most adopters, the mainframe has made a bit of a resurgence. Is it on the right track now? Will it ever become more affordable? READ MORE >

(Relativity Technologies) Rather than relying on a variety of tools to understand multiple environments, Relativity Technologies has introduced a single repository that helps users analyze their Java, their mainframe applications, and their interconnections for a better understanding of their Web Services ecosystem. The tools are an extension of Relativity's existing Modernization Workbench product. READ MORE >

(EMC) EMC introduced several information management software and technology enhancements for the Symmetrix DMX-3 system, including EMC z/OS Storage Manager software, which provides mainframe-native management for all Symmetrix storage systems and improves management of storage arrays in a mainframe environment. READ MORE >

Chats, Webinars, Seminars, Shows, and Other Happenings

January 31 -- Webinar - This IBM-sponsored Webcast examines how IBM CICS tools can help improve efficiency, maximize system availability, improve CICS skills, and play a role in a Web services implementation. Presenting this material is Peter Siddell, IBM's CICS Tools Business and Development Manager. The event begins at 11 a.m. EST. LEARN MORE >

February 6 -- New York, New York - The IDC Virtualization Forum: Making Optimal Use of IT Resources will present the many forms of virtualization and how the effective use of this technology can help IT and business executives address the need to cut costs, support an ever changing dynamic environment, and make more optimal use of their IT resources. The program features end-user case studies, a focus on the "commoditization" of hardware, virtual environment software, and the deployment of distributed applications. LEARN MORE >

February 22-23 -- Las Vegas, Nevada - The Unified Compliance Summit examines the role of technology in business governance and regulatory compliance. General topic areas include streamlining compliance activities, understanding how compliance efforts and options overlap, developing action plans, and offsetting the compliance burden. Educational tracks are available in the areas of leadership and design. LEARN MORE >

March 27-29 -- Orlando, Florida - The Service Oriented Architecture and Web Services Best Practices conference is designed for organizations looking for ways to create an architecture for interoperability across disparate systems. It will focus on the key steps for implementation, the role of Web services, new models for building applications, and return on investment. Discounts on registration costs are in effect until January 27. LEARN MORE >

April 7-11 -- Chattanooga, Tennessee - The WAVV user group annual conference offers more than 100 educational sessions focusing on the use of VSE, VM, and Linux on IBM mainframe computers. The event also includes a vendor exposition. LEARN MORE >

May 7-11 -- Tampa, Florida - The IDUG 2006 North American Conference is an educational forum for database users across all platforms. The educational program consists of 11 technical tracks, each focused on a particular facet of DB2 usage. IDUG, the International DB2 Users Group, manages several DB2 technology conferences each year. The North American conference is the largest. A vendor expo is included in the event. LEARN MORE >

June 12-16 -- Atlanta, Georgia - The Transaction & Messaging Technical Conference features the most current information on the CICS TS V3.1 and WebSphere MQ family of products including tips, techniques, and business integration solutions. The agenda includes hundreds of sessions, a product expo, and certification testing. LEARN MORE >