Top OS/400 Stories from Around the Web

(IT Jungle) Sometimes when the townsfolk show up at the castle door with torches and pitchforks, they make an impression and things get changed. Over the past couple of weeks, there's been quite a clamor at the gates of Fortress Rochester because of the important green-screen application development tools missing from WDSc V7.0 Standard Edition. IBM has yet to announce exactly what changes will be made, but has indicated that change is on the way. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) White collar crime seldom gets the same media attention as crimes that involve murder and high-speed chases and that's really not fair considering all the money and intrigue that's involved. Somewhere, behind the scenes, there has to be people who feel like guns are pointed at their heads and their executive lives are hanging from a thread. Last week, Oracle and its posse of lawyers took aim at SAP with a large caliber lawsuit that claims SAP stole software products and other confidential materials. You know that more than a couple people are sweating bullets over this. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) The effects of server virtualization and multicore processors have slightly flavored the server market up to this point, but top is about to fall off the pepper shaker. Analyst groups like IDC and Gartner are revising their forecasts for a decline in overall server sales through 2010. This is primarily an X64 market segment story, by the way, because it's the last server segment to go virtual and, of course, it is the biggest segment as well. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) The lead systems programmer on the team that created the IBM Mathematical Formula Translating System, better known as FORTRAN, John Backus, has died. The FORTRAN programming language was created in 1956. Backus was 82 years old at the time of his death. READ MORE >

Vendor Announcements, Promotions, and Deals

(IT Jungle) System i Integrated Collaboration takes voice over IP--a system that replaces traditional PBX telephone systems with Internet connections--and expands it into areas such as e-mail, instant messaging, video conferencing, and business applications. Right in the middle of this is IBM's business partner, 3 Com, with its Open Network APIs as the integration bridge to existing i5/OS applications. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Have you noticed how the number of iSeries and System i users who make use of SQL as a programming and database language continues to rise? It's become increasingly important as an alternate means to access DB2 databases. The rewards of SQL are great, but they don't come without adding a new level of complexity in the data center. Managing this while retaining expected performance may become an issue for you. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Out-of-synch conditions in a high availability environment are about as welcome as another snowstorm in Nebraska. Yes, keeping data in synch and ready for replication is easier said than done. But the primary obstacles to implementing high availability, especially in small to mid size companies, are cost and complexity. That's why there are more than just a couple of software vendors in this market. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) How many of you have at least one person breathing down your neck about providing a better data analysis and reporting method (a.k.a. a business intelligence solution for your organization)? If you are in this boat, but have yet to figure out how to get all your oars into the water, here's an option that can move you forward. To begin with, it takes care of one of the most often-heard demands concerning data output to Microsoft Office applications. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) The benefits of supply chain management and electronic data interchange are being combined as a result of the new cooperative agreement between two System i software vendors. When financial management meets product flow, it's love at first sight. READ MORE >

Redbooks, White Papers, and Other OS/400 Resources

(IBM) Peruse this state-by-state listing of educational institutions that are teaching System i curriculum. Also included are listings for Canada, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. It's an interesting geographical look at where the connections have been made between education and business and students and jobs. READ MORE >

(IBM & Zend) This technical report will help you install, configure, and become productive with PHP on System i using Zend Core for i5/OS and Zend Platform for i5/OS. If you are evaluating PHP, this book will also help by providing background information and comparisons with other tools. READ MORE >

(Information Builders) When it comes to business intelligence, Information Builders has its own philosophy. It focuses on establishing a culture of measurement and beginning a cycle of continued improvement within your organization. READ MORE >

(IBM) Implementing Linux on System i comes with its own set of performance questions. This paper relies on customer experiences to provide best practices that are useful in determining factors that affect the overall performance of Linux-based workloads on the System i. It covers topics such as memory allocation, virtual SCSI adapters, adapter frame size, and virtual LANs. READ MORE >

Chats, Webinars, Seminars, Shows, and Other Happenings

See our full calendar of events at
http://www.itjungle.com/fhm/fhm-calendar.html

March 30-April 2 -- Houston, Texas - The i5/OS Hartley Racing Team--headed by Allen Hartley, owner of ProData Computer Services--will be lining up their 330-mph pro fuel dragster at the O'Reilly Spring Nationals. Allen's son, Joe, will be at the wheel and competing against the fastest, quarter-mile race cars in the world. Time trials are run Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The final round of the 16 fastest cars compete on Sunday. For more information on the racing Hartleys, go to the iDigDrags Web site where you can also find a link to the National Hot Rod Association and info about the Spring Nationals racing event. LEARN MORE >

April 3 -- Nashville, Tennessee - "Beyond the Basics with SQL," a one-day seminar presented by Skip Marchesani will combine a lecture and live demonstrations in a six-hour workshop to illustrate the more complex SQL concepts and functions. This event is sponsored by the local user group, IMUG, and the COMMON user group. The event get under way at 8:45 a.m. and concludes at 4 p.m. LEARN MORE >

April 4 -- Webinar - Session five of a five-session Webcast on open-source software solutions for System i presented by Jim Mason of ebt-now is being hosted by the COMMON user group. The discussion focuses on ways to maximize the return on investment on the System i technology without the need for additional software by using proven, open-source solutions. The agenda includes sessions on Web workspaces, Office integration, Web database applications, and Web reports. The earlier sessions were presented on consecutive Wednesdays in March. This event begins at noon and concludes at 1:15 p.m. CT. LEARN MORE >

April 10 -- Beaverton, Oregon - A presentation on IP telephony, data and voice convergence, and how System i can help lower costs and provide greater functionality to telephone users is the highlight of the regular monthly meeting of the Cascade iSeries User Group. Guest speaker is Fant Steele from the IBM Rochester Lab, an expert in IP Telephony (and Linux). The Cascade User Group serves the greater Portland, Oregon, area and meets the second Tuesday of each month. Meetings are held at the IBM offices, 15400 S.W. Koll Parkway between 1 and 3 p.m. LEARN MORE >

April 10 -- Milwaukee, Wisconsin - The Wisconsin Midrange Computer Professional Association meeting features two educational sessions this month. The first, beginning at 4:30 p.m., focuses on tools other than Query/400 for creating end user reports. The second session, which begins at 7:30 p.m., examines iSeries Navigator, a built-in tool that helps administer, analyze, and tune the DB2 database. Guest speaker is Jackie Jansen, a senior certified consulting IT specialist with IBM. LEARN MORE >

April 11 -- Seekonk, Massachusetts - Getting started with the CODE component of WebSphere Development Studio will be the featured topic at the monthly meeting of the New England Midrange Users Group. Guest speaker Tim Eagan, from Aurora Technologies, plans to introduce attendees to the basics of installing and using the IBM WebSphere Studio's CODE editor and CODE designer. The meeting is held at the Ramada Inn and begins at 5:15 p.m. LEARN MORE >

April 12 -- Kent, Washington - The Pacific Midrange Systems Association meeting features a session on tape backup alternatives this month. Guest speakers are IBM's Mark Ruberry and Joe Lampitt, and they will be discussing the virtual tape capability of i5/OS V5R4, which supports heterogeneous systems and includes encryption. The meeting begins at 11:30 a.m. LEARN MORE >

April 12 -- Maryland Heights, Missouri - George Farr, from the IBM Toronto Labs, will discuss WDSc in a full-day session hosted by the Gateway/400 Group, an iSeries user group serving the greater St. Louis area. The meeting begins with breakfast at 8:30 a.m. and includes lunch. The session is scheduled to conclude at 4 p.m. LEARN MORE >

April 12 -- Wauwatosa, Wisconsin - The Wisconsin Midrange Computer Professional Association monthly meeting includes two presentations this month. The first session on tuning performance for DB2 UDB for the System I is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. The second session on Query and SQL performance monitoring will take place at 7:30 p.m. The meeting takes place at Alioto's Restaurant located at 3041 N. Mayfair Road. LEARN MORE >

April 12-15 -- Las Vegas, Nevada - The i5/OS Hartley Racing Team--headed by Allen Hartley, owner of ProData Computer Services--will be lining up their 330-mph pro fuel dragster at the SummitRacing.com Nationals. Allen's son, Joe, will be at the wheel and competing against the fastest, quarter-mile race cars in the world. Time trials are run Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The final round of the 16 fastest cars compete on Sunday. For more information on the racing Hartleys, go to the iDigDrags Web site where you can also find a link to the National Hot Rod Association and info about the Las Vegas racing event. LEARN MORE >