Top OS/400 Stories from Around the Web

(IT Jungle) Something has changed. We're not in Kansas anymore. Our AS/400 journey has crossed over into the state of Equal where Power equals i plus p. It still looks like Kansas (or i or p), but things have definitely changed. For a moment, let's not focus on name calling or rebranding or the storm that swirls around that. You can do that tomorrow or next week if you feel so inclined. Think about this in terms of "i being mainstreamed." READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) In the midst of all the harmonic convergence involving i and p, here's a quick look at how IBM repackaged versions of the System p 520 and System p 550 servers running AIX and Linux and some details on the release a single-socket Power6 blade server, the JS12. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Beware of April Fool's Day. This story about IBM dusting off the AS/400 name and restoring it to the platform that established IBM as a power hitter in the small to mid size market is a dream come true for many of the veterans who have winced (or worse) with the subsequent rebranding efforts. It was originally told by an RPG programmer in Cleveland who found a magic lantern and the genie inside granted his wish. Honest. Read it and pass it on, but keep your fingers crossed behind your back. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) It wasn't IBM that coined the marketing phrase: "Progress Is Our Most Important Product," but it fits the System i like a glove. With the deliverance of the Power6 boxes, few customers will ever lack the performance to run their heaviest workloads. Whether IBM packages that performance correctly and prices it fairly is another matter. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Staying somewhat current with the i5/OS releases, for most shops, means staying one or two or three releases behind the most current offering. With the release of V6R1 (IBM prefers to call it 6.1 now), there will be no long lines, no huge rush to be an early adopter, no "I gotta have it today" calls clogging the IBM switchboard. There are plenty of important enhancements in V6R1 that some shops will quickly put into action. And there is some trepidation surrounding the upgrade process, but the feedback from some early users is that the transition to V6R1 has gone smoothly. READ MORE >

(System iNews) Last week people were talking about conversion in terms of V6R1. This week if you mention conversion people are going to immediately associate it with the System i and System p conversion to Power Systems. That's right. If you haven't already heard, there will be no System i or System p from this point forward. There are many ways to look at this development, including this writer's view that System i users "can remain sheltered in tradition or step out in a brave new world with a surprising range of benefits." READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Users of JD Edwards on System i have gotten use to having one foot on the platform and the other on the train. The platform, so to speak, being IBM and the train being Oracle. Whereas Oracle news may not be of great interest to many System i shops, for many others it carries a lot of weight. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) SUSE Linux 11 is coming. When? Well, that's a little bit cloudy. It will be based on a future Linux kernel that's not completed and code tested. With virtualization being so central to the operating system, the preparations for SLES 10's coming out party are more complicated than earlier releases. Novell is positioning SLES as a better alternative to Solaris, so getting this right is extremely important. READ MORE >

Vendor Announcements, Promotions, and Deals

(IT Jungle) Too many application modernization projects never get past the idea stage because they are seen as costly and time consuming. They don't have to be either. In fact, there are ways to take on these projects with a minimum of disruption and an incremental approach that can fit your definition of time and budget. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) ERP software is not among the easiest things to upgrade, especially when your company's strategic direction involves the implementation of a service oriented architecture. Some companies talk the SOA talk, but it's the successful implementations that really speak the loudest about benefits such as productivity gains, code quality, and ease of deployment. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) If your job is to "protect and serve" the organization you work for by operating as its Security Police, it's more than just a "round up the usual suspects" kind of duty. Picture yourself as the Crime Dog and when sniffing out cyber crime, take a hard look at powerful user profiles and exactly who has open access to the servers. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Content Manager OnDemand for i5/OS Version 6.1 is now available and IBM has added enhancements in the areas of storage, archiving, security, and programming interfaces. This is a large enterprise content management system with all the bells and whistles. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Better control over user workstations is one of the advantages of the thin client architecture. Centralized control is credited with raising efficiency levels in several ways. Easier installation and maintenance of thin clients can save time and resources, for instance. We won't even open the Pandora's Box of eliminating a user's opportunity to waste time by fooling around with non-work-related transgressions on the Web. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) No one questions the reliability of an AS/400, iSeries, or System i. However, varying degrees of efficiency are quite possible depending on how an organization manages its IT resources. Southwest Business Corporation has come to the conclusion that system management software will play a big role in efficiency gains that will pay off nicely. READ MORE >

Redbooks, White Papers, and Other OS/400 Resources

(System Objects) This method of application modernization, using the vendor's software called JACi400, is designed for RPG and COBOL developers to replace the green-screen interface with HTML/GUI. It includes coverage of the process of selecting the database, setting up the application for inquiry, data entry, or update, finalizing specifications, and deploying the application. READ MORE >

(IBM) Cross-site mirroring--the replication of data at multiple sites in order to provide high availability and disaster recovery--is the topic of this technical paper. Topics of consideration include panning and installation, clustering, independent auxiliary storage pools, site object tracking, operations and performance considerations, and troubleshooting. READ MORE >

(LANSA) This report covers an application modernization approach called RAMP (Rapid Application Modernization Process), which was designed by the long-time iSeries software vendor LANSA. The company describes RAMP as capturing the best aspects of application refacing and system replacement while regenerating legacy iSeries applications into a graphical application framework that is architected for future expansion. READ MORE >

(Tango/04) Some companies continue to struggle with Sarbanes Oxley compliance issues that require a great deal of manual effort. This white paper highlights the implementation of internal auditing controls featuring the vendor's software, which centralizes the control of all security and operations events. READ MORE >

Chats, Webinars, Seminars, Shows, and Other Happenings

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

April 6-11 -- Las Vegas, Nevada - Impact 2008, IBM's "Smart SOA Conference" is a showcase for WebSphere as the foundation, the tools, and all the materials needed to create a service oriented architecture. Technical experts from IBM, analysts, and companies that have implemented SOA solutions are taking the starring roles in this production. In addition to educational sessions and keynote addresses, there will be a solution center expo area. LEARN MORE >

April 8-10 -- Lake Geneva, Wisconsin - The 23rd annual Wisconsin Midrange Computer Professionals Association (WMCPA) Spring Technical Conference will be held at the Grand Geneva Hotel. Educational session topics include: security, backup and recovery, RPG, PHP, XML, CL, and SQL. A tentative agenda featuring these and more topics can be found online. Session speakers include well-known experts such as: George Farr, Jon Paris, Susan Gantner, Bryan Meyers, Carol Woodbury, George Weaver, Linda Hirsch, Mark Holm, Linda Cole, Jim Oberholtzer, Bruce Vining, Debbie Saugen, Robert Bestgen and Barbara Morris. An experts' roundtable discussion is scheduled for 7 p.m. on April 8. The two-day technical conference follows on April 9 and 10. Accommodations are reasonably priced at $85 per night. LEARN MORE >

April 10 -- Maryland Heights, Missouri - Margaret Fenlon, a member of the IBM Integrated File System Team, will discuss the IFS and its many uses at the monthly meeting of the Gateway/400 Group, an iSeries user group serving the greater St. Louis area. The meeting time is 11:30 a.m. with lunch at noon and the presentation following lunch. RSVP no later than Monday before the meeting date. LEARN MORE >

April 14-16 -- Framingham, Massachusetts - Eight System i user groups from the northeastern United States will once again be combining efforts to host "The Power of i," their annual System i technical conference. The event includes more than 100 technical and professional development sessions. A schedule of educational classes (session grid) can be viewed at the link provided below. The conference also includes a vendor expo and specialized training in the areas of RPG and DB2 that require separate registration. The keynote speaker is Jim Herring, IBM's Director of High End Power Systems. Herring was responsible for the development and launch of the System i product line in 2007. LEARN MORE >

April 14 -- Secaucus, New Jersey - A one-day application modernization technical seminar focusing on service oriented architecture, Web services, and extending the value of RPG-based applications and OS/400-based system hardware is being presented by ASNA. This event provides an introduction to Web Services and service oriented architecture while emphasizing team skills. LEARN MORE >