Top OS/400 Stories from Around the Web

(IT Jungle) Sometimes I think if IBM was in the business of selling spades, the marketing department would insist they be called BioTool Kit for System iShovels or some such nonsense. Can we please return to the days when it was preferable to call a spade a spade? Unfortunately, language isn't the only thing that's been disruptive in the transition to Power Systems. Pay attention to the pricing. Hardware features that were formerly part of the base System i configuration are now priced separately. And, they have separate maintenance fees. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) How fast is fast? When it comes to the IBM Power Systems servers running the i 6.1 operating system, the rumors alone are enough to make your eyes water. But talk is cheap. What will they do when it comes time to pull some heavy workloads? A few performance tests have been conducted, and--although they are weak in making comparisons to other systems--here's the report of what life is like in the Power Systems fast lane. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) You may not give two hoots about logical partitioning (LPAR) even though the technology was built into each and every AS/400, iSeries, and System i server that rolled off the Rochester, Minnesota, assembly line. However, you may have hooted a time or two about paying for technology that wasn't of use to you. One benefit of the Power Systems realignment is that the i Editions are coming unbundled. In other words, no more paying for features you don't use. The PowerVM software stack is a great example. READ MORE >

(System iNetwork) What's wrong with RPG is a question with many answers. Part of that has to do with another question: Which RPG are you talking about? And it also has a lot to do with how RPG developers program. Some rely on 30-year-old methods, while others have evolved with the language. These are not new issues, but they are necessary talking points about where does RPG go from here? READ MORE >

(System iNetwork) IBM's "i for Business" marketing plan will certainly be an improvement over what we've seen in recent times, don't you think? Based on the name Power Systems alone there should be an increase in stature. And the Power Equation is pretty straight forward and, well, powerful. Get on board. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) The COMMON user group has created the Al Barsa Memorial Scholarship to honor the recently deceased advocate of the AS/400 platform and annually reward an individual who exemplifies Barsa's commitment and dedication to the AS/400 community. READ MORE >

Vendor Announcements, Promotions, and Deals

(IT Jungle) When three high availability companies are merged into one, there's bound to be some product overlap and a product development strategy that incorporates the best ideas from each. There are also three separate corporate cultures that need some time for bonding. Existing and prospective customers are naturally curious how this will all play out. It doesn't happen overnight, so--one year after Vision Solutions acquired iTera and Lakeview Technologies--here's a look at business from the HA catbird's seat. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Legend has it that a 2,000-year-old programmer roams deep within the seldom seen IT jungles that still exist in their original state. These are customers IBM doesn't even know it has--a land where 2K programmer sightings are often reported, but never quite confirmed. Until now, that is. The 2,000-year-old programmer has not only been discovered, he's developed into a YouTube star. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Maybe you're not living in the virtual server world just yet, but the dilemma of virtual server sprawl is not to be taken lightly. There's no such thing as closing your eyes and wishing for a management solution. The pressure to get it right and the risks involved along the way are real. There will be a boatload of applications running on a truckload of servers, and you'll be expected to know when and where and what effect they will have on one another. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) WebSphere application development has its WebSphere Development Studio Client tools. At least for now they do. But poised to replace WDSc, are tools from IBM Rational. This is obviously a change that affects developers, but it also affects independent software vendors with products in the WebSphere development environment. If you are moving to Rational tools, it's comforting to know that your change management software is right there with you. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) The way 2008 is shaping up, there's a good chance that manufacturers and distributors will be tightening their supply chain operations. For shops that run on Oracle JD Edwards World ERP, investing in software that picks the best carrier, finds the best rate, prints the required documents, and tracks the package to arrival may be the key to supply chain gains. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) When you think of UPS, what comes to mind? Brown trucks being driven by delivery people wearing brown uniforms or an IT department filled with logistics technicians developing software? Get that whole brown thing out of your head. We're talking technology here. Technology that when added to i5 OS-based ERP software helps reduce transportation costs, save time routing, improve customer service and increase overall operational efficiency. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Even though spring has come to most of the Northern Hemisphere, it's not too late for hell to freeze over. That can happen any time of year, but often happens right after the boss asks you when those green-screen applications that so many people rely on are going to be Web enabled. Rather than giving Mr. Boss your view of climatological changes in the afterlife, you might look at one of the PHP alternatives. READ MORE >

(System iNetwork) IBM and Zend have selected API Group as the winner of the PHP Innovation Award based on API Group's use of PHP to Web-enable its ERP system. According to the award presenters, achievements are based on complexity, concept, value, and benefit to the PHP community. READ MORE >

Redbooks, White Papers, and Other OS/400 Resources

(BOSaNOVA) When it comes to data security, it is necessary to take steps beyond firewalls, virtual private networks, and intrusion prevention systems. That's why the topic of data encryption has gained so much attention. This white paper looks at risk assessment and regulatory compliance while make a strong case for encryption. READ MORE >

(MKS) Change management allows businesses to automate IT and software processes, while uniting process frameworks such as ITIL, CMMI and CobiT. The goal is to achieve productivity gains and meet IT governance and compliance goals. This white paper closely examines controls for delivering IT changes. READ MORE >

(System iDeveloper) Shortcuts are like chocolate bars. One will get you through the day, but a box of them will get you through maybe an entire month. Here's a list of WDSC/RSE keyboard shortcuts provided by RPG experts Susan Gantner, Jon Paris, and Paul Tuohy. It includes windows shortcuts, navigation shortcuts, and editing shortcuts. Enough to last you for a while. READ MORE >

(IBM) All programs moving to i5/OS V6R1 (i 6.1) will need a degree of conversion to run. In order for a program to be converted, its creation data (sometimes referred to as observability) must be available for the system to make use of during a conversion process. Programs created for V5R1 or later have their creation data automatically saved during program creation. Those with programs created for OS/400 V4R5 and earlier need to ensure that the creation data is available for the conversion process. This technical paper provides a focus on what you should expect in terms of conversion processes. READ MORE >

Chats, Webinars, Seminars, Shows, and Other Happenings

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

May 1 -- Tampa, Florida - The IBM Power Equation Road Show examines the Power architecture technology with an emphasis on how higher levels of performance, capacity, and resilience can bring benefits to i5/OS, UNIX, and Linux systems. Topics of discussion include: virtualization, scalability with a choice of database servers, shared IT infrastructure, reducing energy and administration costs through consolidated workloads, increased application availability, and business resiliency. There will be breakout sessions for i5/OS and AIX. This half-day event begins at 8:30 a.m. at the IBM offices located at 3031 N. Rocky Point Dr. West. LEARN MORE >

May 1 -- Portland, Maine - The IBM Power Equation Road Show examines the Power architecture technology with an emphasis on how higher levels of performance, capacity, and resilience can bring benefits to i5/OS, UNIX, and Linux systems. Topics of discussion include: virtualization, scalability with a choice of database servers, shared IT infrastructure, reducing energy and administration costs through consolidated workloads, increased application availability, and business resiliency. There will be breakout sessions for i5/OS and AIX. This half-day event begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Eastland Park Hotel located at 157 High Street. LEARN MORE >

May 1 -- Washington, DC - The IBM Power Equation Road Show examines the Power architecture technology with an emphasis on how higher levels of performance, capacity, and resilience can bring benefits to i5/OS, UNIX, and Linux systems. Topics of discussion include: virtualization, scalability with a choice of database servers, shared IT infrastructure, reducing energy and administration costs through consolidated workloads, increased application availability, and business resiliency. There will be breakout sessions for i5/OS and AIX. This half-day event begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Marriott Tyson's Corners located at 8028 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, Virginia. LEARN MORE >

May 4-7 -- Las Vegas, Nevada - RPG World, a three-day RPG IV training event, features session topics that include: subprocedures, subfiles, XML, RPG for Windows, i5/OS Version 6 enhancements, CL and ILE CL, embedded SQL, Web development with RPG IV, sending e-mail from RPG IV, and a professional development seminar. The list of expert speakers includes Bob Cozzi, R.S. Tipton, Greg Veal, R. Bruce Hoffman, Aaron Bartell, George Farr, Bertie Magee, and Schadd Gray. A $100 discount off registration is available when using the ITJUNGLE promotion code. Early registration deadline is April 1. LEARN MORE >

May 4-7 -- Orlando, Florida - The 2008 International LANSA User Conference will focus on modernization, extension, and integration of applications with Web services and SOA. Sessions and labs, set up according to skill level, are designed to help advance abilities and assimilate technological changes and business plans. The conference focuses on LANSA products and includes topics such as rapid application modernization processes, Web application, integrated development environments, design tips and techniques, and business process integration. LEARN MORE >

May 6 -- Melville, New York - When you look at your warehouse operations, do you see inefficiency, costly mistakes, and the potential to increase productivity? The Warehouse Management EXPO 2008 is a half-day conference stacked with workshops aimed at warehouse operations improvements. Topics include managing risk, creating operational efficiencies, supply chain trends, optimizing warehouse space, radio frequency solutions, and improving the bottom line. The event is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. LEARN MORE >

May 6 -- Webinar - A session on business and financial performance management for the transportation industry will be presented by New Generation Software (NGS). The content focuses on NGS' business intelligence offering designed specifically for trucking companies. The agenda includes analyzing daily line haul costs and trends, customer and lane profitability, load factors by terminal and lane, and contribution ratios. Product demonstrations will show how executives and business managers can have dynamic links to NGS business performance dashboards that run in any Web browser and can be updated automatically throughout the day to facilitate the decision-making process. LEARN MORE >

May 8 -- Maryland Heights, Missouri - Mike Pavlak, Director of Information Services at Chicago-based power supply manufacturer Tripp-Lite, will discuss PHP on the System i at the monthly meeting of the Gateway/400 Group, an iSeries user group serving the greater St. Louis area. Pavlak has been using PHP on Linux for more than three years to do project management software, intranet and extranet interfaces, IT helpdesk, and documentation management tools. He uses all open source applications from the PHP community. 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 >

May 8 -- Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Aaron Bartell of Krengel Technology will be presenting two sessions at the monthly meeting of the Wisconsin Midrange Computer Professional Association. The first session, scheduled for 4:30 p.m. will provide tips and techniques to increase productivity when using WDSc. The second session, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. will cover three open source tools that utilize Java from the RPG environment. In between sessions there will time for networking and dinner. LEARN MORE >

June 1 & 2 -- Nashville, Tennessee - The Information Builders 2008 Summit has a two-day track specifically for System i end users and ISVs interested in DB2 Web Query and its business intelligence capabilities. The session topics include creating and executing reports from DB2, step-by-step processes for embedding Web Query reports and graphs into Web sites, portals, and other Web-based applications. For registration and additional information, contact at Kathy_Drago@informationbuilders.com or by calling 800-969-4636. The entire conference stretches over five days and includes in-depth information and training for Information Builders products such as WebFOCUS, FOCUS, and iWay Software. LEARN MORE >