Top OS/400 Stories from Around the Web

(IT Jungle) Data waits for no one. It keeps piling up and IT departments scramble to keep from becoming overwhelmed. The pressure is particularly intense at the high end, where sophisticated storage technologies--like clustered disk arrays, for instance--are common. Last week, IBM introduced this and other budding storage technologies to the System i market. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) As server sales decline, manufacturers tussle to build or hold on to market share. This is the battle worth watching--the one with long-term ramifications. In the Power Systems arena, IBM is crowing about increasing market share at the expense of Sun and HP in the Unix wars. But what about the i? You might say it's been the victim of friendly fire, but it's not really clear who its friends inside IBM are these days. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Outside of IBM, the AS/400 (forget calling it the i) has lots of friends. If you have seen any of the past coverage on the iManifest marketing program, you've heard about a group of AS/400 business partners that is building awareness for the platform while IBM sits on its hands. Supporters of the iManifest continue to grow, but what is really needed is a U.S. version of this effort to take root. READ MORE >

(The Washington Post) Anyone can make hay while the sun is shining, but those who make hay when there is a storm raging gain a bigger advantage. Gaining market share in a down economy doesn't rely on luck. You can make things happen while others wait for a break in the weather if you apply this advice. READ MORE >

(MCPress) Before you can determine whether cloud computing and software virtualization make sense for your organization, it might be a good idea to sort through the confusing lingo that vendors use to describe their software and service packages. Then start examining factors such as reliability, transaction processing and storage costs, and loss-of-control issues that accompany outsourcing. READ MORE >

Vendor Announcements, Promotions, and Deals

(IT Jungle) Sometimes it's best when IBM leaves things to its business partners. Security software is a good example. In April 2007, Big Blue introduced a System i security tool called Secure Perspectives. Last week the company announced it would discontinue marketing and support. It's not a great leap to the conclusion that third-party vendors (ISVs) can handle AS/400 security better than IBM. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Why do daily tape backups? Because you have to has always been the traditional point of view, and there are no other options. Not everyone believes that and companies are finding that electronic vaulting of data is not only a sound strategy, but it also gets the tape monkey off their backs. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) One of the smartest things a software company can do is listen to what its customers want and then deliver it. If you are a retailer running merchandise management on an IBM AS/400, you likely have a strong attachment to the platform and the platform-specific software that suits your business requirements like no other. At JDA Software, technologies and customer relationships are evolving and it seems to be working out for both the end users and the vendor. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Is your company still buying forms rather than producing them in-house and using digital technology? Seems unlikely that the cost-cutting mandate hasn't filtered down to you yet, but maybe your boss expects worthwhile ideas to originate from all participants in the organization. Here's a project that you can propose with feather-in-your-cap potential. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Auditing for unauthorized or unexpected changes to IBM AS/400, iSeries, and System i data files is expected of organizations that are adhering to many types of regulatory compliance mandates. The process can be a pain in the patootie for those trying to handle it with manual processes or even automated processes that rely on green-screen presentations. Here's how you can do better. READ MORE >

Redbooks, White Papers, and Other OS/400 Resources

(Vault400) This report makes a strong case for electronic vaulting of data. It explains how data is moved from a primary site to a separate secure facility over a network, and also how replication software is used on both sides and periodic snapshots are bundled up, compressed, and moved across the pipe to the target backup processor. READ MORE >

(HiT Software) This guide for IBM i users covers the topic of data replication and the use of MySQL open source databases to access DB2 data. Topics include cost effectiveness, data security, heterogeneous database environments, and database integration strategies. READ MORE >

(Seagull Software) Recommendations for achieving legacy modernization success are provided in this report researched and written by analysts at Aberdeen Group. It includes advantages and disadvantages of various legacy modernization tactics. READ MORE >

(IBM) For those planning to deploy i 6.1, AIX, Linux, and the Virtual I/O Server on the Power6+ JS23 and JS43 blade servers, this technical guide should be on your reading list. You'll get the 411 on topics such as system configuration and management, operating system(s) installation, and system maintenance and diagnostics. READ MORE >

Chats, Webinars, Seminars, Shows, and Other Happenings

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

July 23 -- Webinar - An eight-part online session on project management and working with technology vendors to prepare a successful implementation will be presented on an every-other Thursday schedule through October 1. This is session number three titled "The Project Model: Initiation." Subject expert Susanne States, director of sales and client services at S4i, is the session leader. States is a tenured veteran of organizational development and project management. The focus of these sessions will be on driving efficiency, improving customer service, and gaining competitive advantage by putting in place adequate processes and resources. Each session begins at 11 a.m. CDT and concludes at 12:30 p.m. LEARN MORE >

July 24 -- Seekonk, Massachusetts - The New England Midrange Users Group is having a planning meeting for the upcoming year. Subject matter for future meeting discussions and serving the needs of the member community will be on the agenda. LEARN MORE >

July 29 -- Webinar - Managing multiple-platform modernization projects and building applications using a variety of developers, languages, and tools will be discussed in this online session presented by Joe Baumgarten of Aldon and Marcel Sarrasin of BCD. Key topics on the agenda include the creation of unified, structured, measurable, and repeatable processes. Development environments such as WDSc and RDi, and languages such as PHP and .NET will be covered. Aldon's Lifecycle Manager and BCD's WebSmart PHP will be used to provide examples. The event begins at 10 a.m. PDT. LEARN MORE >

July 29 -- Webinar - System i security policies and restricting access to only those users who need it is the focus of this Webcast hosted by PowerTech. Topics to be discussed include implementing exit programs to track data downloads, tracking and monitoring privileged users, monitoring security events in real time, and closing the "backdoors" not covered by traditional menu security schemes. The session begins at 8 a.m. PDT. LEARN MORE >

July 30 -- Webinar - Successful strategies for improving productivity and reducing costs across supply chains is the topic of this online session presented by David Brault, a product manager at LANSA. Topics of discussion include customer service, business process integration and information flow, data quality management, and streamlining internal applications. The session begins at 11 a.m. CDT. LEARN MORE >