Top OS/400 Stories from Around the Web

(IT Jungle) Last week, IBM presented four new "Solution Edition" i5 servers, but the news that dwarfs the products is the user-capped pricing that, if introduced across the entire server line, could finally make the battle with X86 servers a fair fight. For now, this pricing plan is exclusively combined with specific third-party software offers on a mere two machines. Hopefully, this is just a "test environment" for a plan that will eventually get rolled out like a red carpet for small businesses that have ideas beyond the limited-appeal Solution Editions. This could be the start of something big. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Based on its third quarter 2006 financial report, IBM can boast a 46.5 percent increase in profits--the kind of numbers that might incite CEO Sam Palmisano to pop the cork on some bubbly and pour it over the heads of his teammates. Mainframe revenues soared 25 percent. System p sales climbed 10 percent. System x sales were up 4 percent. Meanwhile, another chilly wind blew through Rochester as System i revenues coughed and wheezed to a 22 percent decline compared to a year ago. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) By this time next year, you could have your arms wrapped around an i5 packed with Power6 processors. It seems like a good bet, since the chief architect for the project says we can expect the Power5+ processors to be one-upped by mid-2007, and the System i general manager already promised no more name changes in that time frame. Here's the low down on what to expect from Power6. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) When the Capacity BackUp (CBU) servers first hit the streets, IBM's biggest customers got in line first. That's because these replication-specific boxes were being built on i5 570 and i5 595 chasses that are most often found at the high end of the System i demographic. Now we have CBUs built on the i5 520 chassis, and a far greater number of System i shops can put to use a more reasonably priced back-up box. READ MORE >

(MCPress) The latest round of announcements from the System i division shows more willingness to compete against the commodity servers from the likes of Dell and Hewlett Packard. That's a good start, but more has to be done in order to regain market share. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Murphy's Law says anything that can go wrong will go wrong. However, that's a pretty weak defense when it comes to data security. Here's a good example involving the use of sensitive data as test data without taking precautions. READ MORE >

(System iNetwork) Managing the educational changes that have been put in place by the COMMON user group is the number one priority for that organization's new president Randy Default. He also expects to have his hands full as he leads efforts to build membership and spread the good word about the System i. READ MORE >

Vendor Announcements, Promotions, and Deals

(IT Jungle) If you are one of the many who don't have the job of converting your RPG applications to Web applications all tied down and locked up, here's something you can do about it. This software takes the CGI approach, but it also generates Java objects, which is something that not all the Web-enabling tools can do. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) The manufacturing and distribution industries have known MAPICS as a supplier of ERP, CRM, PLM, and SCM software for more than 25 years. And it is generally recognized that MAPICS applications have played a huge role in the ongoing success of the AS/400, iSeries, and System i. After Infor acquired MAPICS in 2005, some folks wondered out loud about whether the bloom was off the OS/400-based rose. Now, with its most recent product release, Infor shows its preference for the Windows operating system. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Picture the first-time skydiver summoning the courage to take that first step into the wild blue yonder. Then picture the executives of a company with a decision to make about whether to outsource security monitoring. Whose knees are shaking worse? READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Lotus Notes has scored some productivity points with its latest release, which includes portability and productivity benefits such as loading the entire Notes application on a small USB device and adding tools that will become increasingly important to business collaboration, such as blogging and RSS feeds. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) For those who ride the Big Blue Web Enablement train, check out the latest enhancements to the tool kit. Easy installations of WebSphere Application Server-Express V6.0 and iSeries Access for Web V5R4 are at the top of the list. If you can insert a CD or DVD, you can do this install. READ MORE >

Redbooks, White Papers, and Other OS/400 Resources

(BCD) This case study is based on a Web application project that was completed ahead of schedule and under budget. That alone should raise an eyebrow or two if you've heard some of the horror stories about supposedly good Web app programs that have gone bad. In this case, the company was able to create customized apps using a staff that was RPG savvy. READ MORE >

(Bytware) The Integrated File System is one of the most ignored parts of the system, yet it enables many of the most powerful and most used features on OS/400. Most people don't realize that even if they are not using their system as a Web server or a network file server they should have concerns about the IFS because what you don't know could weaken the security of your system. This white paper is authored by security expert Carol Woodbury. READ MORE >

(IBM) Extensible Markup Language (XML) is supported by a large group of users because it allows applications to move from proprietary file and data formats to open data interchange. It has a range of applications, and a reputation as easy to use. This redbook deals with the challenges of representing XML hierarchies in the relational database model. It provides in-depth explanations of the three most popular approaches to bridge the hierarchy: programmatically processing XML documents and mapping their hierarchy into a relational database; using database middleware to handle the XML parsing and XML-to-relational mapping; and using XSL to transform inbound XML documents to SQL scripts. READ MORE >

(IBM) For those interested in the technical aspects of high availability, the topic of remote journaling and its associated risk of data loss and performance degradation should grab your attention. This tech paper focuses on the relationship between remote journaling and journal caching and is written by IBM's top expert on this topic, Larry Youngren. READ MORE >

Chats, Webinars, Seminars, Shows, and Other Happenings

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

October 19 -- Woodbury, New York - The Long Island Systems Users Group monthly meeting begins at 5 p.m. with a roundtable discussion on the state of the System i. Panel members are Al Barsa, Steve Fier, Pete Massiello, and Russ Popeil. The after dinner presentation will be on the topic of iSeries Access and will be presented by IBM's Carol Miner. LISUG meetings are held at the Fox Hollow Inn. LEARN MORE >

October 19 -- Coppell, Texas - Don Yantzi, David Muir, and George Voutsinas--key members of the IBM WDSC development team-reveal strategies and usage tips that help get the most out of WDSC, whether you are working with RPG, COBOL, Java, or traditional Web technologies. Hear about convenient keyboard shortcuts, wizards, tips for faster coding, and must-have utilities such as the RSE Extensions. Also get a sneak preview of specific new tools being developed for the next release of WDSC. The event is scheduled from 10 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. LEARN MORE >

October 19-20 -- Washington, D.C. - PHP is gaining ground as programming language and enterprise-class technology. This conference, with its focus on the public sector, provides insight into the advantages of implementing PHP into your daily operations. Session track topics include: security and accountability, the art of PHP, and the business case for PHP. This conference is hosted by the local Washington, D.C., PHP community. LEARN MORE >

October 24 -- Danbury, Connecticut - The 14th annual Fairfield AS/400 User Group iSeries Application Day Technical Conference includes System i technical training on topics such as SQL, basic and advanced RPG, application development strategy, service oriented architecture, and iSeries Access. The event begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Danbury Sheraton (same location as last year). LEARN MORE >

October 24 -- Omaha, Nebraska - A presentation on iSCSI technology, which is used to attach BladeCenter and System x servers to the System I, will be presented by IBM's Bob Schuster and MSI Integrator's Patrick Bingham. The session will include information on taking advantage of the System i virtual storage, networking, and tape resources to simplify the operations of Windows or Linux server system infrastructure. The two-hour session begins at 11 a.m. and is being held at the offices of MSI Systems Integrators located at the northeast corner of 144th and Dodge. This event is hosted by the Midlands Midrange User Group. LEARN MORE >

October 26 -- Webinar - A discussion of autonomic computing features that benefit users of the System i, and particularly those users who are considering high availability solutions, will be the focus of two, one-hour sessions co-hosted by IBM and the information availability vendor Lakeview Technology. Systems management as it relates to customer demands, market opportunities, and external threats are included in the focus topics. The first session begins at 9 a.m. CDT. The second session begins at 2 p.m. CDT. LEARN MORE >

October 27 -- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - The Delaware Valley Computer Users Group is hosting four sessions on RPG: Intro to XML for RPG programmers, processing XML from RPG, the latest in RPG, and a quick start to using Remote Systems Explorer. The sessions will be presented by Susan Gantner and Jon Paris. The sessions are scheduled from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Atlantic City Sheraton. LEARN MORE >

October 30-November 3 -- San Francisco, California - The IBM WebSphere Technical Exchange is designed with sessions to provide basic to advanced skills for managing an evolving WebSphere infrastructure. Some of IBM's leading technology experts in WebSphere solutions development and implementation are in charge of training sessions. LEARN MORE >

October 30-November 3 -- Las Vegas, Nevada - The IBM System i Fall Technical Conference offers an opportunity to update your skills on the i5/OS V5R4 operating system by presenting more than 250 sessions and labs, designed to help you stay competitive in today's marketplace. Among the session highlights are topics such as: the Java virtual machine (JVM) designed to provide higher performance on smaller systems; BladeCenter to System i5 storage across an iSCSI-based network; simplified application development with free-format SQL in RPG applications and enhancements to CL; and application workload management with enhancements to i5/OS subsystems. LEARN MORE >

Oct 30-Nov 2 -- San Jose, California - The Zend/PHP Conference & Expo agenda examines PHP and Web Services in sessions that are divided according to developer and management topics. It covers the architecting and building of service-based applications, best practices, skill sets, and the operation and performance of business-critical applications. Training sessions include hands-on tutorials for PHP developers as well as business case studies highlighting PHP-based enterprise solutions from Fortune 1000 companies. As part of the conference, attendees will also be able to participate in pre-conference training and certification sessions. Early-bird registration offers savings up to $200 with registration before September 1. LEARN MORE >

Oct 30-Nov 2 -- San Jose, California - The Zend/PHP Conference & Expo agenda examines PHP and Web Services in sessions that are divided according to developer and management topics. It covers the architecting and building of service-based applications, best practices, skill sets, and the operation and performance of business-critical applications. Training sessions include hands-on tutorials for PHP developers as well as business case studies highlighting PHP-based enterprise solutions from Fortune 1000 companies. As part of the conference, attendees will also be able to participate in pre-conference training and certification sessions. Early-bird registration offers savings up to $200 with registration before September 1. LEARN MORE >