Top OS/400 Stories from Around the Web

(IT Jungle) People who most often hurl platform-specific slurs aimed at the IBM i don't understand--or choose to ignore--the technical advancements built into the system. Last week, IBM introduced version 6.1.1 of the i operating system. Not a major release, but one that deflects the dinosaur insults if you're interested in such things as virtualization, logical partitions, disk arrays, and solid state disk. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) If new features in the IBM i 6.1.1 release don't warm your biscuits, then maybe what's coming next spring in the i 7.1 release will. DB2 database support for XML that far exceeds current limited support is one of the most awaited enhancements. The coming of native Web-type interfaces related to RPG and open I/O is another enhancement that seems likely to light a fire under programmers who are technology savvy. There's plenty more to come. Who you callin' a dinosaur? READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) I believe the value of an idea has nothing to do with the corporate title of the person who thinks it and puts it into action. One of the best examples of a bad idea coming from high up on the corporate ladder is the recent insider trading scandal at IBM. Poor judgment doesn't necessarily reside with those in low-level jobs and with little experience. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Not all the IBM i announcements from last week fit into the operating system bucket. These days at IBM, there's always going to be some Dynamic Infrastructure talk going on. Here's some of the peripheral announcements that signal new stuff that's available and the nitty-gritty that on specs and costs. READ MORE >

(IBM Systems Magazine) It's a bit of a chicken and egg discussion. Does training and education precede the job or is it vice versa? Are i-specific skills a requirement for filling an opening in an IBM i environment or will on the job training suit both the employer and employee? As usual, there is no shortage of opinions. One common element on both sides of these debates is innovation. READ MORE >

Vendor Announcements, Promotions, and Deals

(IT Jungle) The measuring stick for application development tools is calibrated by factors such as the ease and speed of completing the development process, application response times, and the amount of customization possible pertaining to user controls for interface development. You might expect productivity gains to be dependent on a proportionate amount of coding, but you'll be surprised more than once as you read this article. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) If you've looked into using PHP for developing IBM i applications, a company called Zend Technologies has come to your attention. Zend has provided the core runtime engine, the integrated development environment, and the platform--including middleware--for enterprise-quality PHP implementations. Now the Web application server is on its way, too. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Some IBM i shops need 5250 emulators for Windows, Linux, and the Web, along with other administrator tools and middleware for accessing the System i's databases, printers, message queues, and IFS files. Some have simpler requirements. Regardless of your emulation preoccupation, support for Windows 7, SSL-enabled FTP, and an array of other new features are now available. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Power HA is IBM's hardware-based high availability alternative to software-based HA, which is much more common among the System i, iSeries, and AS/400 installed base. The newest addition to Power HA is a logical replication feature designed to keep specific, difficult to manage objects in synch between production and backup boxes. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Data de-duplication technology is quickly dismissed by many midsize companies because it comes with baggage presumed to be too confusing and too expensive. Lots of other technologies have overcome similar hurdles as time has a way of smoothing out the bumps as technologies mature and manufacturers determine how to adapt products to fit customers with different demands. READ MORE >

Redbooks, White Papers, and Other OS/400 Resources

(Infor) This resource library of reference material comes from the System i Virtual Conference hosted by Infor and IBM. Included are discussions by industry and product experts on topics ranging from driving financial performance, organizational challenges, capitalizing on the strength of the IBM i, and Infor's open SOA plans. READ MORE >

(Seagull Software) The term "screen-scraping" has a bad reputation. Yet next-generation screen-scraping software can be an application modernization solution that solves the problems green screens present. In this white paper, you get the myths regarding screen-scraping plucked, cleaned, cooked, and served along with explanations regarding why these myths are preventing some companies from improving their business applications. READ MORE >

(Patrick Townsend Security Solutions) This webinar illustrates the most common mistakes businesses make when attempting to protect employee and customer data. Topics include choosing encryption modes and encryption key management. READ MORE >

(Bytware) It's a misconception that only Windows users are troubled by viruses. Power Systems running IBM i, AIX, and Linux are also at risk and could be the source of infections. This Webinar examines virus protection, security requirements, and regulatory compliance topics. READ MORE >

Chats, Webinars, Seminars, Shows, and Other Happenings

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

November 4 -- Webinar - Disk management--from clearing history logs to resizing libraries, job queues and objects--will be discussed during this interactive product demonstration hosted by S4i using the company's DASD-Plus tool. Additional topics on the agenda include disk diagnostics, analytics, reporting, management, and unused space optimization. This online session begins at noon Central time. LEARN MORE >

November 3 -- Chattanooga, Tennessee - The first meeting of the Tennessee Valley Midrange User's Group will feature a presentation on implementing backup recovery and media services on the System i. Guest speaker is Dave Prescott will explain how to install and set up BRMS to perform save and restore operations, implement backup strategies, track media, and automate recoveries. Prescott, a retired IBM Rochester Lab Consultant, is a speaker at the annual Education Connection Conference and has presented topics at numerous user group meetings. His expertise is system management with multiple iSeries and AS/400s. The meeting will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn - Hamilton Place located at 2343 Shallowford Village Dr. It gets under way at 5:30 p.m., with dinner at 6 and the presentation at 6:30. LEARN MORE >

November 5 -- Webinar - This technical webinar offers a detailed look at the key features of BCD Clover, a Web query and business intelligence tool. A live product demo explains how to create Web reports, drill downs, graphs, and dashboards. The session begins at 1:30 p.m. EST. LEARN MORE >

November 5 -- Trevose, Pennsylvania - The Delaware Valley Computer Users Group will host a presentation on iSeries security management with guest speaker Rich Marko, a senior systems engineer with Bsafe Information Systems. Topics on the agenda include intrusion detection and prevention, system access control, automated policy enforcement, compliance-driven auditing and reporting, and multiple systems management. The event, which will be held at the Radisson Trevose located at 2400 Old Lincoln Highway, begins with registration at 4 p.m. LEARN MORE >

November 12 -- Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Database topics will be on the agenda for the monthly meeting of the Wisconsin Midrange Computer Professional Association. A 4:30 p.m. session will highlight Omnifind, the text search for DB2 i, while SQL and DB2 i will be featured during the 7:30 p.m. session. Guest speaks will be IBM Rochester experts Rob Bestgen (Omnifind) and Rob Bestgen (SQL). Details of their sessions can be found on the WMPCA Web site. In between the two discussions is dinner and networking with the members. The meeting will be held at Klemmer's Banquet Center located at 10401West Oklahoma Avenue. LEARN MORE >

November 12 -- Maryland Heights, Missouri - Brian Meyers, noted author and trainer in RPG topics, will discuss RPG techniques for the Web at the monthly meeting of the Gateway/400 Group, a System i user group serving the greater St. Louis area. RSVP no later than Monday before the meeting date. LEARN MORE >