Top OS/400 Stories from Around the Web

(IT Jungle) If you want to know how the IBM i is doing, Ross Mauri is the guy who would know. In this interview, Mauri, the general manager of the Power Systems division, says all IBM i shipments in the last quarter were on Power6 boxes, nearly 90 percent of all i shipments went out on Power 520 boxes, and i on blades is gaining converts. Slow down, Ross, you're burying us with analytics. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Core activation discounts are something to look into for a variety of reasons. Not too many people will argue about a price reduction. Finding out you are not eligible for a discount may be upsetting though. And finding out that AIX customers get better discounts over a wider range of processors may give you reason to belly ache a bit with your sales rep. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) In a head-to-head competition with Windows/SQL Server and Linux/Oracle database, IBM i on Power Systems is the best choice for running Oracle's EnterpriseOne ERP application. The comparison is based on the cost to configure and run the ERP software. International Technology Group says it's so. Here are the details. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) If the iManifest is going to be bigger and better in the U.S. than anywhere else, it needs to start building momentum. Mr. Mo arrived last week when Frank Soltis signed up for duty. Soltis--retired from IBM but still active with AS/400 customers, ISVs, and user groups--is the most influential spokesperson the iManifest could have on board. That said, there's plenty of work to be done before this ship sails. READ MORE >

(MCPress) Halfway around the world an IBM i road show for existing customers powers along with little notice by the IT industry as a whole--sort of like the box itself, which often runs reliably in the corner of the data center with little fanfare. So what's the big deal? With the overall industry noise turned down, maybe the message has a better chance of being heard outside the installed base. READ MORE >

(Search400) The ramifications of the Power Systems convergence of System i and System p are summed up by two local user group leaders who site lower hardware costs, increased functionality, and loss of identity as the sweet and bitter fruits harvested up to this point. There's a new look, so it's time to look at things differently. READ MORE >

(Information Management) Bernie Madoff ruined a lot of people's lives by stealing their life savings in a gigantic Ponzi scheme. Investigators are just piecing together the details that involve information technology and the part played by the AS/400 in Madoff's dummy data center. Success, as it were, is credited to the legacy system. READ MORE >

Vendor Announcements, Promotions, and Deals

(IT Jungle) When a 5250 emulation program meets Microsoft Windows 7, you might expect sparks to fly. At least in this case, there are no wires crossed and the only shock comes from some user interface features that are, dare we say, electrifying. Check out how you can make use of jump lists and multiple document previews. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) If you think there's good in everybody, you probably haven't met everybody. The same is true for systems management software. To start with, it doesn't begin and end with spool files and message queues. There are application-specific tasks to be monitored, and if you have no way of automatically keeping tabs on those, you'll soon meet some unpleasurable, unmeasurable surprises. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) There are a great many companies that could make great strides by simply having a technology for converting spool files to PDFs. And from that foundation, there can be indexing, archiving, and retrieval through a Web browser added. This process can undo a tangle of inefficiencies that are as old-fashioned as a ball and chain, a device that is common in most IT departments. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) You may think of Java as being slower than the average high school kid doing math in his head, but that's AS/400 thinking in the Power Systems world. Java's got the juice if you've got modern iron. So if you are searching for a Web application development tool to generate J2EE-based applications, give this article a read. READ MORE >

(IT Jungle) Take away the green-screen interface from some users and you might as well tear out their hearts and smash them suckers flat. It's true. Not everyone despises the green screen. Here's an EDI software developer that knows how to keep green-screen-loving customers happy as hungry dogs in a butcher shop. READ MORE >

Redbooks, White Papers, and Other OS/400 Resources

(Linoma Software) "Beyond FTP: Securing and Managing File Transfers" is a white paper that elaborates on increasing IT manageability, decreasing security exposures, and adhering to compliance and auditing requirements. READ MORE >

(Vault400) This report describes how a disaster recovery data protection plan does not have to rely on cumbersome tape backups or complex high availability solutions. The focus is on electronic vaulting of data using your network and high-level security. READ MORE >

(BCD) This white paper discusses PHP as a technology and as a productive method for transforming legacy applications to Web applications or creating new Web applications from square one. It explains the popularity of PHP, how it is different from other technologies, and uses the company's WebSmart PHP as the focal point for Web application development. READ MORE >

(ECC) Desktop computing expenses have received a lot of attention as IT departments are being required to help organizations reduce costs. This paper reveals how some forays into virtualization are masking problems rather than eliminating them. It focuses on a strategy that separates the applications from the desktops. 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 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 10 -- Beaverton, Oregon - A presentation on Systems Director 6.1 and an overview of the 2009 IBM i product announcements will be the highlight of the regular monthly meeting of the Cascade User Group. Guest speaker is IBM's Senior Technical Sales Specialist Mark Ruberry. The meeting will be held at the IBM offices, 15400 S.W. Koll Parkway beginning at noon. 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 speakers 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 >

November 17 -- Webinar - Application modernization and Web development on the IBM i will be featured in this online session that demonstrates the Profound Logic Modernization Suite. An emphasis is given to extending existing apps, building new apps, and gaining productivity. The presentation begins at 1 p.m. EST. LEARN MORE >