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OS/400 Edition
Volume 2, Number 18 -- May 9, 2003
   In This Issue

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Top OS/400 Stories from Around the Web

(Guild Companies) After almost two years with no new compatibility between OS/400 and its tape drives and libraries, StorageTek has committed to backcasting OS/400 support for some older tape products. The company is also promising further iSeries support, with the introduction of a new tape drive later this year.
(The 400 Group) IBM representatives said this week that under its new support strategy, OS/400 V5R1 will lose support no earlier than September 30, 2004, and that OS/400 V5R2 will be supported at least until September 30, 2005. These are the earliest dates that support will be pulled for these products; the actual end-of-support dates will be announced within 12 months of when IBM actually intends to pull the plug.
(Guild Companies) IBM released WebSphere Development Studio client 5.0 last week. WDSc is based on Eclipse 2.0, whose open-source-tools infrastructure provides more robust APIs and a better opportunity for plug-ins than Version 1.0.
(iSeries Network) According to IBM and the tools developers who've developed plug-ins for Big Blue's Eclipse-based WebSphere Development Studio client, PDM and SEU no longer provide the best access to OS/400. Per Big Blue, that honor now belongs to WDSc.
(iSeries Network) Dave Chew, IBM's director of WebSphere enterprise transaction systems, and IBM WebSphere marketing team members Doug Fulmer and Kelly Schmotzer, sat down for an interview this week to talk about WebSphere strategy in small and midsized iSeries shops. There are a few nuggets in this interview, but it basically covers a lot of WebSphere marketing talk that we've heard before.
(iSeries Network) iSeries security expert John Earl has been tapped to replace outgoing COMMON board member Paula Hodge, who resigned April 16 because of increasing responsibilities at her work.
(iSeries Network) With the release of Windows 2003, several industry analysts were polled about how Windows 2003 security stacks up against the iSeries. And if you're tempted to laugh at that idea, you may want to hold off a little. Some analysts believe that Windows 2003 will put Windows on the data center map. And that could threaten iSeries sales.
(iSeries Network) IBM announced last week that it is teaming up with 35 business partners and application vendors to help create the new-age grid-computing technology environment Big Blue is shooting for. Of significant importance, Cisco and IBM are working together to put grids into storage area networks, with the goal of simplifying data access, sharing resources, and managing systems across a grid.
(MC Press Online) IBM Software Group intends to update and expand its WebSphere Express family of middleware products during the third and fourth quarters this year. New offerings should include WebSphere Application Server Express for Unix distributions, WebSphere Portal Express for iSeries, WebSphere Commerce Express, and WebSphere Business Connection Express.
(CNET News.com) IBM also announced its new Mobile Office Jumpstart Solution, which is intended to help companies pilot hardware, software, and services for mobile devices.
(Guild Companies) IBM rolled out a bunch of new On Demand offerings this week. Big Blue is rolling out standby Capacity on Demand in the BladeCenter chassis, and its customers will also be able to buy a machine that has seven active and seven inactive H320 blades. IBM also will be offering its technologies under a new kind of contract called the Open Infrastructure Offering, which allows customers to buy either some or all of their infrastructure for a fixed monthly cost.
(CRN) IBM pulled ahead of BEA Systems in 2002 to become the leader in the J2EE application server marketplace, according to market researcher Gartner. The latest Gartner scorecard reads: IBM 37 percent, BEA 29 percent. Before you take these numbers too seriously, however, understand that some of Gartner's research competitors don't believe in the accuracy of tracking application server license sales, because many vendors don't break out application server sales from their larger software sales numbers.
(CRN) PeopleSoft made news Tuesday by announcing full support for Linux, while the company CEO characterized the move as "…a way to break the dependency on Microsoft."
(eWeek) PeopleSoft has announced that it will certify Apple Computer's open-source Safari Web browser for its Web-based applications, continuing the company's theme of open-source support.
(TechWeb) Aberdeen Group estimated this week that the technology marketplace for midsized companies will grow to $50 billion by the middle of the decade. Companies in Aberdeen's "middle market enterprise sector" have annual revenue streams of between $50 million and $1 billion.

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Vendor Announcements, Promotions, And Deals

(IBM) IBM has announced several new features for the Ultrium Scaleable Tape Library 3583, including LTO Ultrium 2 native-data capacities of 14.4 TB (up to 28.8 TB using 2:1 compression); data-drive rates of 70 MB/second; and LTO Ultrium 2 and LTU Ultrium drive and cartridge media support in the same library. Availability for the iSeries is scheduled for June 13.
(IBM) IBM has introduced the Ultrium Tape Library 3582, which offers Ultrium 2 native-data capacities of up to 4.8 TB (9.6 TB when compressed at a 2:1 ratio); up to two SCSI or Fibre Channel drive attachments; and multi-path support for single- or multiple-server attachment. Availability for the iSeries is scheduled for June 13.
(Guild Companies) ASNA last week released the first beta versions of ASNA Visual RPG that are designed to generate Microsoft intermediate language code and to connect to iSeries servers through the .NET Framework. The company has set August 24 as the date for general availability of the product.
(Internet Week) Citrix Systems introduced single sign-on software for intranets and Internet resources this week. Citrix MetaFrame Secure Access Manager allows users to enjoy single-point access to applications, data sources, documents, and Web content. The software is the first product in the Citrix MetaFrame Access Suite.
(Guild Companies) Bytware recently delivered expanded support for the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), making it easier to monitor iSeries events from an enterprise system console. The new SNMP capabilities, available for MessengerConsole and MessengerPlus, will allow companies to transmit a greater level of detail on the status of OS/400 servers, as well as on Microsoft Windows NT servers, through the MessengerNT product, to an enterprise system management console, such as Hewlett-Packard's OpenView.
(Guild Companies) Earlier this year Farabi started shipping HostFront 3.5, a new release of its Web-to-host and integration toolset that provides support for the .NET Framework and development tools.
(Guild Companies) J.D. Edwards recently introduced a business-modeling tool for manufacturers and distributors. The Supply Chain Business Modeler provides a centralized repository for data originating from the various third-party applications that manufacturing and distribution organizations may use, such as supply chain planning, order management, multi-mode manufacturing, and logistics applications.
(Guild Companies) Momentum Utilities has introduced a reporting package for users of the MAPICS ERP system. The new software, called Jacana inTuator, is a client/server application with MAPICS data interfaces designed to do advanced analysis, such as those associated with multidimensional databases, without the time and expense.

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New Redbooks, White Papers, and Other OS/400 Resources

(IBM) Redbook -- IBM eServer iSeries Independent ASPs: A Guide to Moving Applications to IASPs explains how to install and configure the new independent auxiliary storage pool functionality in OS/400 V5R2.
(IBM) Draft Redbook -- WebSphere Application Server V5 for iSeries explains how to install, tailor, and configure the new WebSphere Application Server Express for iSeries product.
(JCRCMDS) Craig Rutledge's Open Source AS/400 Tools Web page features a large set of API utilities for AS/400 programmers. All of the utilities are free software that can be redistributed or modified under the terms of the GNU General Public License, as published by the Free Software Foundation. And Craig even has a picture on his site of that little round "don't panic" guy from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
(HelpAS400.com) HelpAS400.com is a useful reference Web site for basic OS/400 concepts. Site pages include an OS/400-specific acronyms list, online lessons in programming CL programs, some good short explanations for things like single-level store, object orientation, load balancing, and a good number of community forums.

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Chats, Webinars, Seminars, Shows, and Other Happenings

May-November -- ASNA has added a number of one-day seminars on ASNA Visual RPG and Caviar and running AVR for .NET. Seminars will be held in Raleigh, North Carolina; Hartford, Connecticut; San Francisco; Denver; St. Louis; Houston; and Guildford, England. For a complete list of seminar topics, locations, and dates, go to www.asna.com/0303_ASNA_Visions_seminars.asp.


May 14 -- iSeries News presents a Webcast called "Performance Problems with iSeries Applications: You Choose the Content!" When you sign up for the Webcast, you'll be able to choose the performance scenarios that interest you the most. After all the votes are in, host Mike Broadway of MB Software will use the survey responses to drive the content of the Webcast. Go to the Penton Media OnStage Web site for more information.
May 19 -- iSeries professionals in the greater Washington, D.C., area can take advantage of a continuing series of technical seminars organized through the cooperative efforts of two local user groups: Washington Area Midrange and Mid Atlantic Midrange. Go to www.wash-midrange.org/seminars.html for details and a list of upcoming seminars and locations. Next up is "Life Beyond SEU - The New WDSc Toolset for RPG & COBOL Programmers" presented by Susan Gantner May 19, in Richmond, Va., May 20, in College Park, Md., and May 22, in Ft. Washington, Pa.
May 19-23 -- IBM presents the IBM Software Symposium 2003 in Munich, Germany. Covering the entire spectrum of IBM solutions, this symposium offers more than 200 technology demonstration points, track education, breakout sessions, networking opportunities, and Dr. Henry Kissinger, Nobel Laureate and international statesman, as an external keynote speaker. Go to www-3.ibm.com/events/symposium2003/showcase.shtml for more information.
May 20 -- Information Availability Institute will host a number of free workshops focused on the management and interrelationship of networks, applications, security, databases, servers, and storage. Venues include Houston (May 20), and Winnipeg, Manitoba (June 2). Go to www.availabilityinstitute.org for more details.
May 22 -- Tom Huntington, vice president of technical services for Help/Systems, will host a Webinar on the company's new Robot/TRANSFORM E-Conference product. TRANSFORM E-Conference translates the content of OS/400-based electronic forms packages from PCL (Hewlett-Packard's printer language) or AFP (IBM's printer language) to PDF. Go to Help/Systems' Web site to learn more.
May 21 -- The Toronto User Group's meeting features "High Availability for the Real World," presented by Mike Warkentin of DataMirror and "EDI and the Internet" presented by Jeff Meltzer of EXTOL. Go to www.tug.on.ca/t_agenda.html#TEC2003 for more information.
May 25-27 -- The COMMON European Congress will hold its 2003 conference in Warsaw, Poland. Like its U.S. counterpart, the European show will present iSeries education, presentations, and a vendor exposition. Go to http://comeur.org/cec2003/ for more information.
May-July -- Aldon Computer Group will present its user group tour at various user group meetings throughout the United States. Go to www.aldon.com/events/user_tour.html for a list of meetings that Aldon will attend.
June -- Bytware is conducting several workshops to help customers take advantage of the most valuable features of Bytware's monitoring, security, and paging products. Workshop topics include MessengerPlus, StandGuard, and MessengerConsole. Go to www.bytware.com/edu.htm for more information.
June 9-12 -- J.D. Edwards presents the Quest Global Conference (formally known as JDE Focus). Staged in Denver, this conference centers on user-driven education, training, and speakers, with a J.D. Edwards focus. Go to the J.D. Edwards Web site for more information.
June 15-18 -- The 2003 iSeries & AS/400 Connection Conference offers four days of iSeries education at the Registry Resort in Naples, Florida. The iSeries educational tracks focus on application development, Java, SQL, e-business, operations, and security. Speakers include Dr. Frank Soltis, Al Barsa Jr., Allison Butterill, Wayne O. Evans, Susan Gantner, Janet Krueger, Jon Paris, Jim Sloan, and Howard F. Arner Jr. Go to www.tramenco.com/naples for more information and registration.
June 23-27 -- IBM presents its iSeries Technical Conference at the Hilton Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas. According to IBM, this is the place where technical experts and programmers can get their questions answered by IBM's best Rochester and Toronto experts. Go to www-3.ibm.com/services/learning/conf/us/iseries/ for more information.
July 17 -- The OCEAN iSeries User Group will present its 10th annual one-day "Catch the Wave" iSeries technical conference and vendor expo at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, 17900 Jamboree Boulevard, Irvine, California. Training sessions will be conducted by Bob Cozzi, Allison Butterill, and Wayne O. Evans, on topics such as RPG IV Advanced Techniques, WebSphere Development Tools, iSeries Security and Infrastructure. Dr. Frank Soltis will be the keynote speaker. Go to www.ocean400.org for more information.
July 20-23 -- LANSA presents its 2003 International LANSA Conference at the Renaissance Hotel in Chicago. The conference includes product education, customer success stories, strategic directions, hands-on labs, and roundtable discussions. The keynote speaker will be IBM's Malcolm Haines of the IBM eServer iSeries Marketing group. Register by May 15 and get a free LANSA stadium blanket. Go to www.lansa.com/conference/index.htm for more information.
September 7-11 -- The COMMON user group presents its fall 2003 conference and expo in Orlando, Florida. Meet industry experts, attend hands-on labs, exchange information with fellow professionals, attend a multitude of educational tracks, and get real-world solutions at the vendor expo. Go to the COMMON Web site for more information and to register.
October 13-17 -- IBM presents an iSeries Technical Conference at the Renaissance Hotel in Orlando, Florida. According to IBM, this is the place where technical experts and programmers can get their questions answered by IBM's most knowledgeable Rochester and Toronto experts. Go to www-3.ibm.com/services/learning/conf/us/iseries/ for more information.
November 18-21 -- EXTOL will host its 2003 user conference at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort in Phoenix, Arizona. Attendees registering during May receive a 30 percent discount and the tutorial program at no charge. Go to www.extol.com/forms/uc2003/confinfo.cfm for more information.
April 28-30, 2004 -- ASNApalooza 2004 will be held at the Westin River Walk Hotel in San Antonio. ASNApalooza is three days of ASNA Visual RPG instruction and technical insight, with an emphasis on the RPG development environment for Microsoft's .NET platform. If you register by May 31, you can attend the conference for $900, a savings of $1,100 off the regular price for registration. Go to www.asna.com/0303_ASNA_Visions_palooza2004.asp for more information.

Editor: Joe Hertvik
Managing Editor: Shannon Pastore
Publisher and Advertising Director: Jenny Thomas
Advertising Sales Representative: Kim Reed
If you have a resource, event, or any other interesting item that you want to see publicized in Midrange Monitor, send an e-mail to Joe Hertvik

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THIS ISSUE
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Twin Data
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