Presenting “vertical” data in a “horizontal” format is a challenging task in data management. Here is one method you can use to make SQL carry out this type of transformation.

Consider table CUSTGRP, which has two fields: a customer ID and a group code. Notice that one customer can have multiple group codes.

Converting normalized data into a repeating group is a common requirement, and we have discussed that topic several times in Four Hundred Guru, even in this issue. Sometimes the need arises to convert data in the other direction, i.e., to convert a repeating group to a normalized form. This is a handy technique to know, and it’s easy.

Suppose you’ve been given a spreadsheet with 13 columns of data. The first column is an item number. The next 12 columns are replacement costs for each month. You’ve been asked to load the data into a normalized table (physical

When upgrading your current IBM i hardware, you may have more choices than you think. With the incredible capacity built into late model System i and Power systems, you may be able to perform a minor upgrade on existing hardware, rather than moving to the latest Power 7+ machines. Here are some tips on how you might be able to stretch your existing hardware rather than buying a new machine.

What Can You Do?

If you sized your current machine correctly, you may have more than enough excess capacity to stay with the existing hardware for a few more years.