We don’t know much about the next release of the IBM i operating system, except that it will (probably, maybe) be called version 7.3 and that it will have awesome new features, according to those who have been briefed under non-disclosure agreements. But IBM has already made one thing certain about the new OS: It won’t run Java 6. As IBM i product manager Steve Will explains, it’s time for Java developers to move on.

IBM updated its Java on IBM i developerWorks webpage on February 17 to reflect the fact that IBM i 7.2 will be the last release

IBM took steps to improve the security of its widely used terminal emulation software for the IBM i server with the version 12 release of its Host Access Client Package. Among the changes in the product–the first major new release of in seven years–are more widespread use of the Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption protocol in both the Java-based Host On-Demand (HOD) and Personal Communications for Windows (PCOMM) products.

On February 26, IBM shipped HACP version 12, which includes HOD version 12 and PCOMM version 12. The bundle is the first full refresh of the HACP package since IBM shipped

In this busy world, where IT engineers are expected to do more with less, there is an urgency to make quick decisions, even when it comes to big decisions like data storage. Within an IBM i environment, data storage can get complicated. Retrofitting new storage solutions–such virtual tape libraries (VTLs)–with AS/400 servers is tricky. Here are some missteps that IBM i shops do not want to make.

Not Calculating the Proper System Size

Sizing is often overlooked, and is most certainly the most crucial step in the process of selecting a storage solution. An improperly sized storage solution has a

Regulatory compliance standards have forced companies to pay attention to IT security and be accountable for who has authority and how much authority they have. In general, the track record on this type of thing is a horror story. Organizations often hover on the verge of near compliance. And compliance requirements, by their nature, continually evolve. This is why software such as PowerTech‘s Policy Minder has been developed.

It’s the responsibility of the system administrators and IT departments to make sure they are in compliance with regulatory measures like the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DDS), Sarbanes-Oxley

If your IBM i shop uses change data capture (CDC) software from IBM, you’ll be interested to know that last week IBM announced that it’s no longer selling the InfoSphere Change Data Capture for DB2 on IBM i as a separate product. It made the change because that same IBM i-based CDC engine can now be found in the latest release of its InfoSphere Data Replication product.

InfoSphere Change Data Capture traces its lineage directly to DataMirror’s Transformation Server, the journal-based data replication tool at the center of IBM’s acquisition of DataMirror in July 2007. Nearly a year