• SolarWinds Hack Raises Concern for IBM i Shops

  January 27, 2021 Alex Woodie

  The recently disclosed hack of the SolarWinds log management software enabled bad actors to gain access to the protected networks of numerous government agencies and private companies. It is also impacting an untold number of IBM i shops, which use SolarWinds software in not-insignificant numbers.

  In early December, Reuters broke the story of a massive and sophisticated breach of federal government computer systems that started in March 2020. According to the stories, state-backed cybercriminals exploited security flaws in at least three software vendors, including SolarWinds, Microsoft Azure, and VMware, to access private information in the target systems, …

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• Can You Build Data Integrity Without Securing IBM i Systems?

  January 27, 2021 Bill Hammond

  Nowadays, companies tend to have vast troves of data stored on their IT platforms. Many companies are struggling to use that data – including critical data on IBM i – that could, in theory, help to make better business decisions and run operations more smoothly and efficiently. But in reality, that data is frequently siloed, inaccurate, and unsecured – leading CEOs to be concerned about the integrity of the data upon which they are basing decisions. Businesses across the globe are screaming for data they can trust.

  The pace of digital transformation initiatives has rapidly accelerated in the past year, …

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• Rocket Rebrands, Updates, and Discounts Terminal Emulator

  January 27, 2021 Alex Woodie

  Greenscreen interfaces may not look pretty, but they continue to be effective and people continue to use them. That longevity among IBM i and System Z shops is a big reason why Rocket Software last week decided to rebrand its BlueZone offering as the Rocket Terminal Emulator. Rocket is trying to drum up interest in the new software, which also supports the latest security protocols, by offering a steep discount on license and subscription fees, but only for a limited time.

  BlueZone, which Rocket Software obtained with its 2006 acquisition of Seagull Software, has been the go-to product for …

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• Four Hundred Monitor, January 27

  January 27, 2021 Jenny Thomas

  “Hybrid” may already be the buzzword of the year as it can be described so much of what is happening in 2021. Many of us have adapted to a hybrid working environment where we work from home and occasionally may visit the office. Kids in some parts of the U.S. continue to go to a hybrid version of school that involves virtual and in-person class time. For IBM, hybrid is all about the cloud, and this week we see those stories dominating the headlines as the pressure mounts for Big Blue to start seeing some returns on all of its …

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• IBM i PTF Guide, Volume 23, Number 4

  January 27, 2021 Doug Bidwell

  Java Java Java Java Java Chameleon, the PTFs come and go, they come and go. And in this case, during a pretty slow week in PTF Land, all of the four 7.X releases of the IBM i operating system got their patches. Even the mostly quiet IBM i 7.1, which is on extended-extended life support these days but still pretty popular. Java updates on IBM i 7.1? Whodathunkit?

  Here is the rundown of PTF Groups by IBM i release level:

  PTF Groups 7.4:

  • Java

  PTF Groups 7.3:

  • Java

  PTF Groups 7.2:

  • Java

  PTF Groups 7.1:

  • Java, yes, IBM i

  …

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• Taking The Full Measure Of Power Servers

  January 25, 2021 Timothy Prickett Morgan

  Imagine, for a moment, that there was not a drive by the Chinese government to have more of its state-owned enterprises, which are among the largest companies in the country, adopt homegrown IT gear for their data processing needs, an effort that started in 2015 but really built up steam two years later when a trade war erupted between the United States and China. Imagine that trade war didn’t happen, either.

  What, pray tell, would have happened to IBM’s Power Systems business over the past several years? Our best guess is plenty. At the very least, perhaps the Power Systems …

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• It’s Time For An Application Healthcheck

  January 25, 2021 Andrew Ireland

  When you get to a certain age – or, perhaps more generously, to a certain level of maturity – it is a good idea to have a health checkup at least once a year to see how your body is holding up and what can be done to deal with any problems that have arisen.

  IBM i applications have the same issues as people, as does all software running on any platform – although software is a bit different in that it can be replaced, renewed, rewritten, refurbished or simply left to rot in its swamp of technical debt.

  Every …

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• Guru: What’s Your RDi Preference?

  January 25, 2021 Susan Gantner

  To say that RDi is highly customizable is putting it mildly. There are hundreds of preferences to set as well as many other types of customizations that can be done. I’m often asked about my favorite preference settings and other customizations. This tip includes a few of the ways that my own workspace differs from the default “out of the box” RDi settings.

  In this tip I’ll concentrate on some of my favorite preference settings. In a later tip, I’ll continue the discussion on additional customizations I make in my RDi workspace using other methods besides the preferences dialogs.

  I’ll …

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• As I See It: How Did Cyber Security Get So Bad?

  January 25, 2021 Victor Rozek

  It was Paul Newman who said: “If you find passion in one area of your life, it will bleed into all the others.” Apparently the same can be said of incompetence.

  Two years ago Michael Lewis wrote a book called The Fifth Risk. Its premise was singular and prophetic: “What are the consequences if the people given control over our government have no idea how it works?” That, as he meticulously documents, was the case four years ago when the incoming administration—which did not expect to win — was unprepared to govern. It failed to fill many key federal posts …

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• Here Are the New IBM i Champions for Power

  January 25, 2021 Alex Woodie

  It’s the beginning of a new year, which means it’s time for IBM to roll out its new crop of Champions. For 2021, there are 95 individuals who can claim to be IBM Champions for Power, including 26 folks who have been named a Champion for the first time.

  Here are the 13 newly named IBM Champions for Power who have a connection with the IBM i:

  ---

  

  Marco Riva, a senior developer with Sirio, a business partner based in Italy. Riva is also a member and a blogger at FAQ400, an online community of IBM i professionals in Italy. …

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