• IBM Pulls The Plug On First Pass Power9 Entry Machines

  November 2, 2020 Timothy Prickett Morgan

  This is probably not a big deal to a lot of IBM i shops, but it might matter to service providers or enterprises with multiple machines that have been qualified by testing people, and to software vendors that need to certify their software on specific hardware platforms. And so we bring it up.

  The it we are talking about is in announcement letter 920-152, and it is the withdrawal of the original entry Power9 systems lineup, which IBM often calls the “scale out” machines because they are intended to be used for distributed computing clusters. But one company’s node …

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• FalconStor Offers ProtecTIER Migration Deal to IBM i Shops

  October 28, 2020 Alex Woodie

  FalconStor Software is ramping up a new program to help IBM i shops migrate away from their IBM ProtecTIER virtual tape library (VTL) devices, which IBM has killed. The migration program essentially provides an extra 12 months of support for ProtecTIER devices for $999 per month, giving IBM i shops more time to make the switch to FalconStor’s own StorSafe offering.

  On February 13, 2018, IBM announced a statement of direction to cease support for various ProtecTIER hardware devices and the software that runs on them. IBM’s plan called for it to stop selling the devices in in June 2018, …

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• Your CIO Wants To Move To The Cloud, Here’s How You Really Get There

  October 28, 2020 Dave Wiseman

  The Connectria team presents a three-part series addressing concerns IBM users have about the platform and its future. Part Three: How to work with your CIO who wants to move to the cloud.

  Last month, we continued our discussion of common concerns about the IBM platform by examining security as it pertains to Power Systems. A third and final concept to unpack is a big one – it’s how to address your CIO who wants to move to the cloud.

  When we think about digital transformation, yes, the esoteric buzzword we despise, does that concept fully encompass and explain what …

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• Kisco Locks Down IBM i Report Distribution

  October 28, 2020 Alex Woodie

  Users will gain more control over how their IBM i spool files are distributed and displayed, with a new release of WebReport/i, which is Kisco Information Systems’ spool file utility automatically reformatting and distributing spool files.

  WebReport/i can reformat IBM i spool files in a variety of different ways. It can change them into HTML, RTF, PDF, XLS, XLSX, TIF or CSV formats, and it can also distribute them via HTTP, FTP, email, Google Drive, Dropbox, and even fax.

  With Release 14, which was unveiled earlier this month, Kisco has shored up the security of the product. Specifically, when posting …

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• Four Hundred Monitor, October 28

  October 28, 2020 Jenny Thomas

  It can be argued that this whole year has been a horror story, but with Halloween right around the corner, COMMON is getting into the spirit with an online event featuring IBM i horror stories – and how to avoid them – in conjunction with HelpSystems. It’s happening tomorrow so check out the details in the first link of our Top Stories below if you’re interested. It’s interesting to see how quickly we’ve all adapted to virtual meetings, which is evident in our growing “Chats, Webinars, Seminars, Shows, and Other Happenings” section below. Check it out for the latest learning …

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• IBM i PTF Guide, Volume 22, Number 43

  October 28, 2020 Doug Bidwell

  Let’s start this edition of the IBM i PTF Guide with a few reminders. First, the new Technology Refreshes for IBM i 7.3 and IBM i 7.4 are going to be available on November 13, and so will the Tech Refresh Resaves related to them. Next, the IBM Systems TechU – The Virtual Edition takes place from October 26 through 29. You can find out more at this link.

  Next, there is a new Security Bulletin: BIND for IBM i is affected by CVE-2020-8622 and CVE-2020-8624, which is available at this link. The IBM i PTF numbers are: …

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• IBM i Turns In Good Numbers For Q3, Bolstering Power Systems

  October 26, 2020 Timothy Prickett Morgan

  Historically speaking, the Power Systems division, now the Cognitive Systems division officially within IBM, has its worst period of sales in the first quarter of any year and its second worst 13-week revenue run in the third quarter of any year. And true to form, the third quarter of 2020 was not a great one for sales of Power iron, according to our model. That model is derived from IBM’s financial results and other data, and we update it every quarter when Big Blue reports to Wall Street.

  Thanks to the fact that the Power9 generation of machines is entering …

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• The Many Layers Of IBM i Managed Services

  October 26, 2020 Timothy Prickett Morgan

  One size rarely fits all across datacenter sizes and industry types, and the needs of the IT department change because conditions in the business change over time and across geographies, too. And that is why it is important to find a managed service provider that has both wide and deep experience with any particular platform.

  Datanational’s Managed Services division is one of the early players in the IBM i space, and while its origins are in the American Midwest, its current operations spread out across the United States and span the globe from there. We recently profiled Datanational’s high availability …

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• Guru: SQL and Expanding Subfiles

  October 26, 2020 Ted Holt

  I’ve heard it said on more than one occasion that SQL does not work as well as record-level access (RLA) when loading subfiles. I understand why people feel that way. They’re usually thinking about repositioning to a key value, and there is no SETLL (Set Lower Limit) op code in an SQL cursor.

  Yet I think SQL is better, and today I’d like to share one case that I think presents a good illustration. I had in mind the expanding subfile. There’s a parallel between the two. Consider:

  • Every time you clear the subfile, you open a new cursor.
  • Every

  …

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• Unperspective: You’re Not All That

  October 26, 2020 Trevor Perry

  Some advice in life seems quite contradictory. In my book, Never Iron When You Are Naked, I have two pages next to each other titled (1) Eliminate Omphaloskepsis and (2) Indulge in Omphaloskepsis. This fascinating word simply means “navel gazing.” On one hand, I suggest you should stop gazing at your navel and get up and do something. On the other, I encourage you to find moments of quiet and solitude where you can balance and contemplate. In this column, I have another double-sided perspective to offer.

  In other columns, I have talked about self-centeredness. It’s a human trait …

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