The IT Jungle

Database Deficiencies Not Only a Hardware Solution

September 9, 2014 Dan Burger

Database deficiencies can often be masked by server horsepower. But at some point, powerful servers are unable to keep response times in the sub-second category. When companies get maxed out on hardware, software and databases start getting the attention. And in the IBM midrange, the term database modernization creeps into conversations. David Andruchuk likes to be part of those conversations. His company, CSDA, provides a database modernization service for a performance bump and also for business flexibility.

Database modernization tends to focus on converting DDS-based files to DDL-based files. “It’s easy to modify DDS code to DDL code,” Andruchuk

JD Edwards Gets 57 New Mobile Apps

September 9, 2014 Alex Woodie

You’ve heard of ’57 Chevys and Heinz 57. Now Oracle is taking a whack at the number by delivering 57 new mobile apps for the JD Edwards ERP system.

As you might expect, the new mobile apps that Oracle unveiled in late July work only with the EnterpriseOne ERP system. While the company two years ago said they were evaluating the creation of mobile apps for World, which runs only on the IBM i OS, it has yet to deliver any. EnterpriseOne, of course, runs on IBM i, Linux, and Unix OSes.

New app areas include: Asset Lifecycle Management, Service

Food Company Gets a Leg Up on Errors with CCSS

September 9, 2014 Alex Woodie

From time to time, a processing error would cause a truck to leave the Lipari Foods warehouse before electronic invoices were generated, which would sometimes lead to stores refusing delivery. Now, thanks to system monitoring software from CCSS, errors like this can be detected before they cause problems.

Lipari Foods is a Michigan-based food distributor that delivers deli, bakery, packaging, seafood, confections, and groceries. Millions of square feet of warehouse space and a fleet of semi-trucks enable it to serve customers spanning 12 Midwestern states.

A heavy reliance on Power Systems servers and IBM i software enables the family-owned

Raz-Lee Makes Moves in UK and Latin America

September 9, 2014 Alex Woodie

IBM i security software developer Raz-Lee Security bolstered its international presence this month with the appointment of a UK-based reseller and the hiring of a sales manager for Latin America.

Raz-Lee’s partnership with Proxmity will enhance the software company’s presence in the UK and Ireland–and possibly Scotland, if that country gains its independence.

Based in the central English cities of Nottingham and Leeds, Proximity specializes in providing IBM i technical services. The company is also a reseller for BCD Software (now part of Quadrant Software) and is the only accredited partner in the UK for Infor ERP LX and

MPG Squeezes Entire IBM i Server Lineup Into Mobile App

September 9, 2014 Alex Woodie

If you sell IBM Power Systems hardware or are doing any kind of capacity planning on them for customers, Midrange Performance Group‘s new Power Systems Navigator might just be the must-have mobile app of the year. The free app lets you browse the entire library of Power Systems hardware and see the dirty details on each one. For $20 more, you get to compare the servers to your current one.

The new app, dubbed Power Systems Navigator by MPG, runs on iOS and contains a database of information about 1,802 different Power server configurations–basically every AS/400, iSeries, System i,

IvanDoc Gives IBM i Documentation Tool a Web Interface

September 9, 2014 Alex Woodie

Earlier this year, a Malaysian software company by the name of IvanDoc Software Services completed the first implementation of IvanDoc Documentation, its IBM i cross-referencing and documentation tool that generates HTML output. The company is looking to get traction with IBM i shops around the world as they embark upon application modernization projects.

Documentation tools are indispensable for programmers that need to develop or maintain IBM i applications, especially when they confront an unknown IBM i application that lacks good documentation. Knowing how the internals of an RPG or CL application work and the various dependencies that may exist can

Quadrant Debuts New BI Bundle: Business i

September 9, 2014 Alex Woodie

Quadrant Software last week unveiled Business i, a new bundle of business intelligence and reporting tools aimed at IBM i shops. The new offering, which has its roots in the BI tools of BCD Software (now a Quadrant subsidiary), helps users extract data from DB2 for i and other sources, create ad hoc reports, and deliver them via secure Web-based dashboards–all without requiring much involvement by the IT staff.

Business i provides a collection of BI and reporting tools aimed at helping connect business people with the data they need to make decisions. The software features a Web-based interface that

Rocket Schemes DevOps Serenity with Aldon ALM Hub

September 9, 2014 Alex Woodie

Many organizations–even IBM i shops–are adopting agile development methods. While this approach has advantages, it creates friction with the operations folks tasked with getting changes into production. Last month, Rocket Software‘s Aldon division started rolling out its new ALM Hub functionality to help the two sides collaborate more effectively while still respecting separation-of-duty requirements.

The two sides of the DevOps equation must work closely to successfully implement changes. Given the complexity and interconnectedness of today’s enterprise systems and the penalties for screwing up, collaboration is absolutely critical. And yet, developers and operators are mandated by laws like Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA,

SunGard Gives IBM i App New Life with LANSA

September 9, 2014 Alex Woodie

There was a concern among the executives at SunGard Public Sector that the IBM i-based NaviLine product line was getting a bit long in the tooth. Customers were complaining about tired UIs, the company had just rolled out a new Windows app that does pretty much the same thing, and there was some hesitation to invest in it. But now that the first round of a major rewrite using Visual LANSA is complete, it’s apparent that the sturdy old app has some life left in it after all.

Development on the NaviLine public sector application goes back decades at SunGard