Planet i

Are you using Amazon S3 and considering learning Grails? Or are you a Grails developer and beginning to look at Amazon S3?
Check out my Amazon article:
Building a Browser for Amazon S3 with Grails

First and foremost is the need to understand that data encryption can be extremely costly if not implemented properly. On rare occasions encrypted data can not be decrypted and is rendered useless. ...

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Sorry ... Let's start this week with an apology; we forgot to include the Web link for the Open Access example we published in Extra...

I'd like to thank Bill Schmidt for writing this blog article. Bill is the team leader of the IBM i Optimizing Translator team. Are you...

Greetings, readers. I’m on vacation, but I have a couple of good guest bloggers to take up the slack while I’m away. Today you get...

Do you run IBM i on Power? If not, when you upgrade to a new server, will you be running IBM i on Power? Certainly, if you want to be supported in terms of operating system, you will upgrade to IBM i 6.1 soon enough.

But, many customers have older servers, and older operating system versions. Most likely, those servers have a different name on them, and the OS will have a different name plastered all over. Since the older server and OS combinations run for a long time, reliably, secure, and with little to no maintenance, there are MANY companies who are not yet an IBM i on Power user. AS/400, iSeries, System i, OS/400, i5/OS rule!

It is very difficult to tell a user of i5/OS running on a System i 520 that they are using IBM i, and it is often difficult to convince them that it is no longer an AS/400. I just spent two weeks at two separate customers, and they had no idea what they were running – to them it was just/still an AS/400.

It is important for many reasons, that the community of customers who use our platform know what the platform is, and call it by the correct name. Most important, an AS/400 ~is~ old, and the platform detractors can use this information to rip and replace systems. IBM i on Power is modern, and confuses those detractors. Another huge advantage of having a community that believes in the same amazing platform is the outside perception of what we have. United, they want what we have. Divided, they laugh at us…

So, the challenge is to inform, communicate and encourage customers to understand their platform is IBM i, regardless of the name on the server or displayed in the operating system. And here is where IBM can help.

This morning, I took a tour of the ibm.com website looking for information about a product called IBM i Access. I started with attempting a url that I thought should work: www.ibm.com/ibmi and I got this:

I then tried: www.ibm.com/i and got….. well….. just go look!

I resorted to: www.ibm.com/as400 and found the IBM i page!!

I found the software page, and discovered the list I was looking for:
So far, so good.

I selected IBM i Access for Windows, and navigated here:

I thought I was doing well!

A closer look reveals that the title of the page does not match the contents!!

Later, after some navigation around these related pages, I stumbled onto this:

The green arrow represents correct branding, orange represents out-of-date branding, red represents incorrect branding.

Yes, IBM. Your branding is not consistent!

Of course, this is nothing new at all. It is very obvious that with the multiple names of servers and operating systems, confusion reigns mightily. For regular readers, I have been proposing that we should all get together and call the platform by the name that IBM currently calls it – today, that is IBM i on Power Systems. After years of advocacy, many leading pundits are starting to call the platform it by its IBM branding. Even Scott Klement jumped into the fray recently, suggesting “..every time folks use an obsolete name in a formal, professional context, they look like a fool.” The truth is, when I write about it in a blog entry, comment on another blog, or am quoted on the web, there are always a lot of ‘fools’ who wish to tell me I am wrong.

And, they are right! Whether or not the ‘fools’ call it AS/400, or call it “whatever name IBM has this week”, or speculate what the next name will be, they have reason. And the reason? IBM!

Call IBM support… they will ask what IBM i is? They know what AS/400 is… This ‘problem’ was identified to IBM long before IBM i was announced. Yet, IBM has not educated their support team on IBM i. Look at IBM’s website/s – as you can see in the example above, there is no consistency in their own branding. Only recently, I overheard an IBMer at a conference spouting “When did they change the name of the AS/400?”.

Out here in the community, there is a slow tide towards a consistent message about what this platform really IS. Inside IBM, that tide has not yet begun – just a few small waves. Certainly, we can read blogs from people like Steve Will and Dawn May, who consistently use the correct branding. Presentations at user group meetings and conferences from some IBMers are up to date and consistent. Regardless, IBM is not even close to getting it right.

So, IBM, when are you going to match your websites, your internal OS documentation, your support, your brochures, your marketing.. with your branding? Here are some suggestions that may help…

---

Suggestion 1. Create a Wiki page that defines the correct branding, and explains all the old names. Wikipedia is generally a bunch of lies and misinformation masquerading as truth, so IBM, write so the ‘fools’ will know the truth.

For example:
IBM i – the leading business operating system available today..
Power Systems – the premier commercially available server platform today.
IBM i on Power Systems - the best combination of computing power and operating system for business on the planet.

i – not a brand, and not really searchable on google, or bing. STOP IT!
Power i – a name that Dr. Frank and many Europeans are comfortable with.
AS/400 – an amazing server, whose heritage is well demonstrated in the Power Systems architecture.
OS/400 – commonly called AS/400, it is actually an operating system that ran the best application software. Replaced with i5/OS.
i5/OS – a stupid branding mistake, but still a leading OS.
iSeries – a name on a sticker on a server that was still referred to as an AS/400.
System i – a brand name for a server to hold on to the i heritage until we sorted out what to call this thing.
eServer – we deny all knowledge that this name ever existed.

… and so on

---

Suggestion 2. Create some cool marketing slogans, and place them EVERYwhere.

This is not your grandfather’s AS/400 – this is IBM i on Power.

Power Systems – what your AS/400 grew up to be.

IBM i – a googlicious name for a luscious operating system.

IBM i on Power – yeah, you want to be here.

---

IBM, it is time. Seriously!

Some of us have arrived, and we are waiting on you…

In V6R1, the QPWDRULES system value was created to give you more control of how a user profile password is constructed. In the prior release, a number of different system values offered this ability (e.g., QPWDMAXLEN controlled the maximum length of a password, QPWDRQDDGT enforced that there be a digit character, etc.). Having all password rules under the hood of one system value makes things a

You may have noticed, in recent months, that my blogging cadence has plummeted further and faster than BP's share price. This largesse was caused by spending whatever spare time I've had on helping to get the new LANSA blog off the ground. This has proven to be an exciting project and we are proud of the result: iOpener - Pushing the limits of IBM i and Microsoft technology This is not a

I may get berned at the steak by Swiss federalists for spouting hearsay, but I've heard some stories that I must share.

Those clever Swiss folks learned long ago that being neutral can have considerable political and economic benefits. Why choose sides when you can carve out a profitable niche in the middle?

This lesson can be equally well learned and applied to making IT decisions. I often find organisations defining themselves as an AS/400 or a .NET shop as though these are mutually exclusive identities. It's true that Rochester and Redmond are at almost opposite sides of the country, but their technology stacks can come together to form a happy place that I have christened Redchester.

Redchester is a place where teamwork produces better results than solo endeavor. In plain English, it's where the power of IBM's midrange systems meets the personal productivity benefits of Microsoft's product suite. In Redchester data flows freely but securely between systems so that each citizen always has the information they need where and when they need it.

The best news of all is that Redchester is not a fictional place, although, I confess, it is not the new capital of Switzerland. Recently  I came across a couple of real-life customer stories that brought the benefits of unifying the IBM and Microsoft stacks into sharp focus for me.

A vehicle manufacturer runs their ERP system on an IBM i server but uses Microsoft .NET technology for shop floor automation. They need to exchange data and call programs in real-time as vehicles move down the assembly line. A unique VIN number must be generated and stamped on the vehicle and then all corresponding vehicle data must be uploaded and stored against that unique reference. Any system failure could halt the production line and the data captured must be 100% accurate or else servicing the vehicle throughout its life could be fraught with problems.

We not only addressed these integration issues with an 'industrial strength' solution, but we did it in such a way that the two tribes of IBM and Microsoft experts did not have to encroach on each others' turf. Everyone is happily worshipping at their chosen altar, safe in the knowledge that our middleware keeps the assembly line  running.

Another great example of IBM and Microsoft technology working together in perfect harmony is an e-commerce solution for one of our other manufacturing clients. They had outsourced the development of their B2B web site to external consultants specialising in e-commerce solutions. Their on-line product catalogue - containing images, PDF documents, how-to videos - was built on an ASP.NET web server with data stored in SQL Server. The site is very functional and gives customers and dealers on-line access to an array of rich media. But their ERP system runs on an IBM i server and all customer, product and dealer records are stored in DB2/400.

By providing real-time integration between these incompatible systems we have been able to enable the straight-through processing of sales orders (no re-keying of data) and also ensure that all price and inventory information on the web site is bang up-to-date. For a technical overview of how all this magic is done you can check-out our specialist site: http://www.ifusion.net

Redchester is well worth a visit and if you need travel advice then just hollah. I know the guys who can take you there.
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Upgraded a server last night which took about 4 hours.  For a long time, my interactive job was in a SVFW status with 0% processor.  I took a look via WRKSYSACT and noticed a task called LDFX02 running there and just eating up the processor.  Of course, the setup wizard via Windows tells you it will happen, but gives no time estimate based on your current configuration.  However, I did the

Marinus Van Sandwyk Founder, CTO & Chief Enterprise Architect at TEMBO Technology Lab  a true professional who is  committed to his work with the highest integrity.

His company, together with Edgetec was instrumental in bringing the YiPs and COMMON to South Africa. They have also funded the PHP and RPG IV text books that are currently in use at VUT and have facilitated the special deal with the publishers and authors of the text books. Additionally they funded the speaking engagements of Trevor Perry on both official events so far.
 
 "The platform is even better than when it was announced. It is BY FAR the best commercial computing platform in the history of computing.  The more I work with it, the more I LOVE it.
 As YIPS, You  are our future and I am excited for you. You hold so much promise to the industry"
 
"The foundation the YiPs have received is very, very solid. The people have loads of enthusiasm and with the added additional technologies and products the latest intake at VUT has been exposed to, as yips you are getting even better!!
Any employer will do well to invest employing a YiP! TEMBO is exceedingly happy with the interns we have appointed and will certainly continue to employ future YiPs!"


YIPS: How long have you been working around Power Systems and IBM i (and predecessors)?

Van Sandwyk: Since 1983

YIPS: Who was your first mentor and how did they impact you?

Van Sandwyk: Mr. Howard Butler, my second boss. MONDI. He motivated the programmers to read reference manuals for at least 1 hour EVERY day.

YIPS: What was the first thing that made you excited about the platform?

Van Sandwyk: The integration between all elements and workmanagement structures.

YIPS: What was the most recent thing that made you excited about the platform?
 
Van Sandwyk: Integration between i, AIX and Linux. PHP on the i.

YIPS: What is the silliest Power or i-related event that has happened to you in your career?

Van Sandwyk: The constant renaming. And the installed base crying about split milk...

YIPS: What is the most important thing to happen to the platform in your career?

Van Sandwyk: The split between the hardware and OS. For the first time the OS will compete head-on with the other OSes - and WIN hands down every time...

YIPS: What do you see as the largest ever outside influence on the IBM i industry?

Van Sandwyk:  PHP and Linux

YIPS: Which person do you see as the largest ever influence on the IBM i?

Van Sandwyk: Dr. Frank Soltis, Dick Bains and Ray Hoffman (the architects of the "Future System" project, which culminated in the IBM System/38)

YIPS: What do you see as the biggest blunder IBM has ever made related to IBM i?

Van Sandwyk: Their constant renaming of the platform. And not supporting their business partners better.

YIPS: What do you see as the best thing IBM ever did for IBM i?

Van Sandwyk: Architecting the platform and OS.

YIPS: What is your favorite RPG op-code?

Van Sandwyk: Eish! I have not really coded in RPG for at least 12 years. :lol: Now you will realise how ancient my REAL programming knowledge are... :roll:
Probably %SCAN, %XLATE and %TRIMR.

YIPS: What is your favorite non-work related pastime?

Van Sandwyk: Dangerous game hunting.

YIPS: What do you see as the future of Power Systems and IBM i?

Van Sandwyk: BRIGHT!!

YIPS: What are you doing to ensure the future of Power Systems and IBM i?

Van Sandwyk: Helping COMMON Africa and YiPs Africa to establish themselves. Re-invigorate the local installed base.

YIPS: name of your web site?

Van Sandwyk: http://www.tembotechlab.org

YIPS: Why would anyone contact you?

Van Sandwyk: Ideas.

YIPS: What do you want to be when you grow up?

Van Sandwyk: The best person I can be is being a role model people can look up to. Living an authentic life and being a true disciple of Jesus Christ.

I work remote. You may work remote too. But as I was planning a trip to the corporate HQ I was asked to provide remedial IBM i training to some of our newer account reps. And the subject of the Samples directory came up. I know what you are thinking, yet another gratuitous post about Zend Server for IBM i, right? Of course it is. But this is beneficial to both paying and non-paying customers alike.

The samples directory that ships in the document root of Zend Server for IBM i has something that any company looking to explore PHP would like to see: free code! I have said several times that Zend Server for IBM i addresses many, not all, of the issues that IBM i shops have encountered. We fixed, enhanced or added a bunch of stuff to the product and the repose from those who have taken the plunge is overwhelmingly positive. The Samples directory addresses yet one more question raised by many an IBM i shop looking to explore PHP: How do I show my boss a PHP script running on MY machine? Lets’ explore each of the scripts available and how you can leverage them for your needs.

First let’s discuss the welcome page. Once you have Zend Server for IBM i installed and you start the Admin Interface (http://youribminamehere:10088/ZendServer) you are presented with a welcome screen. The screen lists 8 things that help you to learn PHP for IBM i. Option number 8 talks about the samples and all you need to do to see and run the sample code is click that link. Each has two links. The first runs the script and show the output. The second shows you the code that makes up the script. But if you have Zend Studio for IBM i handy you open up the Samples directory in the document root of your Zend Server instance.

I won’t go into boring detail about each of the scripts but it may be helpful to know that there are six examples. Hello World, SQL Access, SQL Access using Zend Framework, SQL Access to MySQL, Program Call and LDAP example. Let’s discuss the SQL Access script in more detail as that is my biggest requests: How do I show my boss some of our data in the web using PHP?
The SQL access example is no glamorous. But it does the necessary heavy lifting of going to a library on the IBM i, getting some data from a physical file and displaying it in an HTML table. The file in the example, SP_CUST, is located in the library ZENDSVR. This file contains several columns which are all requested via the SQL statement in the code example. Only customers with a customer ID greater than 1220 are selected from the database. Then, as the resultant data set is processed, each record is formatted to load into an HTML table. There are examples of error control and basic PHP and database control. A nice script for newbies.

For those of you who are adventurous, you can copy this script and modify it to display some of your very own data. There are only two changes you would really need to make. The first is in the SQL statement where you would create your own select option. The second is in the bind statement as you can omit or alter the lower-limit selection of the SQL statement. The rest of the code will generate the HTML table automatically. Please copy the PHP code and then modify it. Don’t destroy the original as you may want to get back to it at some point.

Well, I hope this helps a few of you who are thinking about kicking the tires of PHP. Like many other aspects of the PHP experience on IBM i, there is no charge for this feature. But if you are interested and having fun, I encourage you to take the next step and play some more. Maybe get a little education at Zend or SystemiNetwork. We’d love to see you there!

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My introduction into Global Data Synchronization started in 2002 as an IT manager for an early adopter of Global Data Synchronization Network (GDSN) standards in the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry. At the time, CPG companies were the only sector actively synchronizing item data in the United States. Since then, GDSN adoption has expanded to many other sectors with the latest entrants being Food Service and Healthcare. (If you are new to GDSN, check out our Jargon Buster page.)

I’ve just returned from a very busy, well attended U Connect 2010 conference held in San Antonio where this increased activity was evident.

As GS1 US celebrated their 10th year for the conference, it was obvious that there were a lot of new companies in attendance. It was exciting to see how the momentum has picked-up for the GDSN initiative and how the standards are being adopted by more and more companies as a better way of doing business. There are now more than 5 million GTINs (unique trade items) in the GDSN network, exchanged between 92 countries!  (Find the latest stats by opening this PDF version of the GS1 Global Registry Statistics report.)

The LANSA team met throughout the week with companies at all stages of adopting Data Synchronization methods and tools. We have many customers that have been using the standards for a number of years that are looking to expand the use of attributes, increase the use of integration with their ERP and/or PIM (Product Information Management) systems and increase the number of trading partners they exchange item data with. For the newer entrants, they are learning from the companies that have come before and are looking for integrated, smart solutions right out of the gate so they get the most value for their investments.

While at the conference, I attended Food Service sessions and workgroup meetings. This sector is very active, has completed an initial pilot and are ready to start moving forward with broad-scale adoption. The standards in place will work for them, with a few new attributes being added to the GS1 standards in the fall. The biggest challenge they have is that many items sold in the Food Service industry are not bar-coded, so assigning GTINs is more challenging.

The Healthcare industry is at an earlier stage of adoption. The current focus is on assigning Global Location Numbers (GLNs), but there is a Sunrise date to adopt GTIN use for Healthcare by the end of 2012. Many of the attendees from the Healthcare industry are where I was with understanding data synchronization about 8 years ago. They have been hearing about GDSN, learning how the standards can benefit their organization, trying to figure out all the new acronyms, and determining how to apply those standards to their business in the most efficient manner. They have a similar challenge that Food Service is experiencing where many items are not currently bar-coded. They also have complex supply chains, so the exchange of item information needs to be repeatable as the information travels from the starting point to the end point. This was a similar challenge that the Alcohol and Beverage industry faced a few years ago with distributors in the middle tier. The standards and tools have been built to allow parties to be on both the supply and demand side, so this will be of great value in this sector. The benefits of being able to identify Healthcare items in a standard manner will greatly increase the accuracy of data, the cost of doing business and the safety of their patients. This sector is expected to show exponential growth in GDSN adoption over the next few years.

Overall, the adoption of GDSN standards has gone mainstream. With so many sectors being actively implemented, this makes it easier for new sectors to join more efficiently. The true benefits are being realized for those entities that are fully integrated between their back-end systems (like ERP) and their Data Pools, allowing a single point of entry for their item information. This is where the product that I am responsible for (LANSA Data Sync Direct) fits into the whole GDSN puzzle.

I would be interested in hearing about your experiences with GDSN.  Do you have any GDSN stories to share?  What are the biggest challenges you or your company are facing relating to item synchronization? What challenges are you facing with integrating your company item information with GDSN?
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In this article I talk a little about what the QIBM_QDB_OPEN exit point does, what it can be used for and a word of caution when implementing an associated exit program.  Exit points are very powerful tools but you must be careful not to do more damage than good, no matter which tool you use. Here's the link to the article.  Comments are always welcome.

Boy oh boy... I'd say a good 10% of my DASD was leftover save files from installations, upgrades, customizations, etc., by vendors.  Copies of production libraries in save files that lay hidden away until you feel the storage limit crunch.  You need to run this and behold the crap every few months: WRKF FILE(*ALL/*ALL) FILEATR(SAVF)

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Before we begin, a belated Happy 4th of July to our U.S. readers and an even more belated Happy Canada Day to our fellow Canadians....

Customers with IBM i have a unique advantage. They can continue to run code that is up to 30 years (or so) old. All the business logic built into application systems that have run the company well can be leveraged by the IT department to reduce costs. Replacing ERP systems any time some vendor, competitor or golf partner of an executive decides, can be costly, time-consuming, and improve the effectiveness of the application by not much at all.

Of course, using that advantage as an excuse to continue writing code like you have done in the past is simply unacceptable. While IT can leverage its investment in software, keeping up to date and using modern approaches to application development will mean a business can remain agile and competitive. Keeping IT costs to their effective minimum does not mean doing the same old thing, but keeping up to date, learning every day, and providing the business the best service possible.

Nothing drives this point home more than the iPad. “What?” you cry! “How can a tablet for book reading really make me want to keep my IT modern?” A simple answer is for you to go to an Apple store, and play with an iPad. Even better, borrow an iPad from a friend, acquaintance, or stranger, and spend just a couple of minutes with one of the cool apps.

The more complex answer starts with the state of computing. Just after Apple released the iPad, Bill Gates and Steve Baumer decried it as a tool that is just not what they want today. Their best excuse, among the litany of ‘complaints’, was that you could not take notes on the iPad when you are in a meeting or a lecture. I wonder if there was a stylus – similar to what Microsoft want you to use – would Gates and Ballmer like the iPad? Steve Jobs declared the iPad was end of the PC as we know it, and used trucks and cars as his analogy, and that threw Ballmer into a tizzy. It seems like something important is happening here.

In fact, Microsoft have a product called Surface, which is simply just another means of using your fingers for input. Bill Gates also demonstrated the Touch Wall a couple of years ago where both hands can be used for interacting. You would think the iPad would be their new favorite toy! I bet they both have one…

While it seems an assumption that the iPad is really a game changer in terms of computer-human interaction, this is not far from the truth. The follow-on devices from the competition are coming fast. Google’s Android OS makes life easier for device manufacturers to get in the game. Starting with the Alex from Spring Design, e-book readers are getting smarter, the nook price reduction has just caused a drop in their price across the board. Tablets are next, with Samsung and LG preparing theirs, and Cisco’s Cius causing all kinds of excitement.

With all these devices available to the public, everyone – and literally EVERYone – will have some means of human-computer interaction, and therefore human-internet interaction – in their pocket, bag, purse or iPad pocket. And next, they will want to bring them to work, and USE them in their job. Several companies are allowing users to bring their own computing devices to work to replace their supplied desktop or laptop. Kraft even provides a stipend to incent employees to participate in their BYOC program.

What does this mean to you? First, does your infrastructure and architecture allow for access to your applications with these new devices? Can executives, employees, customers, vendors, and partners access the applications they need to do their job for the business? Second, what are you doing to prepare yourself for the future of computing?

Certainly, the first question is a business problem that can be solved with some effort, but is not outside our job description. As I assist companies in their modernization efforts, as I speak on modernization to many user groups and organizations, I find that there are still a lot of questions being asked by IT departments on how to move forward. Without moving forward, our 30 year old legacy code will simply not suffice in a new world of iPads, tablets, surfaces and walls that are the future of interaction with the information to be extracted from our applications.

The second question is the most interesting to me. I see IT people who are new to our industry being excited, passionate, energetic and looking forward to the future. And some of us who have been around “for a while” – no names, no dates – retain the passion and enthusiasm that led them to IT in the first place. A large part of the IBM i skilled population seem stuck in some glorious past, where UIM and DDS reign supreme. There are definitely tools that are in your kit, but many of them should be a little dustier these days.

Ask yourself these questions.

- Do you believe you are working on an AS/400, an iSeries, or a System i?

- Are you coding with the same approach as the day/month/year you started?

- Do you have little desire to move on with your skill set?

- Are you ready to retire from your job?

- Do you complain bitterly about IBM and repeated name changes?

- Has it been ten years since you learned a new coding technique?

- Do you avoid sharing new things with other IBM i technologists?

- Do you stay at home when the local user group meeting topic is not to your liking?

- Did you forget how passionate you were about this platform in your early years?

While there are 400 more questions to be asked here, if the majority of your answers were affirmative, then you have some thinking to do. Maybe it is time to retire to your vineyard, to your garage, garden or toolshed. Or maybe, just maybe, it is time to learn something NEW. And, while you are doing it, find an intern who has learned RPG recently to be your shadow! And if there are no RPG interns to hire, ask your local colleges for them.

If the future of IT is taking so many turns, in such a short timeframe, that you cannot see far enough ahead of you, it is time. Time to take action. Time to rediscover your passion. And time to get an iPad. Purely for research, of course…

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You probably won’t notice but I have changed the server running this blog.  We now have Zend Server running our PHP applications rather than Zend Core.  Lost on you but not on me is that the configuration is now MUCH simpler to maintain.  I am not managing multiple Apache instances and no longer have to deal with PASE.

As an FYI to others that go this route, just treat the http.conf file like any other Apache configuration file and all will be well.  Very pleased that the move was so trouble free (well, once I figured it out).

Next challenge is the upgrade WordPress itself.  I have usually ended up running WP updates manually because of of authority issues with the way the Automatic Update routine runs, but you can pretty much guess that the next post will be on WP 3.0.  Now that the management of the i instance is so much easier, I plan to move the rest of the PHP and Apache applications to the i.  If I could get Glassfish to run on i, I’d move my Glassfish apps as well.  Apache, PHP, Ruby, JRuby and Tomcat all run nicely on i.

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