Planet i

All,

This blog is dedicated to iSeries modernization issues.  I have another blog that I post to on platform independent issues concerning the state of business systems today and the lack of direction in the market place by leading vendors for business systems.

You might find this interesting:  It is called "Computer Systems Today" -- check it out.

Bob Cancilla, Principal
RJ Cancilla & Associates

Office:     916-226-4951
Mobile:    562-290-2849
Fax:                916-690-8453
eMail:        rcancill@mac.com
Skype:    bob_cancilla

Read the original at Bob Cancilla on IBM i.

All,

This blog is dedicated to iSeries modernization issues.  I have another blog that I post to on platform independent issues concerning the state of business systems today and the lack of direction in the market place by leading vendors for business systems.

You might find this interesting:  It is called "Computer Systems Today" -- check it out.

Bob Cancilla, Principal
RJ Cancilla & Associates

Office:     916-226-4951
Mobile:    562-290-2849
Fax:                916-690-8453
eMail:        rcancill@mac.com
Skype:    bob_cancilla

Read the original at Bob Cancilla on IBM i.

IBM i customers tend to hear very little about the Virtualization Engine at IBM i centric events or from IBM i sales representatives or partners.  If you search the web with a focus on Power Systems you will see a great deal about the Virtualization Engine, especially in relation to running Power Linux and AIX.

The Virtualization Engine offers you the ability to run a mix of IBM i, AIX, and Power Linux operating systems in virtual machines or LPAR’s on your POWER5 or POWER6 machine.  You can now run an LPAR from as little as 1/10th of one processor to 64 processors depending on your system.  Your Processor allocation, memory, DASD, and Network connectivity are all now dynamic and may be allocated and changed in real time for any LPAR you are running in the system. 

You have a wealth of options on how to configure and share resources giving you tremendous control over the system with the ability to prioritize workloads.

The five brands of IBM Software Group (WebSphere, Information Management, Lotus, Rational, and Tivoli) all support AIX and LINUX on power systems as well as the attached Intel processors where you can add support for Microsoft Windows if you wish. Note that all of the software group brands are building new and enhanced software for AIX and Power LINUX.  I am not aware of any new software products running on i other than Rational's Team Concert for IBM i released in December 2008.  Note that IBM Information Management continues to support the integrated DB2 database on IBM i and Web Query on i. 

Major enhancements to IBM i 6.1 from i5/OS V5R4 enable IBM i to now utilize external Storage Area Network (SAN) devices where i5/OS V5R4 could not. Let me clarify.  i5/OS V5R1 and subsequent releases could interoprate with IBM's SHARK, but not with a smaller SAN.  There were also limitations in the implementation of DASD technology and you could not virtualize multiple i5/OS LPARs across shared DASD as you can at IBM i 6.1 and the new Power5/6 machines. It also enables IBM i to dynamically share DASD across LPARS unlike V5R4.

The Virtualization Engine with LINUX or AIX allows you to create separate machines for specific purposes (i.e. one for IBM i, another for your WebSphere Application Server, another for the Apache HTTP Server, and perhaps another for Lotus Domino).  You can allocate resources and adjust performance based on the business priority of your workloads.  The integrated high-speed internal connectivity between machines provides high-speed communications between machines.

If hiring an AIX or LINUX expert is a problem, can outsource management of this environment to IBM who for a reasonable monthly fee will monitor and manage your environment remotely via secure communications. 

IBM is making significant investment in the Virtualization Engine based technology and in a number of articles talks about a 10 year development plan and strategy which may at some point in the future include zOS.

Modernization

So how does the Virtualization Engine affect a modernization strategy?  You can move your web applications and related servers off you IBM i LPAR and into high performance LPARS running either one or more AIX or Power Linux and gradually migrate from IBM i centric to Java or other language based applications running in the LPAR’s. 

There are a number of vendors including IBM and Databorough Ltd, that can assist in migrating from RPG, COBOL, or Synon/2e to Java or other languages that run on Power Linux or AIX. 

You can leverage your existing Power Systems hardware and create a progressive modernization strategy that allows you to focus on key objectives and gradually move to a platform neutral environment running on an open source Power Linux environment. 

What about Linux?

A few years ago, I would have argued that you not to use an open source operating system.  Today, my attitudes toward open source have changed greatly as Open Source organizations have matured.  Today IBM supports Linux across their full line of machines. Linux is also supported on machines of IBM competitors such as HP and Sun.

There is a large pool of highly skilled Linux expertise both as individuals available as employees and as consultants working for a 3rd party.  Another key issue is how the Open Source Community control builds of their software.  Today there is always a stable build that is well tested that supports the majority of the community.  New or experimental releases are isolated form the stable builds of the software and clearly marked as emerging technology.

Articles on the Virtualization Engine

Linux web publication: WebHostGear.com -- September 22, 2009
Redbook:  IBM PowerVM Virtualization Managing and Monitoring, March 12, 2009
The Register - March 3, 2009 -- Virtualization soars on Big Blue Power Boxes
IBM's IBM PowerVM web site -- Look at the "learn more" area and watch the video Comprehensive virtualization technologies with Jeff Howard, Director Platform Marketing, Power Systems.

Read the original at Bob Cancilla on IBM i.

IBM i customers tend to hear very little about the Virtualization Engine at IBM i centric events or from IBM i sales representatives or partners.  If you search the web with a focus on Power Systems you will see a great deal about the Virtualization Engine, especially in relation to running Power Linux and AIX.

The Virtualization Engine offers you the ability to run a mix of IBM i, AIX, and Power Linux operating systems in virtual machines or LPAR’s on your POWER5 or POWER6 machine.  You can now run an LPAR from as little as 1/10th of one processor to 64 processors depending on your system.  Your Processor allocation, memory, DASD, and Network connectivity are all now dynamic and may be allocated and changed in real time for any LPAR you are running in the system. 

You have a wealth of options on how to configure and share resources giving you tremendous control over the system with the ability to prioritize workloads.

The five brands of IBM Software Group (WebSphere, Information Management, Lotus, Rational, and Tivoli) all support AIX and LINUX on power systems as well as the attached Intel processors where you can add support for Microsoft Windows if you wish. Note that all of the software group brands are building new and enhanced software for AIX and Power LINUX.  I am not aware of any new software products running on i other than Rational's Team Concert for IBM i released in December 2008.  Note that IBM Information Management continues to support the integrated DB2 database on IBM i and Web Query on i. 

Major enhancements to IBM i 6.1 from i5/OS V5R4 enable IBM i to now utilize external Storage Area Network (SAN) devices where i5/OS V5R4 could not. Let me clarify.  i5/OS V5R1 and subsequent releases could interoprate with IBM's SHARK, but not with a smaller SAN.  There were also limitations in the implementation of DASD technology and you could not virtualize multiple i5/OS LPARs across shared DASD as you can at IBM i 6.1 and the new Power5/6 machines. It also enables IBM i to dynamically share DASD across LPARS unlike V5R4.

The Virtualization Engine with LINUX or AIX allows you to create separate machines for specific purposes (i.e. one for IBM i, another for your WebSphere Application Server, another for the Apache HTTP Server, and perhaps another for Lotus Domino).  You can allocate resources and adjust performance based on the business priority of your workloads.  The integrated high-speed internal connectivity between machines provides high-speed communications between machines.

If hiring an AIX or LINUX expert is a problem, can outsource management of this environment to IBM who for a reasonable monthly fee will monitor and manage your environment remotely via secure communications. 

IBM is making significant investment in the Virtualization Engine based technology and in a number of articles talks about a 10 year development plan and strategy which may at some point in the future include zOS.

Modernization

So how does the Virtualization Engine affect a modernization strategy?  You can move your web applications and related servers off you IBM i LPAR and into high performance LPARS running either one or more AIX or Power Linux and gradually migrate from IBM i centric to Java or other language based applications running in the LPAR’s. 

There are a number of vendors including IBM and Databorough Ltd, that can assist in migrating from RPG, COBOL, or Synon/2e to Java or other languages that run on Power Linux or AIX. 

You can leverage your existing Power Systems hardware and create a progressive modernization strategy that allows you to focus on key objectives and gradually move to a platform neutral environment running on an open source Power Linux environment. 

What about Linux?

A few years ago, I would have argued that you not to use an open source operating system.  Today, my attitudes toward open source have changed greatly as Open Source organizations have matured.  Today IBM supports Linux across their full line of machines. Linux is also supported on machines of IBM competitors such as HP and Sun.

There is a large pool of highly skilled Linux expertise both as individuals available as employees and as consultants working for a 3rd party.  Another key issue is how the Open Source Community control builds of their software.  Today there is always a stable build that is well tested that supports the majority of the community.  New or experimental releases are isolated form the stable builds of the software and clearly marked as emerging technology.

Articles on the Virtualization Engine

Linux web publication: WebHostGear.com -- September 22, 2009
Redbook:  IBM PowerVM Virtualization Managing and Monitoring, March 12, 2009
The Register - March 3, 2009 -- Virtualization soars on Big Blue Power Boxes
IBM's IBM PowerVM web site -- Look at the "learn more" area and watch the video Comprehensive virtualization technologies with Jeff Howard, Director Platform Marketing, Power Systems.

Read the original at Bob Cancilla on IBM i.

So are you staying on the IBM i? With downturned economies, abandoned maintenance renewals, layoffs and slashed budgets I wonder if you will stick with IBM i. We have all known for years that the TCA (Total Cost of Acquisition) for IBM i is not terribly competitive while the TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) is more in line with what you might pay for a real server or server farm. But the advent of server virtualization and more and more ubiquitous software in the Linux and Windows realm have made a serious dent in that philosophy. I wonder, are you staying on IBM i?

For years I have worked with the local user group in Chicago called The Omni User. Just in my tenure we have had countless speakers come from all parts of the IBM i community and geography. Folks like Alison Butterill, Al Grega, Jon Paris and Susan Gantner, Randall Munson, Larry Bolhuis and many, many more. Even I have picked up a session or two at a dinner meeting or one-day conference. But some years ago I recall a keynote at one of our annual conferences given by Dr. Frank Soltis. It was truly one of the more memorable presentations I have seen in a while. I must say I have gleaned quite a bit from his books and talks that I now know the folks there as well as my own kids! And, I rarely miss the opportunity to see him talk. One of my favorites was a COMMON opening session when he came out, placed his laptop down on the table, opened it and showed everyon in the audience the Apple logo on the front. The crowd went wild and his only response was: “of course you would expect I am going to run something reliable…”

At the Omni event, Dr. Frank was discussing the R&D group of IBM Rochester. He was talking about all the wonderful things being developed behind the scenes. All of it sounded exciting and then he made a point about Windows and Microsoft. The point he made was that IBM Rochester could not sit back and the could not sleep, that they absolutely HAD to focus on bringing new solutions to the market because Microsoft would eventually catch up. He said that Microsoft would eventually put out an OS that did not require daily reboots and weekly patches. Well, maybe he was half right. The folks at Microsoft have come out with better server software and now own the lion’s share of the server market. Dr Frank is a tremendous observer.

So I wonder, will you stay on IBM i? Has the Intel space captured you, even a little? Usually it starts out with a file server, something that is rather small and harmless. Then you discover the benefits of Active Directory and think “OK, What’s a couple more servers”. Especially when you consider how important authentication is to the organization you are told by EVERY Microsoft BP to “cluster” your AD. Then a specialty server or two, maybe even a SQL Server to satisfy the back end of a Sharepoint application. And then it begins. A user asks a developer if they can have the same data in SQL Server as they have on i5. The reasons are numerous and unnecessary for the purpose of this writing, but we have heard them all. Maybe you used DTS and moved to the new SSIS for replicating i5 data. You mused when the folks talked about how much more useful the data is here than on the i5. Then it comes, a new CIO.

I have joked around about the 3 year CIO in many presentations and writings. I have seen these individuals and they are numerous and plentiful. They are focus on a simple agenda: Year 1: Honeymoon and quick hits. Maybe they shake up the department with staff changes and a simple solution for a couple of key users in the organization. Usually loud key users are sought out at this point. During this time she is building up momentum and groupthink for the big project. Year two is the initiation of the big project. Something exciting like a new ERP would do the trick. Does the organization need a new ERP? That should depend on many things from a practical perspective. But we are not dealing with practical, here. From a functional aspect, a new ERP should be warranted when the needs of the company outweigh the capabilities of the software and a reasonable attempt by the IT department to keep up with the changes. Like a discreet manufacturer moving to process manufacturing, or something like that. But what I see more and more is the comment: “The AS/400 and the green screen are just not strategic…” In many cases I wish there was an IT police department I could call to have a restraining order put out on some of these guys. But, alas we cannot legislate stupidity.

Trevor, if you are reading, don’t send me any notes about the naming. I am just writing what I hear and see. And the 3-year CIO will never call it by its correct name. It is to their advantage to use the old name as they are trying to connote the “ancient” nature of the IBM i. It is a tumultuous ride during this second year and if all goes well, the 3 year CIO starts to prepare her resume for the next 3-year gig somewhere else. Certainly, there are variations on this where the CIO may last 4-5 years. But eventually they get bored and move onto look at a new challenge.

Can you hang on to your IBM i through the tenure of the 3-year CIO? I would guess that you wouldn’t. Primarily because the 3-year CIO is cost justifying all the new systems based upon the upgrade costs and maintenance fees of the IBM i. (TCA vs. TCO) And how many CIO's are reporting to the CFO? And what CFO wouldn’t be attracted to the smell of fresh cut costs? It’s like catnip to the tabby crawling around my feet as I write this.

Then there is the long term CIO who “gets it”. They understand the value of server consolidation. They appreciate the maintenance costs for the machine that really doesn’t need a full time administrator, in most shops. One of our customers has truly enjoyed thinking strategically. This customer went from a 3-year CIO to a more strategic CIO. The new CIO who took over from the 3-year CIO was presented with a contract to implement a very large German based ERP with a three letter acronym. This CIO wisely said “I’m not signing that without doing my own due diligence!” I love this guy, already!

The new CIO wanders down to the IT department where the news of the new ERP was causing the RPG developers to dust off the only useful Microsoft application at a time like this: Word - in preparation for the latest iteration of their respective resumes. He asks the IT guys “what’s up with this ERP project and what alternatives are there?” The CIO reiterated that the primary complaint about the existing system was the perception that it was old due to the prevalence of green screens. The IT guys looked at each other, dropped their resumes, and said “We’ve been playing around with PHP on a Linux box over there and I just heard that IBM is now supporting PHP on the i. The CIO gave the order to build and develop a pilot project.

The IT guys dug in and installed Zend Core on their System i at V5R4. In a couple of weeks they had GUI interfaces with data and charts and all kinds of demos for the CIO. Nothing earth shattering, but it was significant. The CIO was impressed and said “OK, How long to convert the whole shooting match?” The IT guys responded with ‘do you mean EVERYTHING?” The CIO nodded in the affirmative. So the IT guys headed back to the drawing board and developed an aggressive plan. A plan, by the way, that would take half the time and a fraction of the cost of the new ERP system. The IT guys not only built the plan, but they delivered the goods on time and just a little over budget (within 10 points). Try that with your ERP implementation!

The more I work with IBM i customers, the more I hear stories like these. PHP on IBM i is giving companies new hope and fresh approach to opportunities. Many of these opportunities have always been there with tactical tools and Java, CGI, etc. But PHP brings world class power within the reach of the RPG developer along with a roadmap that the CIO can fine tune to the needs of the organization. That is not to say that a new ERP might still be in order for some companies, but it does beg the question: Is your CIO on the three year track?
The moral of the story is that the new CIO should be embraced and not be feared. At least until year 2!

Read the original at Mike's IBM i PHP blog and more....

So are you staying on the IBM i? With downturned economies, abandoned maintenance renewals, layoffs and slashed budgets I wonder if you will stick with IBM i. We have all known for years that the TCA (Total Cost of Acquisition) for IBM i is not terribly competitive while the TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) is more in line with what you might pay for a real server or server farm. But the advent of server virtualization and more and more ubiquitous software in the Linux and Windows realm have made a serious dent in that philosophy. I wonder, are you staying on IBM i?

For years I have worked with the local user group in Chicago called The Omni User. Just in my tenure we have had countless speakers come from all parts of the IBM i community and geography. Folks like Alison Butterill, Al Grega, Jon Paris and Susan Gantner, Randall Munson, Larry Bolhuis and many, many more. Even I have picked up a session or two at a dinner meeting or one-day conference. But some years ago I recall a keynote at one of our annual conferences given by Dr. Frank Soltis. It was truly one of the more memorable presentations I have seen in a while. I must say I have gleaned quite a bit from his books and talks that I now know the folks there as well as my own kids! And, I rarely miss the opportunity to see him talk. One of my favorites was a COMMON opening session when he came out, placed his laptop down on the table, opened it and showed everyon in the audience the Apple logo on the front. The crowd went wild and his only response was: “of course you would expect I am going to run something reliable…”

At the Omni event, Dr. Frank was discussing the R&D group of IBM Rochester. He was talking about all the wonderful things being developed behind the scenes. All of it sounded exciting and then he made a point about Windows and Microsoft. The point he made was that IBM Rochester could not sit back and the could not sleep, that they absolutely HAD to focus on bringing new solutions to the market because Microsoft would eventually catch up. He said that Microsoft would eventually put out an OS that did not require daily reboots and weekly patches. Well, maybe he was half right. The folks at Microsoft have come out with better server software and now own the lion’s share of the server market. Dr Frank is a tremendous observer.

So I wonder, will you stay on IBM i? Has the Intel space captured you, even a little? Usually it starts out with a file server, something that is rather small and harmless. Then you discover the benefits of Active Directory and think “OK, What’s a couple more servers”. Especially when you consider how important authentication is to the organization you are told by EVERY Microsoft BP to “cluster” your AD. Then a specialty server or two, maybe even a SQL Server to satisfy the back end of a Sharepoint application. And then it begins. A user asks a developer if they can have the same data in SQL Server as they have on i5. The reasons are numerous and unnecessary for the purpose of this writing, but we have heard them all. Maybe you used DTS and moved to the new SSIS for replicating i5 data. You mused when the folks talked about how much more useful the data is here than on the i5. Then it comes, a new CIO.

I have joked around about the 3 year CIO in many presentations and writings. I have seen these individuals and they are numerous and plentiful. They are focus on a simple agenda: Year 1: Honeymoon and quick hits. Maybe they shake up the department with staff changes and a simple solution for a couple of key users in the organization. Usually loud key users are sought out at this point. During this time she is building up momentum and groupthink for the big project. Year two is the initiation of the big project. Something exciting like a new ERP would do the trick. Does the organization need a new ERP? That should depend on many things from a practical perspective. But we are not dealing with practical, here. From a functional aspect, a new ERP should be warranted when the needs of the company outweigh the capabilities of the software and a reasonable attempt by the IT department to keep up with the changes. Like a discreet manufacturer moving to process manufacturing, or something like that. But what I see more and more is the comment: “The AS/400 and the green screen are just not strategic…” In many cases I wish there was an IT police department I could call to have a restraining order put out on some of these guys. But, alas we cannot legislate stupidity.

Trevor, if you are reading, don’t send me any notes about the naming. I am just writing what I hear and see. And the 3-year CIO will never call it by its correct name. It is to their advantage to use the old name as they are trying to connote the “ancient” nature of the IBM i. It is a tumultuous ride during this second year and if all goes well, the 3 year CIO starts to prepare her resume for the next 3-year gig somewhere else. Certainly, there are variations on this where the CIO may last 4-5 years. But eventually they get bored and move onto look at a new challenge.

Can you hang on to your IBM i through the tenure of the 3-year CIO? I would guess that you wouldn’t. Primarily because the 3-year CIO is cost justifying all the new systems based upon the upgrade costs and maintenance fees of the IBM i. (TCA vs. TCO) And how many CIO's are reporting to the CFO? And what CFO wouldn’t be attracted to the smell of fresh cut costs? It’s like catnip to the tabby crawling around my feet as I write this.

Then there is the long term CIO who “gets it”. They understand the value of server consolidation. They appreciate the maintenance costs for the machine that really doesn’t need a full time administrator, in most shops. One of our customers has truly enjoyed thinking strategically. This customer went from a 3-year CIO to a more strategic CIO. The new CIO who took over from the 3-year CIO was presented with a contract to implement a very large German based ERP with a three letter acronym. This CIO wisely said “I’m not signing that without doing my own due diligence!” I love this guy, already!

The new CIO wanders down to the IT department where the news of the new ERP was causing the RPG developers to dust off the only useful Microsoft application at a time like this: Word - in preparation for the latest iteration of their respective resumes. He asks the IT guys “what’s up with this ERP project and what alternatives are there?” The CIO reiterated that the primary complaint about the existing system was the perception that it was old due to the prevalence of green screens. The IT guys looked at each other, dropped their resumes, and said “We’ve been playing around with PHP on a Linux box over there and I just heard that IBM is now supporting PHP on the i. The CIO gave the order to build and develop a pilot project.

The IT guys dug in and installed Zend Core on their System i at V5R4. In a couple of weeks they had GUI interfaces with data and charts and all kinds of demos for the CIO. Nothing earth shattering, but it was significant. The CIO was impressed and said “OK, How long to convert the whole shooting match?” The IT guys responded with ‘do you mean EVERYTHING?” The CIO nodded in the affirmative. So the IT guys headed back to the drawing board and developed an aggressive plan. A plan, by the way, that would take half the time and a fraction of the cost of the new ERP system. The IT guys not only built the plan, but they delivered the goods on time and just a little over budget (within 10 points). Try that with your ERP implementation!

The more I work with IBM i customers, the more I hear stories like these. PHP on IBM i is giving companies new hope and fresh approach to opportunities. Many of these opportunities have always been there with tactical tools and Java, CGI, etc. But PHP brings world class power within the reach of the RPG developer along with a roadmap that the CIO can fine tune to the needs of the organization. That is not to say that a new ERP might still be in order for some companies, but it does beg the question: Is your CIO on the three year track?
The moral of the story is that the new CIO should be embraced and not be feared. At least until year 2!

Read the original at Mike's IBM i PHP blog and more....

The focus of this blog is the future of the IBM i operating system and need for customers to begin moving to modern technologies.

Many of you may know me when I was an IBM Rational software’s market manager for the IBM i marketplace (AS/400, iSeries, System i, i5, etc) specializing in tools and compilers in Rational’s Enterprise Modernization group.  You may also have known me from my Pre-IBM days when I was running the Ignite/400 user group focused on eBusiness and the iSeries. Today I am retired and an independent consultant. I have no bias toward any vendor products and am only concerned with the best interests of my clients and customers of IBM i.

This and subsequent blog posts will be dedicated to IBM i customers who deserve and need to know the truth about what in my opinion will happen to their beloved IBM i platform and compilers.  It is my belief that the marketing people within IBM’s STG organization dedicated to the IBM i operating system are being somewhat disingenuous about the future of the platform and operating system.  Their job is to try and maintain annual software support revenue on the platform and insure that you upgrade to new models of Power Systems hardware.  While revenues are declining, they are still significant and IBM certainly wants to retain your business as long as possible.

IBM i customers need to put their love for the OS and the machine aside and to objectively analyze what is going on within IBM.  If you look objectively at the IBM organization today and how IBM has positioned the IBM i Operating System, you will see a critical reality that should be driving you to modern platform neutral solutions!

It is the “End of an Era”

Lets look first at the changes that IBM made in January of 2007 in the System i and System p organizations.  IBM consolidated both divisions into the new Power Systems division.
 
This move culminated in a series of changes that had been quietly on going since 2001.

The Storage and Technology Group (STG) leadership saw the handwriting on the wall with the decline in demand for mid-range computers in favor of low cost UNIX and Intel based machines beginning to dominate a space once controlled by IBM and its mid-range division (S3, S32, S36, S38, AS/400, etc.).

The IBM i, however, was and still is perhaps one of the most stable and versatile business operating systems ever introduced.  We have seen most mini-computer vendors either go out of business or merge with other companies.  Hewlett Packard’s withdrawal of the HP3000 was one of the last major mini-computers with a proprietary operating system to leave the market, leaving the iSeries and now Power Systems with IBM i as the sole remaining proprietary system.

Back in 2003 and 2004 many of us (I was a customer executive for a major insurance company at the time) wanted IBM to build an IBM iSeries machine that would compete effectively with Intel or Unix based machines. This meant that a machine must be sold that could be priced as low as $5,000 with the OS included.  We were told that this was not feasible or even possible. I’m afraid that today, I have to agree that it was not possible.  We have seen IBM’s sell its PC division because they could not  compete in a commodity-based market.  IBM is now out of the PC market.  Will they soon be out of the IBM i market?  Read on…

IBM may be one of the greatest product marketing and technology companies in the world today, and has incredible foresight.   Beginning in 2001 IBM introduced initiatives that encouraged and to some degree subsidized independent software vendors (ISV’s), the backbone of AS/400 aka iSeries sales to move to Java based technology.  Hundreds of ISV’s got on board and moved their applications to Java. Today, these ISVs are platform neutral and capable of running on any IBM supported platform. 

If you go to IBM’s Partner Search page and select Headquarters locations on the first page then click the expertise tab and select Hardware : iSeries for  product type and ISV for the partner type, you will find 888 partners that claim to sell software for the iSeries. If you look further, most sell software that is Java based or even Microsoft Windows or Unix based that either runs on the Hardware or accesses the iSeries database.  There are less than 200 ISV’s applications actually running on i5/OS or IBM i. 

Over the past several years many iSeries ISV’s have been acquired; often by companies whose only interest is the annual software subscription, maintenance fees and revenue. Many acquired products have had no enhancements since the acquisition.

The IBM Power System Organization of 2007!

On January 1, 2007, a new organization called Power Systems emerged. Power Systems is the culmination of the merger of System i and System p into one integrated line of machines that now support three operating systems:  AIX (IBM’s UNIX offering), Power Linux (Suse & Redhat), and IBM i.  This new organization has no IBM i executives.  There is not a single Vice President or Director whose job is dedicated to IBM i.  There are very few managers who are dedicated to IBM i.

From a technology standpoint the only unique part for a System i or System p machine had been the label glued to the machine that said i or p, along with the OS that was preloaded onto the machine.  For several years, both machines came off the same assembly line in Rochester, Minnesota and were physically identical.

The IBM brand – “Power Systems”, is a consolidation of the former System i, and System p brands. It is an IBM organization that is responsible for sales, marketing, and product management.

Originally, the term “System i” referred to an IBM organization that sold a line of machines called i5, which ran the i5/OS operating system.  In 2007 all of this changed.  Today:

•    Power Systems is now the “brand” with an IBM organization
•    Power6 is the current line of machines based on the Power6 chip.
•    IBM i is an operating system that runs on Power6 machines
•    AIX is an operating system that runs on Power6 machines
•    Power Linux (SuSe and Redhat) is an operating system that runs on Power6 machines

IT Jungle reported in December of 2008 that there was a 40% decline in System i sales at the end of 2008 over 2007.  IBM i machines are being sold to very few new customers. IBM i based machines are primarily being sold to existing customers that need to upgrade.

What does this mean to you? A product that lacks new sales to new customers is often referred to as a cash cow at the end of its viable life. 

Major customers are moving to other platforms.  I cannot name names due to my previous employment, but major well-known former iSeries companies are moving off the platform.

Where does RPG fit into this strategic change in direction?

The IBM i Operating System is, well…just an Operating System! It is the RPG compiler technology that represents what is probably a substantial software investment by you over many years.    RPG is an IBM proprietary language. It runs only on the IBM i OS**.  RPG’s future is tied to the future of the IBM i operating system.

As an IBM Market Manager, I recommended that RPG be ported to AIX and Power Linux.  My recommendation was rejected!   Are you seeing a trend here?

IBM’s investment in RPG compiler advancements has declined proportionately to that of their investment in the IBM i platform.  One way or the other, expect support for RPG to eventually be withdrawn.

Summary: What does all this mean to you?

If I am correct IBM will be forced to withdraw support for the IBM i operating system in about 5 years based on declining revenue and customers. When IBM withdraws support for a software product they generally provide a three-year window of continued support.  This means that if I am correct and IBM withdraws support in 5 years you will have a total of 8 years to move.

As an IBM i customer you need to be looking at alternatives to the IBM i operating system and RPG language, NOW!  Each company needs their own modernization strategy and time frame. 

You need to do something!  You need start doing something now!

Bob Cancilla,
Principal
RJ Cancilla & Associates
Office:     916-226-4951
Mobil:    562-290-2849
eMail:    rcancill@mac.com
Skype:    bob_cancilla


** Some will say that RPG runs on IBM zSeries machines and zOS.  This is no longer true.  RPG II did run on IBM mainframes at one time but has not been supported for many years.

Read the original at Bob Cancilla on IBM i.

The focus of this blog is the future of the IBM i operating system and need for customers to begin moving to modern technologies.

Many of you may know me when I was an IBM Rational software’s market manager for the IBM i marketplace (AS/400, iSeries, System i, i5, etc) specializing in tools and compilers in Rational’s Enterprise Modernization group.  You may also have known me from my Pre-IBM days when I was running the Ignite/400 user group focused on eBusiness and the iSeries. Today I am retired and an independent consultant. I have no bias toward any vendor products and am only concerned with the best interests of my clients and customers of IBM i.

This and subsequent blog posts will be dedicated to IBM i customers who deserve and need to know the truth about what in my opinion will happen to their beloved IBM i platform and compilers.  It is my belief that the marketing people within IBM’s STG organization dedicated to the IBM i operating system are being somewhat disingenuous about the future of the platform and operating system.  Their job is to try and maintain annual software support revenue on the platform and insure that you upgrade to new models of Power Systems hardware.  While revenues are declining, they are still significant and IBM certainly wants to retain your business as long as possible.

IBM i customers need to put their love for the OS and the machine aside and to objectively analyze what is going on within IBM.  If you look objectively at the IBM organization today and how IBM has positioned the IBM i Operating System, you will see a critical reality that should be driving you to modern platform neutral solutions!

It is the “End of an Era”

Lets look first at the changes that IBM made in January of 2007 in the System i and System p organizations.  IBM consolidated both divisions into the new Power Systems division.
 
This move culminated in a series of changes that had been quietly on going since 2001.

The Storage and Technology Group (STG) leadership saw the handwriting on the wall with the decline in demand for mid-range computers in favor of low cost UNIX and Intel based machines beginning to dominate a space once controlled by IBM and its mid-range division (S3, S32, S36, S38, AS/400, etc.).

The IBM i, however, was and still is perhaps one of the most stable and versatile business operating systems ever introduced.  We have seen most mini-computer vendors either go out of business or merge with other companies.  Hewlett Packard’s withdrawal of the HP3000 was one of the last major mini-computers with a proprietary operating system to leave the market, leaving the iSeries and now Power Systems with IBM i as the sole remaining proprietary system.

Back in 2003 and 2004 many of us (I was a customer executive for a major insurance company at the time) wanted IBM to build an IBM iSeries machine that would compete effectively with Intel or Unix based machines. This meant that a machine must be sold that could be priced as low as $5,000 with the OS included.  We were told that this was not feasible or even possible. I’m afraid that today, I have to agree that it was not possible.  We have seen IBM’s sell its PC division because they could not  compete in a commodity-based market.  IBM is now out of the PC market.  Will they soon be out of the IBM i market?  Read on…

IBM may be one of the greatest product marketing and technology companies in the world today, and has incredible foresight.   Beginning in 2001 IBM introduced initiatives that encouraged and to some degree subsidized independent software vendors (ISV’s), the backbone of AS/400 aka iSeries sales to move to Java based technology.  Hundreds of ISV’s got on board and moved their applications to Java. Today, these ISVs are platform neutral and capable of running on any IBM supported platform. 

If you go to IBM’s Partner Search page and select Headquarters locations on the first page then click the expertise tab and select Hardware : iSeries for  product type and ISV for the partner type, you will find 888 partners that claim to sell software for the iSeries. If you look further, most sell software that is Java based or even Microsoft Windows or Unix based that either runs on the Hardware or accesses the iSeries database.  There are less than 200 ISV’s applications actually running on i5/OS or IBM i. 

Over the past several years many iSeries ISV’s have been acquired; often by companies whose only interest is the annual software subscription, maintenance fees and revenue. Many acquired products have had no enhancements since the acquisition.

The IBM Power System Organization of 2007!

On January 1, 2007, a new organization called Power Systems emerged. Power Systems is the culmination of the merger of System i and System p into one integrated line of machines that now support three operating systems:  AIX (IBM’s UNIX offering), Power Linux (Suse & Redhat), and IBM i.  This new organization has no IBM i executives.  There is not a single Vice President or Director whose job is dedicated to IBM i.  There are very few managers who are dedicated to IBM i.

From a technology standpoint the only unique part for a System i or System p machine had been the label glued to the machine that said i or p, along with the OS that was preloaded onto the machine.  For several years, both machines came off the same assembly line in Rochester, Minnesota and were physically identical.

The IBM brand – “Power Systems”, is a consolidation of the former System i, and System p brands. It is an IBM organization that is responsible for sales, marketing, and product management.

Originally, the term “System i” referred to an IBM organization that sold a line of machines called i5, which ran the i5/OS operating system.  In 2007 all of this changed.  Today:

•    Power Systems is now the “brand” with an IBM organization
•    Power6 is the current line of machines based on the Power6 chip.
•    IBM i is an operating system that runs on Power6 machines
•    AIX is an operating system that runs on Power6 machines
•    Power Linux (SuSe and Redhat) is an operating system that runs on Power6 machines

IT Jungle reported in December of 2008 that there was a 40% decline in System i sales at the end of 2008 over 2007.  IBM i machines are being sold to very few new customers. IBM i based machines are primarily being sold to existing customers that need to upgrade.

What does this mean to you? A product that lacks new sales to new customers is often referred to as a cash cow at the end of its viable life. 

Major customers are moving to other platforms.  I cannot name names due to my previous employment, but major well-known former iSeries companies are moving off the platform.

Where does RPG fit into this strategic change in direction?

The IBM i Operating System is, well…just an Operating System! It is the RPG compiler technology that represents what is probably a substantial software investment by you over many years.    RPG is an IBM proprietary language. It runs only on the IBM i OS**.  RPG’s future is tied to the future of the IBM i operating system.

As an IBM Market Manager, I recommended that RPG be ported to AIX and Power Linux.  My recommendation was rejected!   Are you seeing a trend here?

IBM’s investment in RPG compiler advancements has declined proportionately to that of their investment in the IBM i platform.  One way or the other, expect support for RPG to eventually be withdrawn.

Summary: What does all this mean to you?

If I am correct IBM will be forced to withdraw support for the IBM i operating system in about 5 years based on declining revenue and customers. When IBM withdraws support for a software product they generally provide a three-year window of continued support.  This means that if I am correct and IBM withdraws support in 5 years you will have a total of 8 years to move.

As an IBM i customer you need to be looking at alternatives to the IBM i operating system and RPG language, NOW!  Each company needs their own modernization strategy and time frame. 

You need to do something!  You need start doing something now!

Bob Cancilla,
Principal
RJ Cancilla & Associates
Office:     916-226-4951
Mobil:    562-290-2849
eMail:    rcancill@mac.com
Skype:    bob_cancilla


** Some will say that RPG runs on IBM zSeries machines and zOS.  This is no longer true.  RPG II did run on IBM mainframes at one time but has not been supported for many years.

Read the original at Bob Cancilla on IBM i.

The editor project is now hosted on Sourceforge.net. This allows us to give you better support with additional resources like mailing lists and forums. Please visit the Sourceforge site for getting the latest news on the editor.

Read the original at RPG Next Gen.

The editor project is now hosted on Sourceforge.net. This allows us to give you better support with additional resources like mailing lists and forums. Please visit the Sourceforge site for getting the latest news on the editor.

Read the original at RPG Next Gen.