System iNetwork

October 2008

October 30, 2008 2:57 PM

IBM Gives i-folk Some Christmas Cash

From now until the end of 2008, you can receive a rebate for each eligible new Capacity Upgrade on Demand (CUoD) processor activation you acquire for a qualifying installed IBM System i 550, 570, and/or 595 server. Rebate amounts range from $750 to $8,000, depending on the CUoD processor activation feature(s) acquired.

With CUoD for System i, companies and organizations can install more processors and memory than are initially required (if they can get manager approval, that is....), and then bring that additional capacity online quickly when demand increases and the heat is on.

In order to qualify for a rebate, IBM records must show the qualifying System i5 550, 570, and/or 595 server as being installed in a customer location before September 16, 2008.

See the full release with eligible systems and upgrades here.

To read more about CUoD, check out this article from our archives.

--Erin Bradford, systems management & availability editor

Posted by ebradford on October 30, 2008 at 2:57 PM | Comments (1)

October 22, 2008 4:01 PM

The Quick Path to Integrating Your i with Web Apps

If Internet applications are on your wish list but not your delivered list, don't miss "The Quick Path to Integrating Your System i with Web Applications," a Demo Booth webcast starting at noon on October 27th. Presented by ASNA's Roger Pence, the class focuses on the basics of getting data to and from a browser. Pence introduces ASNA's Visual RPG (AVR) and its i database engine, DataGate. After a quick overview of ASP.NET, Pence explains how to write a quick browser-based query against your i data. He shows how to put your green-screen RPG skills to work in .NET. To register, call 800-650-1804 or go to the System iNetwork webcast information page.

Pence is ASNA's customer support and education director, specializing in helping customers modernize and enhance their i applications. He has written hundreds of articles has given seminars around the world about the i platform. In addition to his years of IBM midrange experience, he is also a Microsoft Certified Application Developer.

Vicki Hamende, application development and database editor

Posted by vhamende on October 22, 2008 at 4:01 PM | Comments (0)

October 20, 2008 9:54 AM

Four Powerhouse i Experts Deliver Free App Mod Event

It's not often that you get four powerhouse IBM i industry experts available in one room for free, but this Thursday, you will.* I want to give a shout out to the System iNetwork "Maximizing the IBM i" online event set for October 23. It's focused on application modernization, and it features Sharon Hoffman, Paul Tuohy, Don Denoncourt, and Craig Pelkie.

The education is set up in four areas:

• Modernizing the database
• Modernizing the code
• Modernizing the user interface
• Modernizing the application architecture

Seriously, missing these free sessions would a be shame for i-focused professionals who care about their organizations' use of IBM i--or the longevity of their careers, for that matter. All the speakers are well known for taking difficult subjects and transforming them into understandable and useful tips and strategies.

As a side note, there are a few added benefits such as virtual sponsorship booths where you can examine related tools and services from independent solution providers. (These tools providers, by the way, often make the difference between modernization projects that are simply talk and those that get off the ground and get delivered.)

--Chris Maxcer, SystemiNetwork.com news editor

*Hmm. . . in retrospect, one room may not be entirely accurate--it's a virtual room, a virtual environment, and I'm not even sure there's a roof involved. But you get the idea. --CM

Posted by cmaxcer on October 20, 2008 at 9:54 AM | Comments (0)

October 16, 2008 12:55 PM

Keep Your Guard Up--FBI Says Computer Crime on the Rise

Ken Akren, Group8 Security's vice president of business development, sent me this informative and eye-opening Reuters article in which the FBI's cyber division says that computer spying and identity theft have increased dramatically over the past year.

The article is a telling reminder that we all have to remain vigilant, both in our personal computing practices and in our professional capacities as IT pros.

--Linda Harty, security & networking/connectivity editor

Posted by lharty on October 16, 2008 at 12:55 PM | Comments (0)

October 15, 2008 3:07 PM

C'mon People Now, Smile On Your Brother...

Ev'rybody get together...Try and love one another right now...

And isn't that what we all need right now? A little hand-holding and peace-circling in this time of great financial and political crisis?

I recently read a very disheartening article on SD Times' webpage, 'Testers Are Idiots' Revisited.

Let me share with you a few highlights:

That’s right: Testers are idiots. The practice of testing offers no innovation. Testing is boring, manual and repetitive. It’s not a career. Testers aren’t as smart as developers. They’re nitpicky, pencil-pushing quality/process geeks. They’re beside the point and are easily replaced. Testing is not a career; it’s a necessary evil between application users and the brilliance of developers.

Believe it or not, some of these assertions came from an audience of testers at FutureTest, a conference I attended last week in New York City. The politically (and in all other ways) incorrect answers were the result of a question by Cisco’s Jeff Feldstein: “What are developers’ perceptions of test engineering?”

Whoa! I honestly had no idea that any single group of IT folks were feeling so darned defeated. With all of the obvious apparent animosity between testers and developers, I have to wonder how they manage to work together so often. Could it be that testers are merely sensitive types, or is it actually true that testers are basically spat upon in the development game?

And do other IT professionals, such as sys admins, have problems getting along with developers or testers, too?

I honestly don't know the answer to this question. I don't work for a software company, and I have no personal experience working with either testers OR developers. So, I'm asking you readers out there who are bold enough to answer: Is there a rift between the job classes, and if so, does it push everyone to work (angrily) harder, or lead to a general decrease in morale?

--Erin Bradford, systems management & availability editor

Posted by ebradford on October 15, 2008 at 3:07 PM | Comments (1)

October 8, 2008 3:52 PM

IBM Keeps Its Head in the Clouds....

IBM, having already covered the earth, has decided to branch out into the clouds, launching a company-wide initiative to extend its software delivery with both on-premise and cloud-computing applications. Affected products include new software, services, and technical resources for clients and Independent Software Vendors (ISVs).

"We are moving our clients, the industry, and even IBM itself to have a mixture of data and applications that live in the data center and in the cloud," said Willy Chiu, IBM's vice president of high-performance-on-demand solutions. "IBM's cloud computing strategy was inspired by feedback from the business world's broadest IT customer base, indicating a growing desire to utilize data, applications, and services from any device and from any location based on open standards."

IBM will deliver its own cloud services portfolio; help ISVs design, build, deliver and market cloud services; help clients integrate cloud services into their business; and provide cloud computing environments to businesses.

IBM has13 Cloud Computing Centers and 40 IBM Innovation Centers to help test applications via cloud computing models.

Some of IBM's cloud services include:
1. Bluehouse, a web-delivered social networking and collaboration cloud service designed to connect people from different businesses.
2. Lotus Sametime Unyte, which provides web conferences with document and application sharing.
3. IBM Rational Policy Tester OnDemand, which automates web content scanning for privacy and quality.
4. IBM Rational AppScan OnDemand, which scans web applications for security bugs.
5. Telelogic Focal Point, which lets product-management teams collect, analyze and prioritize product features in line with broader organizational goals.
6. Remote Data Protection, which lets clients achieve a rapid time to protection for their business data and to remotely recover that data as a cloud service 24/7.

To help ISVs jump on board, the new offering also features white papers and demos on getting started, an SaaS Enablement Network of infrastructure providers, and new marketing resources such as web conferencing.

--Erin Bradford, systems management & availability editor

Posted by ebradford on October 8, 2008 at 3:52 PM | Comments (0)

October 2, 2008 3:28 PM

Vision Gets Down at Birthday Bash

Vision Solutions is throwing a special System i shindig to honor its 20th anniverary. Vision Solutions will host a seminar and hospitality day during the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX) in Dubai on October 21, 2008. Representatives from both IBM and ERI Bancaire, a developer of banking and asset management software, will be there to celebrate.

“Twenty years of innovation is indeed an achievement and we’re proud of our relationship with IBM as we continue to sustain excellence through the hard work, dedication and the cooperation of many talented people,” says Regional Sales Director for Vision Solutions, Alexander Trekin. “Vision Solutions has worked with IBM practically since the groundbreaking beginnings of the AS/400 and the RS/6000 —we’ve all come a long way since that first release and we look forward to another 20 years of innovative technologies.”

IT professionals from the Middle East, North Africa, and Russia are will be at the Dubai event to learn about leading business solutions and service providers throughout the region. Vision Solutions and ERI will be showcasing their respective solutions at the event, and notably, both companies offer products that directly serve the Middle East banking community.

“We are happy to celebrate the 20th anniversary of IBM Power Systems with Vision Solutions,” says Wael Abdoush, IBM Manager of Systems & Technology Group, Middle East, Egypt and Pakistan. “We value our relationship with partners and Vision Solutions continues to provide excellent technologies to support our System i and System p customers.”

During the one-day seminar, Vision Solutions will present research on security, DR, and HA, and discuss the benefits of decreasing downtime during mainntenance and upgrades.

For more information about the event or to register to attend, click here.

Posted by ebradford on October 2, 2008 at 3:28 PM | Comments (0)

October 1, 2008 1:53 PM

New Denial-of-Service Attack Could Be the Worst Yet

A new, as-yet-unverified vulnerability is being called "a nearly universal denial-of-service (DoS) attack that can be performed on almost any normal broadband Internet connection--in just a few seconds." The discoverers of the vulnerability are reportedly working with vendors to help find a patch for what they say currently has no fix. Consequently, few details about the exact nature of the vulnerability are available: basically, a broadband connection can be used to take a machine offline and keep it offline even after the attack is over. Entire data centers could be taken down in a matter of minutes. Here's an article that offers more detail and has a recording of an interview with the two researchers who discovered the vulnerability:

"New DoS Attack Is a Killer"

Mel Beckman, a well-known security expert and a System iNEWS senior technical editor says, "This vulnerability was reported before it was verified, but it's news whether or not the vulnerability is true because the whole subject of how to disclose these vulnerabilities is an ongoing debate. What's the best way to disclose vulnerabilities without creating a zero day attack? And how do you be fair to vendors?"

Well, until we have more news about what to do to protect ourselves from this exploit, why not bone up on your security knowledge and make sure your organization is as protected as possible? Here are some recent articles as well as a few upcoming webcasts that can help:

• Simplified Security Compliance Reporting (a free webcast on November 3; seats are limited so sign up early)
• How to Get Your Business to Care About Security and Business Continuity Planning (a free webcast on November 11; seats are limited so sign up early)
• i5/OS Integrated File System Secure Interoperability(a free webcast on November 20; seats are limited so sign up early)
• DNS Episode III
• Invisible IBM i Data Access: Preventing Undetectable Data Theft
• OpenSSH: The Swiss Army Knife for Secure Networking

If you want to really immerse yourself, check out the Security topic in our archive and get nearly 100 pages of results.

Stay secure!

--Linda Harty, security & networking/connectivity editor

Posted by lharty on October 1, 2008 at 1:53 PM | Comments (2)