System iNetwork

September 2009

September 29, 2009 5:50 PM

Video Walkthrough: Calling RPG From EGL Community Edition

While IBM's newest business computing language, EGL, is no where near replacing RPG, there's still plenty of FUD surrounding it. For some, it hides unnecessary complexity, and for others, it seems too complex. For still others, it represents an excellent way to rapidly develop Rich Internet Applications (RIAs). Dan Darnell, an independent consultant who specializes in modernizing System i applications through the use of EGL, has noted that you really have to use EGL to appreciate it.

The new free EGL Community Edition offered by IBM offers a stepping stone into the EGL world, and Darnell has gone one step better: he's posted an 8-minute screencast video walkthrough that shows you how to use EGL CE to call an RPG program. From the video, you'll learn:

• Setup steps required to call RPG from EGL/CE
• Construction of a service to call the RPG program
• Construction of a Rich UI to invoke the service
• Debugging client and service code

Check it out below, but it's best viewed in HD format, which you can get by clicking on the HD link in the bottom right, or using the direct url, noted below the embedded video below:

Directly from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lA25DoElnSc

And here's a link to the IBM EGL Cafe discussion forum/blog area where Darnell also posts the YouTube link:

http://www-949.ibm.com/software/rational/cafe/blogs/action/2009/09/28/calling-rpg-from-egl-community-edition

Posted by cmaxcer on September 29, 2009 at 5:50 PM | Comments (3)

September 28, 2009 10:52 AM

iManifest Crosses the Sea

First came the i Manifest initiative in Japan, next came a similar initiative in Europe, and now, iManifest is brewing in the United States. Led by author and IBM i consultant Jeff Olen, the initiative is modeled after the original Japanese effort: founding members are IBM i-focused vendors who see a need for i-focused marketing and are willing to pony up some cash to tout their support for the legendary, yet increasingly overshadowed, IBM i system.

iManifest United States is currently building a board of supporters, made up of at least four large companies, eight midsize companies, and 36 small companies. The founding members will work together to create the iManifest mission statement and launch the initiative, which is set to include a full page ad in the Wall Street Journal -- or something similar to the Japanese IBM i Manifest. The cost for the ad? About a $150,000.

A large supporting vendor, for example, would have annual revenues greater than $30 million and be willing to commit $12,000 toward the ad, while small companies with less than $2 million in revenue would offer $1,500.

So far, pledges are up to $16,500.

In addition, the iManifest United States has a group on LinkedIn.

To check out the action on the web or find more details on joining, go to http://www.imanifest-us.com.

Posted by cmaxcer on September 28, 2009 at 10:52 AM | Comments (6)

September 23, 2009 7:37 AM

PHP Beats 3-Year CIO Syndrome

PHP on IBM i champion Mike Pavlak made an interesting blog post this morning: The 3-year CIO vs. IBM i: PHP to the rescue!. The title is pretty descriptive, and who doesn't love a good underdog story? (I know, I know, underdog? Yeah, I really used that word.) So what's a 3-year CIO? Here's an excerpt:

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. . . .

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.

Sound familiar? There's more, of course, including some good name dropping, notes on Microsoft creep, and a long-term CIO. Check it out!

Posted by cmaxcer on September 23, 2009 at 7:37 AM | Comments (0)

September 21, 2009 10:59 AM

IBM Offers New Cognos Express for Midsize Business Intelligence

IBM has launched its new IBM Cognos Express business intelligence (BI) solution, which IBM says is designed and priced specifically for midsize customers. It's designed to be deployed in a matter of hours, IBM says, though most customers will opt for some assistance from IBM or IBM's Business Partners to set it up.

So does it run on IBM i? As I've mentioned before, IBM seems to be downplaying operating systems and hardware across its lineup in favor of focusing on solutions, and Cognos Express is no different. It takes some digging to figure out what it supports, exactly, and ultimately an IBM PR query to get the answer: Cognos Express runs on a Windows-based server, but it'll happily connect to IBM DB2 for i-based data, along with most other common databases.

Midsize vs. Midrange

Clearly, IBM will happily sell this solution to IBM i-focused customers, but it's definitely more broadly aimed. For those who want a BI solution that runs directly on IBM i, check out our online Product Roundup: Native BI Tools for IBM i, as well as our September print cover story, Business Intelligence for SMBs.

Either way, BI in the midsize company space seems to be heating up.

A recent IBM Global CIO Study of 2,500 CIOs from 78 countries--the largest study of CIOs ever conducted, IBM croons--found that 83 percent of midmarket executives ranked "business intelligence and analytics" as their top priority for improving competitiveness and cutting costs. Faced with limited budgets and overstretched IT resources, IBM explains, midsized organizations are seeking faster and more affordable analytics solutions that can help them cope with information overload.

Now, I've talked to a variety of BI experts over the years, and one of the common points they make is that most successful BI implementations have much less to do with the technology than with the business owners themselves. Basically, if the managers who are running the business take responsibility and ownership over the BI solution and commit to using it intelligently, the odds of getting actionable results skyrocket.

Consequently, IBM's efforts to sell to management make particular sense here. IBM says its solution also offers a centralized, Web-based console that manages all administrative aspects of installation, deployment, and ongoing management--minimizing the need for IT staff assistance.

Through its self-service environment, IBM Cognos Express lets clients build reports, analyses, dashboards, and multi-dimensional plans on their own, saving time and ensuring they remain responsive to competitive pressures. For instance, IBM notes, instead of waiting for the IT department to funnel reports that are often outdated by the time they are received, individual retail store managers can now tap into IBM Cognos Express to build their own daily store sales reports. This enables them to forecast sales against corporate objectives, and adjust promotions and inventory levels accordingly, IBM explains.

For more, check out http://www.ibm.com/cognos/express. In addition, IBM will be hosting an IBM Cognos Express Virtual Launch event on Tuesday, September 29. The event will feature product demonstrations and technical overviews on BI and analytics for the midmarket, as well as an Expo Area and Communications Lounge where participants can chat live with IBM representatives and Business Partners.

Posted by cmaxcer on September 21, 2009 at 10:59 AM | Comments (7)

September 16, 2009 11:16 AM

IBM Opens Services Center in Iowa

Over the last year or so, we've covered various layoffs at IBM, and we've tried to ferret out IBM's byzantine resource shuffling, and a lot of that coverage and reader commentary points out the global nature of IBM's business and concern for American jobs. Well, here's an interesting bit of American investment: IBM has opened a new services delivery center in Dubuque, Iowa.

IBM says it's already hired a couple hundred people, and it expects to employ up to 1,300 by the end of 2010.

The new facility joins an extensive network of more than 80 IBM delivery centers worldwide where employees maintain, monitor, and support computer hardware, software, and manage information technology services for thousands of IBM clients, IBM says.

Plus, IBM says it will work with institutions of higher learning in the tri-state area of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin to recruit and train potential employees. Nice.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony that took place a couple of weeks ago brought out several big players, including a mayor, governor, and U.S. Representative. They all said the standard things that people in those positions tend to say at ribbon-cutting ceremonies that bring jobs to communities.

However, Mike Daniels, senior vice president and group executive of IBM Global Technology Services, noted, "IBM's global delivery centers are critical in delivering information technology services to our clients around the world. Today we celebrate the opening of a new center in Dubuque, Iowa, that will be a key hub in our delivery network, serving clients in the United States. We are delighted to partner with the city of Dubuque and the state of Iowa and look forward to a successful and enduring relationship."

Two Key Points

Amid the promotional statements, Daniels makes to important points:

• IBM's global delivery centers serve clients around the world
• the Dubuque hub will serve clients in the U.S.

His statements seem to match other action from IBM that I've seen where services hubs are created in other geographies (like Asia or India, for example), where IBM says it will assist local clients.

Meanwhile, IBM Isn't the Only Company in the U.S.

Of course, IBM isn't the first or only company looking to create new jobs and snag a bit of political goodwill at the same time. GE seems to be particularly proud of its new research center that'll bring 1,100 tech jobs to Michigan--but GE isn't shy about the off-shore jobs issue:

In a major win for the hard-hit Michigan industrial sector, GE announced today that it's in-sourcing a key R&D facility to a site just outside of Detroit. Over the next few years, the new Advanced Manufacturing and Software Technology Center will grow to more than 1,100 scientists and engineers focusing on information technology, clean energy and aviation R&D.

Posted by cmaxcer on September 16, 2009 at 11:16 AM | Comments (6)

September 9, 2009 9:46 AM

EGL Community Edition Now Ready for Downloading

IBM has released its new free EGL Community Edition, which is an Eclipse-based tool that simplifies development of JavaScript-based Web applications. Basically, developers who traditionally code in PHP, Ruby on Rails, Groovy, JavaScript, and HTML can now download free EGL tools to code, test, and debug rich Web 2.0 applications in one simplified language.

We first reported this new edition in July, and I've since written about it in the pages of System iNEWS.

JavaScript development can be complex, but is the core of all dynamic Web applications being built today.
EGL CE supports development of rich, JavaScript-based user interfaces without writing any JavaScript, and Java-based services without writing any Java code. IBM says this lets developers to create complex Web applications that users demand without coding in multiple different languages and patching pieces together for the end product. Plus, EGL CE gives developers the ability to test and debug applications without deploying to a server.

EGL CE is now available for download at no cost at http://www.ibm.com/software/rational/cafe/community/egl/ce, and if you're interested in learning more, check out IBM's EGL CE Quick Overview pdf.

Posted by cmaxcer on September 9, 2009 at 9:46 AM | Comments (9)

September 2, 2009 10:59 AM

IBM and MCC Team for Green Data Center Degree

IBM has teamed up with Metropolitan Community College (MCC) in Omaha, Nebraska, to develop a first-of-its-kind green data center management degree using IBM hardware, software, and online skills training resources. IBM says the two-year associates degree includes courses to help students gain technical and business skills to prepare them for careers in the design and management of energy efficient data centers--including IBM i.

As part of the new MCC degree, IBM says students have the opportunity to learn virtualization and server consolidation, energy efficiency, business resiliency, and security and compliance skills through a new, real-world enterprise data center on campus that's centered on Power Systems servers running AIX, IBM i, and Linux.

MCC developed the curriculum with the IBM Academic Initiative. In fact, attendees at the COMMON Conference in Reno earlier this year may remember that MCC was a recipient of an IBM Power Systems Innovation Award for Education Excellence.

"IBM's Academic Initiative will further help ensure that MCC students are developing technology skills that bring together computer science, engineering and sustainability," notes Tom Pensabene, dean of Information Technology for MCC. "We're seeing a dramatic increase in demand here in Nebraska for specialists who understand how to help companies reduce the costs associated with running an energy-intensive data center. Now, our students are getting exposure to leading edge IBM technologies, increasing their chances of being hired for jobs in this growing area."

MCC? Omaha?

As it turns out, MCC has often ranked in the top 20 community colleges nationwide for number of IT graduates, and the college's computer classes are the mainstay of its offerings. One reason for their success, IBM notes, is that Omaha is one of only a few U.S. cities that sits at the intersection of both east-west and north-south fiber optic networks, which attracts communications and information services companies, which in turn generates demand for IT data center jobs.

The Degree

Until now, IBM says there has been no comprehensive, real-world learning environment for students to get green data center skills at the undergraduate level. Beginning December 2009, students will be able to enroll in the new "Associate Degree in Information Technology - Data Center Management" degree and take 36 credit hours of courses including:

• Hardware, Disaster Recovery, & Troubleshooting - Designed to teach students how to identify and follow best practices when working with hardware components and systems found in an enterprise environment. Focus is on the hardware and software used to create a fault-tolerant, redundant configuration that meets the requirements of a company's Disaster Recovery (DRP) or Business Continuity Plan (BCP).
• Introduction to Data Center Management - The student learns about data center design, support, management, and maintenance while working in a server environment. Topics also include daily operations of a data center, such as monitoring power requirements and safety regulations.
• Virtualization, Remote Access, & Monitoring - Introduces students to both hardware and software methods used to implement virtualization and the server specifications required to implement it. Multiple vendor solutions are explored.
• Data Center Racks & Cabling - Introduces students to the basics of rack and cabling infrastructure in a data center. Topics include cabling installation practices, management strategies, maintenance practices, and certification.
• Building a Secure Environment - Students explore methods to mitigate vulnerabilities of Internet/Intranet applications while maintaining web servers and workstations based on installation. Discussion centers on best practices and a variety of methods to build, test, and defend all computers in the enterprise environment.
• Applied Data Center Management - Students define project requirements, researches issues, and designs a data center project that meets the goals. Projects include all aspects of the Data Center such as facilities, infrastructure, servers and security.
• Networking Security - Provides students with the knowledge of network security and the skills necessary to install, configure, manage, monitor, and troubleshoot security services/servers on multiple platforms in an enterprise environment. Security areas include DNS, Web servers, Encryption, IPSec, PKS, VPNs, and Network Address Translation (NAT).
• Data Center Internship - Provides students with the opportunity to apply his/her knowledge, learn new techniques, and get hands-on experience managing a data center. Students work in the Information Technology Data Center on campus and access the data center remotely.

MCC's data center is funded through a three year $1.8 million grant that MCC received from the U.S. Department of Labor with the goal of increasing the number of students in IT education.

Posted by cmaxcer on September 2, 2009 at 10:59 AM | Comments (3)