System iNetwork

October 2009

October 28, 2009 10:47 AM

Frank Soltis, Avnet, Infor All Join iManifest Initiatives

Lots of action for iManifest initiatives recently: Dr. Frank Soltis has joined the iManifest U.S. board of directors and heavyweights Avnet and Infor have joined iManifest EMEA.

Soltis on Board

Soltis is, of course, the primary creator of the architecture used in IBM's Power Systems. A recently retired IBM chief scientist, Soltis has remained active in the IBM i ecosystem. iManifest U.S. says he will lend his expertise and insight to help guide the iManifest team as they set out to improve the communication about the systems he helped create.

"As iManifest builds their membership of IBM ISVs, vendors and users worldwide, one of the things we have looked for is someone who can serve as a rallying point for the entire community. From the beginning, Dr. Soltis was our ideal candidate; there is no one who could fulfill that role better," notes Jeff Olen, chief operating officer at Olen Business Consulting, Inc. and founding member of iManifest U.S.

Soltis notes, "I have been a supporter of iManifest since its beginnings in Japan. I believe in the objectives that they are working toward. So when the iManifest team in the U.S. invited me to join the board it was a good fit. I look forward to continuing to work with the iManifest groups worldwide."

The iManifest initiative in the U.S. is always looking for more participants from within the IBM i community. To get involved in the future of IBM i and Power systems, check out www.iManifest-us.com or email pr@iManifest-us.com .

Avnet and Infor

Posting on his My Middle Meddle blog, Martin Fincham, LANSA's general manager for EMEA and the guy rounding up support for iManifest EMEA, reported that the initiative gained two major supporters.

"Today's news is the most significant thus far in the evolution of iManifest EMEA. Although not by design, we now have nice symmetry to the group; Avnet representing the Tier 1 distribution channel, Infor representing the biggest homogenous group of IBM i business applications and LANSA as the largest independent vendor of IBM i development tools and enabling software," Fincham writes.

Nice.

And what about IBM?

Fincham notes, "While I have no official word from IBM, I want to go on-record and say that I have personally received enthusiastic and practical support for iManifest EMEA from a number of IBM'ers around the globe. I cannot thank-you by name here, but you know who you are."

Posted by cmaxcer on October 28, 2009 at 10:47 AM | Comments (0)

October 26, 2009 10:48 AM

IBM Says Commitment to i Clients 'Solid and Unchanged'

In an open letter to IBM i customers, Ross Mauri, general manager of IBM Power Systems, highlights IBM's next major release of IBM i, plus notes that 100 percent of today's IBM i sales are on the new POWER6 platform. "Our IBM i clients not only run on the industry's fastest processors, but can also look forward with confidence as we prepare to deliver POWER7 processor-based systems in 2010," Mauri says.

I covered some of the new highlights in last week's announcement post, but Mauri's team does a good job of nailing down the core elements IBM is sharing now. We can look forward to:

• Enhanced DB2 with native support for XML, enabling clients to store and search XML documents, and encryption of a column in a database table to further protect sensitive information
• PowerHA support for asynchronous replication, providing a disk clustering-based disaster recovery solution
• Further exploitation of solid state disk (SSD) technology to automatically move the most frequently accessed data to SSDs for higher application performance
• IBM Rational product enhancements to RPG-enable programs simply to work with a broad range of client applications, including web services, mobile devices and XML.
• Additional IBM Systems Director Navigator web-based management tasks, such as performance and system monitors
• Integration of IBM i with IBM BladeCenter® and IBM System x® via iSCSI technology to support faster, software-based connections between IBM i and x86-based systems at lower cost
• Support for transformation of saved spool files to PDF files

"With our clearly defined roadmaps for POWER processors and the IBM i operating environment, IBM's commitment to our i clients is solid and unchanged. We are making substantial investments in the future of i as an important, strategic element in the IBM product portfolio. Thank you for your business and your confidence in the future of one of the world’s most durable and productive platforms for business," Mauri writes.

COMMON Chimes In

Mauri also noted that the new features reflect the customer requirements expressed by COMMON, COMMON Europe, ISVs, and the Large User Group.

"The continued investment in IBM i reflects IBM's commitment to the technology as well as their willingness to collaborate with advisory councils to meet users' requirements," notes Wayne Madden, COMMON president.

Gotta wonder . . . will the fledgling iManifest efforts pan out -- or are they already?

Posted by cmaxcer on October 26, 2009 at 10:48 AM | Comments (23)

October 20, 2009 4:53 PM

IBM Intros New Storage, Virtualization, and Connectivity, Plus New IBM i and RPG in 2010

IBM made a flurry of announcements today, most focusing on new connectivity and support options for storage, solid state drives (SSDs), and enhanced availability, most of which should be generally available within a couple of days. In addition, IBM took advantage of the timing to make a statement of direction for the next version of IBM i, slated for early 2010, which means there's a more than decent chance IBM will officially unveil the next big release of IBM i at the COMMON conference in May.

Perhaps most interesting is that the Power Systems IBM i team has been working with the IBM Rational team to create enhancements to RPG that will let RPG programs easily work a variety of client applications including web services, mobile devices, and XML.

"Today RPG is very much tied to a 5250 output," says Craig Johnson, an IBM Power Systems software product manager for IBM i, PHP, and MySQL. "There are tools like HATS and other third-party tools that take that to web browsers and other things but it's really tied to 5250, and what we're working on with Rational is to break that tie and allow partners, ISVs, and programmers to take RPG to any type of device -- mobile devices, XML, web services, so there's some significant enhancements coming for RPG developers."

There's more, of course, on tap for the next release of IBM i:

• The integrated DB2 database for IBM i will be enhanced with support for XML, which will let clients store and search XML documents. IBM also plans for DB2 for i to support transparent encryption of a specific column in a database table, enabling clients to further protect sensitive information.
  
• PowerHA for IBM i is planned to support asynchronous replication, which will give clients a disk clustering based disaster recovery solution. In addition, PowerHA for i will support LUN-level switching, which provides another high availability option for clients with some IBM System Storage solutions.
  
• IBM i storage management will further leverage SSD technology by automatically moving data that is accessed most frequently to SSDs, designed to help clients improve application performance. (With today's SSD announcements, customers can move hot data to SSDs for maximum throughput, but IBM is looking to automate this next year.)
  
• Additional management tasks for IBM i will be available in web-based Systems Director Navigator for i that IBM plans to include with the IBM i operating system. Additional monitors for IBM i will be added to Systems Director, which will provide an alternative to Management Central for clients with multiple IBM i environments.
  
• IBM i integration with BladeCenter and System x via iSCSI technology will be enhanced with support for software target support, which will support a faster connection between IBM i and x86-based systems while potentially lowering the cost of the solution.
  
• IBM i support for PDF documents will be enhanced to support the transformation of existing spool files to PDF files.
  

Back to the Here and Now

Meanwhile, IBM has released a variety of new enhancements that extend IBM i storage and virtualization options right now, some of which may require the new IBM i 6.1.1 release that provides the support for the enhancements. IBM has:

• Expanded options for storage consolidation with IBM Systems Storage Solutions: IBM is now delivering direct fibre channel support for the DS5100 and DS5300, which are midrange SAN solutions. Previously, IBM only provided direct fibre channel support to the DS8000 and DS6000 before. There's new direct fibre channel support for the DS8700, and the DS5020 and DS8700 are now also supported via PowerVM VIOS (the DS5100 and DS5300 are also supported via VIOS as well).

• Enhanced support for reducing costs with PowerVM I/O Virtualization: IBM has added support for redundant VIOS partitions. Johnson explains, "VIOS is the appliance partition--it serves I/O to other partitions, it can serve I/O to IBM i 6.1 partitions and now it will support redundant partitions, so this is an availability enhancement--they are active-active, so if one were to be taken down, planned or unplanned, the IBM i partition still works through the other VIOS partition." In addition, IBM is adding industry-standard NPIV support for tape libraries, which lets the IBM i partition see specific devices that are attached via VIOS, such as a tape library or specific disk subsystems, like the DS8000, which would let IBM i recognize it as a DS8000 and not generic disk. "This is important for BladeCenter customers," Johnson notes.

• Enhanced support for breakthrough I/O performance with Solid State Drives (SSD): IBM i customers can now place some data on SSDs in SAN and VIOS configurations. "We can understand the hot data customers have and move the hot data to the SSDs," Johnson says. "And that's what the customers want, to get the hot data onto these devices." This support lets IBM i recognize the SSDs when installed in SANs or in a VIOS configuration. The results? According to IBM, customers can see up to a 40 percent increase in throughput when implementing the IBM invented skip-read-write technology. Still, how can a customer be sure an SSD investment will pay off? IBM is delivering a new SSD Analyzer Tool, which helps you determine if SSDs will provide benefits of significance.

• Optimal integrated disk solution now available for mid-sized clients: IBM is offering a new 380MB Cache SAS Disk Controller with 12X PCIe I/O drawers with SFF disk, which is designed for midsize customers. There's already a 1.5GB version for large customers.

• Enhanced availability option for RAID configurations: IBM's new Dual SAS RAID Adapter support now provides adapter and cache redundancy, letting customers use two adapters so if one fails, the other continues to operate--and this supports the new PCIe 380MB and PCI-X 1.5GB Cache SAS RAID Adapters.

• Support for new I/O devices and options: IBM is offering a higher capacity 139GB SAS SFF Disk Drive; a 12X I/O Drawer for PCIe adapters, no disk; SSD support in a 12X I/O Drawer; and hot spare for mirroring.

Announcing 6.1.1

IBM's new IBM i 6.1.1 release is required for the new SSD VIOS solutions, as well as the direct fibre channel to the DS5100 and DS5300. Plus, IBM is looking to make it possible to upgrade IBM i 6.1 from an image on a customer's network. "We're moving down a path of installing IBM i from an image on a network, and we’re not completely there," Johnson says. "Today we can install LPPs and PTFs from an image on a network, and upgrade 6.1 systems to 6.1.1." This is mostly about breaking the need for DVDs to install the OS, which makes it easier to deploy several systems and partitions.

More, But 6.1 Is Needed

IBM also announced a new i Edition for BladeCenter S with RAID support, so that it now includes RAID SAS Switch Modules and IBM i pre-installation.

In response primarily to vendor requests, IBM has introduced a Temporary File System that significantly improves IFS performance for applications that use temporary data in a file system--IBM says it can help IFS performance improve by 70-80 percent.

IBM has enhanced its IBM i Performance Data Investigator, which is a tool that comes with 6.1 to help customers analyze the performance of their system. New features include graphical health indicators for system resources and integration with Workload Estimator for upgrade sizing (the tool is provided with Systems Director Navigator for i). "It really lets customers grasp their performance stats for their system. It's great for our small and midsize clients who want to quickly look at the performance of their system, but they don't have a person who has a full-time job for this--it's an easy to use tool," Johnson says.

For better availability management, IBM is now offering HA Assist for i, which is a logical replication solution used to replicate objects that are neither supported via IASPs or the Cluster Admin Domain. Obviously, it's used for PowerHA for i environments, and it helps replicate objects that PowerHA for i could not previously replicate.

IBM i Access Support for Windows 7

IBM says its next service pack for 6.1 IBM i Access for Windows will provide support for Windows 7--the service pack is scheduled for release on December 1. Note: there are no IBM plans to support Windows 7 with 5.4 IBM i Access for Windows.

IBM also warns that, as customers plan to adopt Windows 7, they should be aware that the AFP Driver and AFP Viewer components in the 6.1 IBM i Access for Windows client will not be supported on Windows 7 until sometime in 2010. Plus, Windows 7 has a similar security model as Windows Vista; therefore, some IBM i Access for Windows functions require elevated authority (refer to Information APAR II14338 for details). IBM says customers should look for a more complete list of limitations and permanent restrictions when the service pack for 6.1 IBM i Access for Windows is available in December. However, IBM also notes that support for 6.1 IBM i Access for Windows can be acquired for IBM i 5.4 or late by ordering 5722XW1 (IBM i Access Family) refresh feature 2649. For more, IBM is pointing customers to http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/i/software/access/planning.html.

Posted by cmaxcer on October 20, 2009 at 4:53 PM | Comments (3)

October 19, 2009 10:33 AM

Feds Arrest IBM Exec Moffat as Part of Insider Trading Case

One of IBM's top executives, Robert Moffat, senior vice president and group executive at IBM's Systems and Technology Group, was arrested on insider trading charges Friday. The arrest comes in conjunction with the widely reported arrests of Raj Rajaratnam and Danielle Chiesi on insider trading charges.

According to The National Business Review, Moffat's charges stem from information provided to Chiesi about Sun Microsystems, following IBM's interest in acquiring Sun.

And the Times Herald-Record publishes some conversation snips between Chiesi and Rajaratnam from an alleged wiretapped conversation about Moffat.

If you want to read the actual complaint, you can find it online at usdoj.gov. Try page 19 for the Martha Stewart reference that implies complete understanding of insider trading. The Moffat wiretap references start on page 22.

Then, on page 23, there's this:

And then Slashdot's watchers are reporting that Moffat's bio on IBM's web site no longer exists.

Posted by cmaxcer on October 19, 2009 at 10:33 AM | Comments (1)

October 14, 2009 9:35 AM

Oracle Lands IBM Body Blow

We all know benchmarks tend to be part truth, part fable, and best shared by master storytellers, and IBM has been on a roll with its Power Systems running AIX benchmarks; however, as one tiny part of the big blast of news coming out of the Oracle OpenWorld conference in San Francisco this week, Oracle is boasting that it and Sun combine to knock down IBM in its latest TPC-C performance benchmark.

Oracle says it achieved the new world record TPC-C benchmark result for Oracle Database 11g running on Sun SPARC servers with CMT technology and the Sun Solaris Operating System. "This result proves that the Oracle-Sun combination runs faster than IBM DB2 running on IBM's flagship Power 595," Oracle boasts.

Of course, in the fine print, Oracle was comparing its system to an IBM system that was available December 10, 2008: IBM Power 595 Server Model 9119-FHA, 6,085,166 tpmC, $2.81/tpmC.

And Oracle's Sun server? A 12-Node Sun SPARC Enterprise T5440 server cluster 7,717,510 tmpC, $2.34/tpmC, which won't be available until December 14, 2009.

Flash on Tap

Oracle notes, "With this benchmark, Oracle and Sun become the first vendors to achieve world record TPC-C performance results using Flash Storage technology. Using the Sun Storage F5100 Flash Array, Oracle and Sun were able to set the world record using eight times less hardware than IBM used for its largest benchmark."

And Oracle's Juan Loaiza, senior vice president of Systems Technology, lays it on the line: "With this benchmark result, there's no denying that Oracle Database 11g running on Sun SPARC Enterprise T5440 servers outperforms IBM and DB2."

It's not like there's ever a final outcome with this kind of contest, but how about the next round when IBM comes out swinging with POWER7 fists?

Posted by cmaxcer on October 14, 2009 at 9:35 AM | Comments (9)

October 12, 2009 3:50 PM

Be Sure to Take Our Reader Survey

We rely on feedback from readers like you to make System iNEWS and System iNetwork as responsive as possible to your information needs, so if you can spare a moment, please take our 2009 Reader Survey.

Most questions are multiple choice, but a few open-ended questions provide you with the opportunity to speak directly to our editors. We pour over the results and refer back to the survey over the year as we plan our editorial calendar and make adjustments.

All qualified respondents who provide their name and email address in question #29 of the survey will be entered in a drawing to win one of three free, transferable one-year ProVIP memberships to System iNetwork. A one-year ProVIP membership is worth approximately $150 and includes a 12-month print or digital subscription to System iNEWS ProVIP Expanded Edition plus exclusive online access to valuable code and in-depth article archives. ProVIP membership also includes a 5-year Resource Library CD, as well as significant discounts on training and education.

For more detail, and to take the survey, check out http://systeminetwork.com/article/2009-system-inews-reader-survey-rules.

Thanks!

Posted by cmaxcer on October 12, 2009 at 3:50 PM | Comments (0)

MCS Acquires Barsa Systems Distribution

Maximum Computer Systems, Inc., (MCS), which is an IBM Business Partner and solution provider in the NYC Metro area, has acquired Barsa Systems Distribution, Inc.* The acquisition expands MCS sales and technical expertise in the Northeast and strengthens its capabilities in IBM Power Systems, System x, middleware, Infor A+ ERP software, CPU Security, EDI, Document Management, Electronic Forms High Availability, and Internet Security for the SMB marketplace.

Barsa Systems Distribution is one of two portions of the Barsa business--the other is Barsa Consulting Group, LLC. Of course, many active COMMON and IBM i-focused professionals know that these businesses were headed by Al Barsa, Jr., who was an icon of the i world who died last year while attending the COMMON conference in Nashville.

Barsa Systems Distribution is an IBM Premier Business Partner founded in 1982 and headquartered in Purchase, New York. Barsa Systems Distribution was recognized as a leading IBM solution provider in the Northeast, with more than $10 million in total revenues in 2008 and a client base of more than 200 throughout the tri-state area, New England, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC.

Like MCS, Barsa Systems Distribution has been focused primarily on the IBM product line, including servers (System i, System x and BladeCenter), storage, software (Information Management, Lotus, Rational, Tivoli and WebSphere) and services.

"This acquisition fits perfectly into our growth strategy," notes MCS President Philip Maehr. "By combining the skills of two veteran IBM Business Partners with complementary skills, we strengthen our market penetration as MCS concentrated in the SMB marketplace, while Barsa Distribution was skilled in serving medium to enterprise level customers."

For MCS, this acquisition will be served by a larger staff with increased skills and experiences. Barsa Systems Distribution customers will continue to be serviced and supported by skilled professionals while part of a larger, stronger combined business entity, MCS says.

"We are all excited that Al's legacy will be preserved at MCS," Sue Barsa, president of Barsa Consulting Group, LLC, says. "They are a strong IBM partner in the New York Metro area and like us, built their business on client-focused solutions, technical expertise, client satisfaction, and loyalty to IBM. Barsa will continue to have a presence through MCS in the IBM i community through the participation in industry events like COMMON and the IBM Early Support Program. The addition of Barsa alumni will strengthen their presence in the region and further deepen their skills in key technologies. Al would have been happy to see his loyal customers continue to be serviced by a group with the same high business standards he valued."

*MCS originally announced it had purchased Barsa Distribution Systems, Inc., which is also the name that has been reported in the business press; however, the correct company name is Barsa Systems Distribution, Inc. I've edited this post from its original version to reflect the correct name throughout.

Posted by cmaxcer on October 12, 2009 at 10:58 AM | Comments (0)

October 5, 2009 9:44 AM

iManifest Looking to Rock and Roll by 2010

I caught up with Jeff Olen, the IBM i-focused consultant who's leading the iManifest charge here in the U.S., for a Q&A on the latest action. Here's what he had to say:  
 
So how is interest so far? Are there a lot of vendors who are unaware of your efforts to date? Are some holding back? How would you characterize your efforts, interest, and momentum so far?
           
Olen: Interest thus far has been very positive. Companies are steadily coming forward to join the effort. Some are more enthusiastic than others (e.g. ProData and Raz-Lee have issued their own press releases confirming their participation.). I can’t really say whether there are many vendors that are unaware of iManifest or not. As more time goes by I would expect that fewer and fewer would be unaware. There are some companies that are holding back. I have spoken or corresponded with several companies who are waiting to see what IBM’s response is. We are trying to get these companies to see that IBM is not going to promote the IBM i. There are various reasons given for this but whatever the reason it is a fact. . . . The momentum is definitely on the upswing. We have nearly $30,000 of funds committed to the initiative here in North America. The goal is to be fully funded by the beginning of 2010.
 
What are you hoping for and what do you expect to see in the next couple of months?
 
Olen: We are hoping that the momentum continues. As I said, we are hoping to get all the 'founding' members and be fully funded by the end of the year.
 
What about some of the criticisms about the i Manifest efforts so far, including Japan and Europe, when it comes to the notion that this is ridiculous: Why should vendors have band together to promote the IBM i platform? Shouldn't that be the job of IBM?
 
Olen: I haven’t heard much in the way of actual criticism. What I have heard is a fair amount of apathy. Some people and companies seemed to have resigned (no pun intended) themselves to the idea that the IBM i and POWER6 are going away and we should all just accept it. All I can offer those people and companies are a different perspective and the assurance that IBM continues to have plans for IBM i and POWER6 for the foreseeable future.
 
Any other key points that should be shared come to mind? 
 
Olen: People have asked, 'What good is a one day full page ad going to do?' The two things we communicate to those people are: 1. The iManifest is NOT just about a one time ad. There are ongoing operations and task forces that will be continuing to work toward the iManifest objectives. 2. The full-page ad is not mandatory. Once the initiative has its founding members and is fully funded then those members will elect a board of directors. It will be up to the board of directors to decide how best to get the word out.

Posted by cmaxcer on October 5, 2009 at 9:44 AM | Comments (19)