Four Hundred Monitor, December 13
December 13, 2017 Dan Burger
Finding programmers skilled in open source technologies isn’t difficult. And neither is teaching them modern RPG. A good programmer can be comfortable and productive in multiple environments given the right set of circumstances. Real world examples exist and this article is written by someone who is living it.
Another example of skills evolution is happening with Db2 for i. The value of a modern database is widely overlooked, but the benefits are numerous. IBM’s Mike Cain explains how database knowledge can pay off. Insights into Power9 and AI applications plus the costs of bad data are also in Monitor this week.
Top Stories From Outside The Jungle
(Open Your i) RPG has evolved so that talented programmers of all backgrounds can read and understand the code. We also have modern RPG developer tools that are very similar to the tools programmers in other development environments use. This includes developers who favor open source languages and tools. Here’s an example of how open source can bring top-notch talent (and easy value) to the platform.
(IBM Systems Magazine) Many IBM i shops have neglected database technologies including database design, database architecture, database implementation, modeling and SQL performance tuning. Those things were often considered unnecessary in the past, but there are good reasons to add those skills if you’re doing custom design and development work on applications.
(Forbes) IBM chose to ship its new POWER9 processor into the market by launching a single platform intended for AI applications, instead of making a lot of noise about the POWER9 chip itself. That was a break from tradition, but was it a good decision?
(MIT Sloan Management Review) Based on recent research it is estimated the cost of bad data to be 15 percent to 25 percent of revenue for most companies. These costs come as people accommodate bad data by correcting errors, seeking confirmation in other sources, and dealing with the inevitable mistakes that follow. Fewer errors mean lower costs, and the key to fewer errors lies in finding and eliminating their root causes.
Redbooks, White Papers, and Other Resources
(HelpSystems) The IBM i is highly securable, but many systems are left in a dangerously unprotected configuration. Figuring out how to begin protecting mission-critical data and applications can be a challenge. This e-course addresses six critical areas of IBM i security.
(Manta) Courses for programmers, operators, system administrators, and users of the IBM i operating system, which runs on IBM Power Systems, are available for IT staff that are unfamiliar with programming and administration or in need of a refresher course. All courses are Web-based and run in all popular browsers. Sample subjects include: Using Navigator for IBM i, Free Form RPG Programming, and Fundamentals of IBM i Operations. The complete list of courses is extensive.
(Remain Software) Open source and Eclipse expert, Wim Jongman, provides a technical summary about Git on IBM i. The video presentation explains source code management using Git and emphasizes the pros and cons of using Git on IBM i.
Chats, Webinars, Seminars, Shows, and Other Happenings
December 13 — Virtual Conference – Two days of online education hosted by the COMMON user group. The session agenda includes topics such as Db2 for I, security, SQL, cloud adoption, open source, IT strategy, OS upgrade planning, and Watson integration. Registration is free and open to the public. If you can’t attend live, registering will provide you with 30 days of free access to the session recordings.
December 14 — St. Louis, Missouri – IBM i and open source topics are on the agenda of the monthly meeting of the Gateway/400 Group, a System i user group serving the greater St. Louis area. Guest speakers are Craig Jacquez and John Derr. The meeting begins with lunch at noon and the presentation following lunch. The meeting location is Spazio’s restaurant at 12031 Lackland Road. RSVP no later than Monday before the meeting date. The presentation is available via a remote hookup for those who cannot attend.
December 14 – Wauwatosa, Wisconsin RPG programming expert Scott Klement will be the guest speaker at the Wisconsin Midrange Computer Professional Association meeting. He’ll present a session on Node.js and a session on calling Watson from RPG. The meeting begins at 4 p.m. at Alioto’s restaurant located at 3041 N Mayfair Road.
December 19 — Eden Prairie, Minnesota – Open source guru Aaron Bartell will be discussing the management of RPG source with Git and Node.js development for novices during the monthly meeting of QUSER, the local user group for IBM midrange professionals in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. The meeting begins at 2 p.m. at the HelpSystems offices at 6455 City West Parkway.
January 16 –Costa Mesa, California- IBM i Chief Architect Steve Will and IBM open source wizard Kevin Adler are the guest speakers at the OCEAN user group meeting. During a CIO/executive roundtable at 3:30 p.m., Steve Will plans to discuss the IT challenges and opportunities of 2018. At the same time, developer types can learn Python tricks–like parsing CSV files, sending emails, building Excel xlsx files, modifying images, and building websites–courtesy of Kevin Adler. After dinner, Will returns with a presentation titled “IBM i in the Era of Cognitive & Cloud.” The meeting will be held at the Avenue of the Arts Hotel.
March 19-22 — Las Vegas, Nevada – Think 2018 is a new IBM conference that highlights topics such as IT transitions to the cloud, data and analytics, application development, IBM research, the Internet of Things, IT infrastructure, mobile, security, collaboration, and Watson. Programs available for C-level executives, IT managers, developers, and academics.
March 20-22 — Dallas, Texas – The twice-a-year, spring and fall, RPG & DB2 Summit returns to the Southwest for its next technical conference with an agenda of in-depth sessions that covers new and traditional topics. In addition to the three-day Summit, an optional fourth day of hands-on workshops provide intensive education into popular IBM i development technologies.
May 20-23 — San Antonio, Texas – PowerUp 18 (formerly the COMMON Annual Meeting and Exposition) is the largest IBM i educational event of the year. It includes more than 300 sessions related to IBM i, as well as AIX and Linux. Open source, high availability, security, DB2, and application development are a few of the popular skill-building topics. The agenda includes all-day pre-conference workshops, open labs, and a wide variety of lecture-type sessions presented by subject matter experts. Pre-conference workshops (May 19) are also planned. An early registration discount ($1,695 for members; $1,995 for non-members) is available through December 31.
