Use z/OS Resources and Tools for Data Protection
October 2, 2017
The IBM z/OS* platform, with its unmatched reliability, availability and serviceability, outstanding I/O bandwidth and secure environment, provides an excellent platform for data protection. This is especially true if that client data already is on the mainframe, as the features of this hardware and software platform promote reliable and scalable data protection. If your organization […]
ArticlesRocket President Encourages Employee Collaboration With House Band
October 1, 2017
Andy Youniss has been drawn to music for as long as he can remember. Both his parents played guitar, and the president and CEO of Rocket Software would ask them to teach it to him. When he was in second grade, his dad taught him three chords, and he’s been playing the instrument since. Two […]
ArticlesFuture of Testing
September 25, 2017
This is the last post in this series on enterprise testing. The focus has been on both system and application programmers in an enterprise systems setting. The first post described enterprise testing and explained the many challenges that programmers experienced 40 years ago in deploying defect free software. The next two posts discussed system programmers […]
ArticlesFocus on Application Testing
September 18, 2017
This is the third post in this series on system and application testing on enterprise systems. In this post, I discuss the daunting job of being a mainframe application programmer and how he or she goes about testing. The testing scope can cover everything from deployment of a new release of ISV software to a […]
ArticlesTroy Crutcher Helps the Next Generation Master the Mainframe
September 18, 2017
Reg Harbeck talks with Troy Crutcher about the next generation of mainframers, the Master the Mainframe program and other opportunities available for learning and playing on the platform. Listen to the interview via the orange play button or read the transcript below. Reg Harbeck: Hello, this is Reg Harbeck and today I’m here with Troy […]
ArticlesIBM Research Is Working to Improve Mental Health Diagnoses
September 18, 2017
Imagine being able to predict the onset of a mental health condition before it hits. Or receive a diagnosis at home instead of a psychiatrist’s office. Or being able to adjust your medications based on patterns in your speech when you casually talk with family and friends. Within the next five years, you may not […]
ArticlesChamara Withanachchi
September 18, 2017
Name: Chamara Withanachchi Title: Head of IT Company Name: Merchant Bank of Sri Lanka & Finance PLC Company’s Function: Banking and finance HQ: Colombo, Sri Lanka Years in IT: 16 The biggest challenge our data center is facing today is never-ending changes and upgrades in systems. The next big thing for our business will […]
ArticlesWill You Be The Next Victim Of Ransomware?
September 11, 2017
Ransomware is malicious software that has been covertly installed on a device, such as your laptop or phone, which encrypts your private data and demands a monetary ransom for restoring the data to its original format. If the data is highly sensitive, the ransom may be the threat of public disclosure of the private data. […]
ArticlesTop IT Concerns
September 11, 2017
We’ve heard it at trade shows and read about it in surveys: The top challenges for IBM Power Systems* clients are security, high availability and modernization. It’s no surprise because every CIO needs to keep their data safe and available in order to stay competitive—all while keeping the company’s name out of headlines covering the […]
ArticlesLayering the World
September 4, 2017
Microscopes have advanced so far since their inception, they may soon be able to see the small scale in almost infinite detail. But the large scale? It seems much easier to visualize—look up at the sky—but when big, complex data gets thrown into the mix, that may not be the case. The sky is blue, […]
ArticlesMonitoring and Administration Needed for CICS Effectiveness
September 1, 2017
This article focuses on CICS performance across all platforms. On the mainframe CICS is known as CICS Transaction Server (TS), but on other platforms the product is named TXSeries, and for special functions, CICS Transaction Gateway. All products are developed and supported by CICS development, and are designed to interact with each other via facilities […]
ArticlesIBM Uses Low-Cost Sensors to Help Address Climate Change Issues
September 1, 2017
Natural gas is considered by many to be a cleaner energy source. The downside to natural gas is the methane that is a primary component. If it leaks into the air—estimates suggest approximately 1-2 percent leakage is common at production sites—it absorbs the sun’s heat and warms the Earth’s atmosphere. Methane is estimated to be […]
ArticlesEnterprise Testing
August 28, 2017
This is the first post in this series on system and application testing on enterprise systems. On mainframes, there are two kinds of programmers—application programmers and system programmers. They are both developers but they operate in different circles because their jobs are fundamentally different. They collaborate with each other, especially when system programmers launch a […]
ArticlesIBM Debuts Hyperconverged Servers
August 16, 2017
In May, IBM announced it was partnering with Nutanix to “bring new workloads to hyperconverged deployments.” In July IBM unveiled two new hyperconverged systems. So what does IBM’s move into the hyperconverged infrastructure market mean? For that matter, what is a hyperconverged infrastructure? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R8l81K8UB8 Per Wikipedia, a hyperconverged infrastructure describes systems that virtualize everything. It includes a […]
ArticlesAPIs: The Chicken or the Egg
August 14, 2017
This is the fourth post in this series where I have been writing about the drive for new technology. Is need driving innovation or is innovation driving demand? In other words, what came first: the chicken or the egg? In this post, I explore an area of innovation focused on APIs. Lately, the use of […]
ArticlesSusan Rice on Her Journey of Perseverance Through the Mainframe
August 14, 2017
Reg Harbeck talks with Susan Rice about her story of perseverance and her career as a system programmer. Listen to the interview via the orange play button or read the transcript below. Reg Harbeck: Hi, I'm Reg Harbeck and today I'm here at SHARE in San Jose with Susan Rice, who is the BMC MainView […]
ArticlesTech Tip: Be Like a Turtle!
August 10, 2017
The poet Bill Copeland once wrote “Try to be like the turtle—at ease in your own shell.” I find this to be great advice! Of course, I’m thinking of a different kind of “shell.” That is, I’d like to talk about the shell that you use when connecting to IBM i with the Secure Shell […]
ArticlesCloud: The Chicken or the Egg
August 7, 2017
This is the third post in this series where I have been writing about the drive for new technology. Is need driving innovation or is innovation driving demand? In other words, what came first: the chicken or the egg? In this post, I explore an area of innovation focused on cloud services. Ever wonder about […]
ArticlesCICS Tools Identify Performance Issues
August 1, 2017
This article focuses on CICS performance. On the mainframe CICS is known as CICS Transaction Server (TS), but on other platforms the product is named TXSeries, and for special functions, CICS Transaction Gateway. All products are developed and supported by CICS development, and are designed to interact with each other via facilities such as CICS […]
ArticlesArchivist Assists ‘Hidden Figures’ Movie Production with IBM Artifacts
August 1, 2017
It’s easy to stow old belongings in an attic or on a shelf, leave them to collect dust and forget about them. But thanks to Jamie Martin, IBM Corporate Archives manager in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., this doesn’t happen. She and her team track IBM’s history and heritage through the countless paper records, photographs and items the […]
ArticlesIT Operational Analytics Tools Can Provide a View of Management Data
August 1, 2017
IT and business management are increasingly concerned with the rising costs associated with their highly complex and ever-growing mainframe and distributed systems data centers. They are also concerned about controlling outages and mitigating the lack of transparency they have—including in their outsourced environments. Wide View Needed CIOs, IT managers and line-of-business managers don’t have unhindered […]
ArticlesKelly Mason
August 1, 2017
Name: Kelly Mason Title: Software engineer Company Name: Smalley Steel Ring Company’s Function: Manufacturing HQ: Lake Zurich, Illinois Years in IT: 2 The biggest challenge our data center is facing today is finding young talented RPG programmers. The next big thing for our business will be the integration of cognitive thinking. My favorite […]
ArticlesWords in Action
August 1, 2017
Imagine being able to predict the onset of a mental health condition before it hits. Or receive a diagnosis at home instead of a psychiatrist’s office. Or being able to adjust your medications based on patterns in your speech when you casually talk with family and friends. Within the next five years, you may not […]
ArticlesNew Technology: B2B Innovations
July 31, 2017
This is the second post in this series where I write about the drive for new technology. Is need driving innovation or is innovation driving demand? In this post, I explore an area of innovation focused on business-to-business (B2B) innovation through collaboration involving sales and information sharing. According to B2B Marketing, “It is expected that […]
ArticlesRoots of New Technology
July 24, 2017
In this post, I am writing about the drive for new technology. Is need driving innovation or is innovation driving demand? I plan to explore this perspective in the coming weeks. This first post in the series introduces the two main ideas. Need Driving Innovation People that focus on innovation tell would-be innovators that marketplace […]