Java on z Systems Delivers Portability, Security and Other Benefits
July 24, 2017
As people expect quick, secure transactions available any time, anywhere, modernization and innovation on the mainframe are necessary to meet these needs. Java* is at the heart of such transformation. An IDC study, “The Business Value of the Connected Mainframe for Digital Transformation” (ibm.co/2pf8asQ), places Java at the center of both modernization and innovation on […]
ArticlesIBM Z Pervasive Encryption Marks a Paradigm Shift for Security
July 17, 2017
Trust is the currency that drives the new economy. It’s the foundation of digital relationships and demands security, transparency and greater value in every interaction and transaction. That’s among the reasons IBM equipped the new z14 system with pervasive encryption. Transitioning away from selective encryption to end-to-end protection helps organizations secure all of their enterprise […]
Articles9th Annual Enterprise Computing Community Conference: Day 2
July 17, 2017
In June, I attended the 9th annual Enterprise Computing Community (ECC) conference hosted by Marist College with collaboration and support from academic and industry partners and sponsors. This year’s conference was June 11 to 13, 2017. I gave an overview of the conference in a previous post and I covered in detail the sessions from […]
ArticlesMary Anne Matyaz Defies Systems Programming Stereotypes
July 17, 2017
Reg Harbeck talks with Mary Anne Matyaz about her unique journey as an extroverted systems programmer. Listen to the interview via the orange play button or read the transcript below. Reg Harbeck: Hi, I'm Reg Harbeck and I'm here today with Mary Anne Matyaz, a well-known SHARE volunteer and a systems programmer who has worked […]
Articles5 Points to Consider When Preparing for Backup and Recovery
July 17, 2017
Planning for IT outages, whether instigated by Mother Nature, human error, system issues or a sly hacker, is no small feat for businesses. While the causes of unplanned outages vary, a strategy to manage outages can be standardized. Harry Batten, executive IT architect, IBM, lists five common points companies should consider while crafting a backup […]
ArticlesLynell Cabilangan Constantine
July 17, 2017
Name: Lynell Cabilangan Constantine Title: Applications developer Company Name: Credentials Solutions Company’s Function: Higher education transcript processing and degree verification HQ: Northfield, Illinois Years in IT: Three The biggest challenge our data center is facing today is migrating to a newer and more powerful server and moving from IBM i 7.1 to 7.3 because our […]
Articles9th Annual Enterprise Computing Community Conference: Day 1
July 10, 2017
In June, I attended the 9th annual Enterprise Computing Community (ECC) conference hosted by Marist College with collaboration and support from academic and industry partners and sponsors. This year’s conference was June 11 to 13, 2017. I gave an overview of the conference in my previous post. In this post, I focus primarily on the […]
ArticlesMaking Sense of APIs and the API Economy
July 10, 2017
This article introduces APIs, both old and new, with a particular focus on microservices that have become a key part of the API economy. So, what are APIs and how are they classified? Classifying APIs by Type Here’s a simple method of classification for APIs. First, there are the “older” types of APIs, which refers […]
ArticlesThe Brilliance of Resilience in a Cognitive World
July 10, 2017
Recent headlines from the halls of Washington, D.C. to our major airports have served to remind us of the increasing complexity and importance of having complete layers of resilience that protect our business systems. These interlocking layers include combinations of high availability and disaster recovery (HA/DR), security and managed service solutions that completely envelop and […]
ArticlesIBM Machine Learning for z/OS Gives Clients the Tools to Make Better, Faster Decisions
July 5, 2017
A customer seeks a home-improvement loan to accommodate her growing home-based business. The bank’s loan officer looks at her credit score. It’s not bad, but it also suggests there’s a high probability she won’t be able to pay back the loan. The loan officer says as much to his manager. Not long thereafter, his boss […]
ArticlesKeeping IBM Machine Learning on z/OS Next to the Data Enhances Analytics
July 5, 2017
Machine learning isn’t some sort of sci-fi-y attempt to make mechanical overlords. Rather, it’s a method by which users can train computers to recognize and even predict patterns in data and, based on machine-learning models, help them make better decisions based on historical, recent and up-to-the-minute information—no matter the format. Machine learning represents an acute […]
ArticlesGet Started With CICS Performance and Tuning
July 5, 2017
This article begins with focus on mainframe CICS but as it progresses, the focus shifts to CICS on all platforms, a progression that matches the product’s development. While techniques discussed are initially mainframe-based and oriented to CICS Transaction Server (TS), most principles and concepts apply to all processing platforms; syntax, parameters and implementation specifics may […]
ArticlesBankwest Modernizes Its Mainframe Integration Environment
July 5, 2017
UP CLOSE Customer: Bankwest Headquarters: Perth, Australia Business: Retail and business banking services Challenge: Reducing complexity between front- and back-end banking platforms Solution: Taking advantage of Java on the mainframe to reduce reliance on traditional middleware Hardware: An IBM z Systems zEnterprise BC12 Software: IBM WebSphere Application Server Liberty, Open Services Gateway initiative (OSGi) applications, […]
ArticlesHAL 9000. Samantha. KITT. Alexa. Siri. Bixby. Watson.
July 5, 2017
Movies, TV and companies have made artificial intelligence (AI) humanistic with catchy names, appealing voices and unique personalities. You have probably experienced AI via a virtual assistant, seen a Google self-driving car on the road or even implemented an IBM Watson* project in your organization. You’ve probably also heard the terms machine learning, deep learning […]
ArticlesHow does z/OS data set encryption differentiate itself from other types of encryption for data at rest?
July 3, 2017
As clients begin their journey with pervasive encryption, they consider how best to protect their data in order to satisfy regulatory compliances and avoid potential data breaches. They often wonder how data set encryption differentiates itself from other types of encryption for data at rest, specifically hardware-level encryption. Understanding the value of each type of […]
Articles9th Annual Enterprise Computing Community Conference
June 26, 2017
Two weeks ago, I attended the 9th annual Enterprise Computing Community (ECC) conference hosted by Marist College with collaboration and support from academic and industry partners and sponsors. This year’s conference was Sunday, June 11, to Tuesday, June 13, 2017. Revitalizing Undergraduate Education in Enterprise Computing ECC was formed because of a National Science Foundation […]
ArticlesAnthony English
June 22, 2017
Name: Anthony English Title: CEO Company Name: IT Down Under Company’s Function: Marketing for IT service providers HQ: Sydney Years in IT: 27 The biggest challenge our data center is facing today is silos. Businesses are struggling to get integration between applications. The next big thing for my business will be showing small business owners […]
ArticlesExploring DevOps Process and Tools
June 19, 2017
In last week’s post, “Exploring Enterprise DevOps,” I wrote that it’s often useful to look at DevOps solutions that IT companies are promoting and intuit the problems that they are addressing. I listed four main areas centered on modernization, testing, speed, risk and language. These include: Discover, understand and analyze enterprise application logic to modernize […]
ArticlesJohn Ehrman on the Value of Assembler
June 19, 2017
Reg Harbeck talks with John Ehrman on his 50th anniversary as a SHARE volunteer about his path to the mainframe and his Assembler expertise. Listen to the interview via the orange play button or read the transcript below. Reg Harbeck: Hi, I'm Reg Harbeck and I'm here at SHARE in San Jose with Dr. John […]
ArticlesTake a Holistic View
June 19, 2017
If your enterprise system has gotten more complex over the last few years, with new applications and users, it may be time to revisit your hardware configuration to optimize performance. Companies benefit when they practice taking a holistic view of enterprise systems every two years or so, says Jaqui Lynch, a solutions architect and independent […]
ArticlesSmart Buildings Need Smart Grid’s Demand-Side Management to Ensure Sustainability
June 13, 2017
Imagine a city with smart buildings and smart technologies that leverage cloud-enabled, automated metering infrastructure (AMI) platforms deployed by utilities to not only remotely monitor and optimize the building’s energy usage, but also connect with the utility’s backend systems for cost-effective procurement of electricity. This is starting to happen to enable cities to not only […]
ArticlesExploring Enterprise DevOps
June 12, 2017
This week, I am starting a two-part series on enterprise DevOps. Let me begin with the term enterprise then I’ll move on to DevOps. Enterprise Meant Mainframe To many of us, enterprise means mainframe. It wasn’t always that way but when mainframes became an out-of-favor platform in the 1990s, we started using the more indirect […]
ArticlesPillars to Developing A New Generation of Smarter Cities
June 12, 2017
Smart Cities Phase 1 The first phase of smart cities initiatives, aka Smart Cities 1.0, focused on cities working with their technology partners to develop pilot programs to test solutions that address specific problems and understand a solution’s benefits. The purpose was to develop a deeper understanding of technology trends and the concept of an […]
ArticlesChanging Development and Operating Ideas in IT
June 5, 2017
This week, I’ll finish up this three-part series by exploring application software development and groups that run the software within a company. This area of IT has undergone a significant amount of growth and change over the years due to the enormous success of computer use in business. The Way It Was Not long ago, […]
ArticlesDavid Cutaia
June 5, 2017
Name: David Cutaia Title: Domino and IBM i system adminstrator, RPG programmer Company Name: Brown & Bigelow Inc. Company’s Function: Promotional material distributor HQ: St. Paul, Minnesota Years in IT: 27 The biggest challenge our data center is facing today is keeping up with the never-ending changes to technology and infrastructure. The next big […]