Unintended Emissions
June 2, 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 […]
ArticlesIBM Lab Services Helps Clients Stay Vigilant Against Data Hackers
June 1, 2017
In July 2015, an operator noticed some heavy UNIX* System Service (USS) activity that seemed highly suspicious. Some scripts were sending spam messages all over the world from the client’s mainframe. The client called IBM Systems Lab Services for z Systems* and LinuxONE*, and the Lab Services team sprang into action. The team of highly […]
ArticlesCICS TS Performance and Tuning: A Rich Tradition
June 1, 2017
It may sound geeky, but one of my favorite discussion topics—usually limited to a client’s system programmers and sometimes manager—is CICS Transaction Server (TS) performance and tuning. Sysprog is a group I’m very comfortable with, because there aren’t a lot of times I can share an acronym-laden conversation with a bunch of enthusiastic groupies passionate […]
ArticlesFrom Military to Mainframe
June 1, 2017
Working as a z/OS* systems programmer on an infrastructure team is not quite the role Torrie McLaughlin once envisioned for her career. But both the job and the journey that led her to it are rewarding. “I get a big kick out of knowing that the system I work on every day is the backbone […]
ArticlesModernize Environment and Applications to Stay Competitive
June 1, 2017
It’s official: The online customer experience is driving revenue significantly in both directions. Businesses and consumers are becoming merciless as they demand clear, clean, seamless transactions in real time. This trend is measurable. A leading search engine calculates average loading time for a mobile site at 19 seconds—and says reducing that time to five seconds […]
ArticlesWhy AIX Fits Well With Hybrid Cloud Strategies
June 1, 2017
In the last two years, we have seen a dramatic upswing in the number of IBM clients that are investing in full-scale projects to modernize their critical IT infrastructure. Some are looking to optimize their software licenses by consolidating workloads onto smaller footprints and moving nonessential capacity to offsite clouds. Others are developing new applications […]
ArticlesEvolving Ideas in IT
May 29, 2017
Last week, I wrote about David M. Kroenke’s list of components in a business computer system—computer equipment or hardware, programs, data, procedures and personnel. It’s a simple but enduring model, and you can use it in various situations to help discover useful information about new systems or applications. This week, I’ll discuss some constructs and […]
ArticlesSimple and Lasting Ideas on Managing Information Systems
May 22, 2017
Years ago, when I was a student I was assigned a textbook. It was an introduction to Business Computer Systems. The author’s—David M. Kroenke—books were (and still are) used in undergraduate computer information systems and master’s level business courses in management information systems. This post is about something that I learned from that author that […]
ArticlesNatural Alignments of Styles and Methods
May 15, 2017
This is the last post in a brief series on how applications are developed, with a focus on development methods and architectural styles. There’s a natural alignment between certain methods and styles—an alignment that can be found between waterfall and monolithic applications, along with agile and microservices. These are just two examples. I explore these […]
ArticlesHolden O’Neal on How Jiujitsu Affected His Life as a Mainframer
May 15, 2017
Reg Harbeck talks with Holden O’Neal about what made his journey to the mainframe, his employer and SHARE so successful, focusing specifically on Jiujitsu and the life skills it taught him. Listen to the interview via the orange play button or read the transcript below. Reg: Hi, I'm Reg Harbeck and I'm here today with […]
ArticlesBenefit From Non-Disruptive Modernization With IBM API Connect
May 15, 2017
This is the third article in a series about modernization of enterprise applications. The first article, Modernize Legacy Systems to Enable Full Potential, gives an overview of legacy systems, modernization tactics, benefits, strategies, risk and cost as well as challenges and areas of focus like updating the user interface and data modernization. The second article, […]
ArticlesDevelopment Methods and Architectural Styles
May 1, 2017
This is the first in a series on how applications are developed, with a focus on development methods and architectural styles that are gaining in significance. Methods aren’t the same as styles and some pairings work well together. This discussion starts with a bit of history. Development Methods or Philosophies Computer applications have been developed […]
ArticlesTokenized Encryption: The Project Nexus
May 1, 2017
The project generating this article largely involves implementation of a mainframe-based cryptographic interface oriented primarily to CICS Transaction Server, COBOL and MVS. However, these principles and concepts apply to all IT platforms. In fact, the project plan includes tasks and activities involved in converting the client’s websites using different programming languages and software to enable […]
ArticlesBlockchain Is Set to Streamline Markets and Transform Industries
May 1, 2017
Business is built on trust. The seller needs to trust the buyer to pay for goods. The buyer needs to trust that the seller will deliver those goods, and that they have the right to sell them to begin with. Financial institutions must trust one another to settle transactions. Other examples abound. To create an […]
ArticlesBlockchain Works With Systems of Record to Integrate Data
May 1, 2017
Distributed ledger technology blockchain links with existing systems of record (SOR) application servers and data managers. They share information and assets securely and immutably between external parties. It can be used to track the lifecycle of a car, a financial transaction or sources of food ingredients. (Learn more about how various industries are using the […]
ArticlesIBM Researchers Use Machine Learning to Make Storage Smarter
May 1, 2017
With the goal of helping us learn more about the universe, IBM and the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON) are collaborating on the IT roadmap behind the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), which will be the largest radio telescope in the world (bit.ly/2iywTpL). As part of this effort, called the DOME project, IBM developed a […]
ArticlesThe Power of User Groups
May 1, 2017
User groups have been an integral part of the IBM Power Systems* community for many years, from the Technical Collaboration Council to the Large User Group (the-lug.com). IBM i Offering Manager Alison Butterill often says that “user groups are a hidden gem of IBM i.” This true statement can be extended to AIX* and Linux* […]
ArticlesTrend Watch: Digital Business
April 24, 2017
This is the last post in a multi-part series with a focus on trends that are interesting and important, specifically in enterprise computing. I’ll continue my point-in-time analysis with a focus on digital business and how new systems of engagement (e.g., cloud and mobile devices) are changing the ways business is conducted through IT. Manual […]
ArticlesTrend Watch: Java
April 17, 2017
This is the ninth post in a multi-part series with a focus on trends that are interesting and important, specifically in enterprise computing. I’ll continue my point-in-time analysis with a focus on the Java programming language. Remember when Java was new? Early Java The Java programming language has been around for decades so it is […]
ArticlesJohn Eells on his Journey to the Mainframe
April 17, 2017
Reg Harbeck talks with John Eells, a longtime IBMer, about his life before the mainframe, his journey with IBM and how he ended up at SHARE. Listen to the interview via the orange play button or read the transcript below. Reg: Hello. This is Reg Harbeck here and I'm here today with John Eells from […]
ArticlesTrend Watch: Business Intelligence and Business Analytics
April 10, 2017
This is the eighth post in a multi-part series with a focus on trends that are interesting and important, specifically in enterprise computing. In this brief article, I’ll continue my point-in-time analysis with a focus on the subjects of business intelligence (BI) and business analytics (BA). Has BI and BA entered a new era in […]
ArticlesJohn Rhodes and Roger Hammer on Solving Customer IT Challenges
April 5, 2017
In this sponsored advertising content series, zTalk Business with Reg Harbeck, Reg talks with John Rhodes and Roger Hammer of CM First Group at SHARE in San Jose about their work developing tools for analyzing and documenting legacy applications, and how they help organizations and systems integrators understand their mainframe code and large system code. Reg: […]
ArticlesTrend Watch: Service Oriented Architecture and Web Services
April 3, 2017
This is the seventh post in a multi-part series with a focus on trends that are interesting and important, specifically in enterprise computing. In this post, I’ll continue my point-in-time analysis with a focus on the subject of integration, and a discussion on service oriented architecture (SOA) and web services like representational state transfer (REST) […]
ArticlesTokenized Encryption: Details Become Design
April 3, 2017
Once a project such as PCI compliance is approved, the first step is to hold a kickoff meeting. There are numerous reasons for a kickoff meeting: The CIO affirms the project’s importance and defines objectives, team members can acquaint themselves with each other, determine deadlines, identify potential obstacles and possible solutions, and establish requirements. But […]
ArticlesTips for Techies on Showing the Value of Their Services
April 3, 2017
People with strong technical backgrounds may not consider themselves good sellers. They prefer to install, upgrade, migrate and troubleshoot. But selling is a skill everyone must use, even if no money actually changes hands. Applying for jobs, writing proposals and emails, and participating in meetings are all types of selling because they involve uncovering a […]