January 2005

• Industry Observer - These links provide useful information about RFID, IBM's WebFacing tool, networking, and technology in the courtroom.
• RPG and the IFS: Text Files in the World - Scott takes a detour from explaining IFS concepts and theories in this third article in the series. Instead, he provides some explanations and examples of how you can use text files to easily accomplish tasks commonly required in today's business world.
• Streamline RPG Application Code with Throw and Catch - RPG's MONITOR and ON-ERROR opcodes improved error handling, but by adding Java throw and catch subprocedures to your RPG programming, you can standardize how to return exceptions, enforce business rules, and write code that's easier to understand.
• Feedback -
• Ironic iSeries Questions - If you’ve said no to WebSphere, you might have some new options, thanks to Microsoft and a new "Midrange Alliance."
• Time for Another Rename - Renaming and marketing RPG as a new language would remove the archaic connotation associated with it and could revitalize development on the iSeries.
• f.y.iSeries -
• IBM Announcements -
• No, Not High Availability: I Said Disaster Recovery! - Disaster recovery and high availability go hand in hand, and a full high availability solution brings with it substantive disaster recovery characteristics. But they are not one and the same.
• Product News from the Great North - Although Toronto COMMON occurred in October, many of the new product and product upgrade announcements made there are releasing this month.
• Hot New Products -
• National Envelope: Part of the Fold - "How do other iSeries shops function?" is a question that’s crossed everyone’s mind. This new series answers that question with vignettes of IT operations at enterprises of varying sizes and locations. First up is National Envelope Corporation.
• Rethinking iSeries Security - As you develop new user interfaces and adopt new development and system administration tools, you may also need to reassess your security strategy and perhaps incorporate additional security capabilities.
• Will Web Services Serve You? - Web services appear to be here to stay. But what are they? What can they do for you, and are they really worth an investment of your time? Let’s talk shop.
• Coding Tips for Faster SQL Applications - Several little-known techniques can help you speed up your SQL code. The first set of tips applies to cursors declared with a Declare Cursor statement; the next set applies to SQL stored procedures, user-defined functions, and triggers.
• Creating DB2 Triggers with SQL - DB2 file triggers are a great way to verify data, capture file modifications, or start other processes based on a change in a database without retooling existing applications. And as of V5R1, SQL makes triggers easier to use than ever.
• Basics of Using WDSc: Connecting to the iSeries with WDSc - Have you wanted to venture into the world of WDSc but didn’t know where to start? Well, help is here. This new series will take you through the basics of using WDSc. Read on to learn how to connect to an iSeries host server and set up your environment.
• Better Integration: Introduction to Portlets with WebFacing - The IBM WebFacing tool in WDSc Advanced V5.1.2 not only lets you quickly make your existing applications available on the Web; it also helps you turn your applications into portlets and run them in a portal server.
• Getting Your Message Across: User to User - Learn how to send user-to-user messages using the SndMsg, SndBrkMsg, and SndNetMsg commands.
• Send Notifications Using IBM Tools - Administrators must be notified when a problem occurs on the system. IBM now offers notification tools to address this need: The Advanced Job Scheduler, the Sametime Event Monitor, and an integrated SMTP server. Learn how to set up and use these tools.
• Tech Tips - Using a Table "Lookup" in an Update Statement Specifying the Proper For Clause in SQL Cursor Declarations, FTP Error: 550 Access Denied, Embedded SQL in a Noncommit Environment
• FAQs: iSeries Access Family -
• Dr. I. Doctor - Dr. I. Doctor suggests a convenient way to distribute sensitive information securely, and describes the steps to follow when one of your systems falls prey to hackers.
• Everything Virtual - Thanks to its virtual system design, which originated with the S/38, today’s iSeries and the i5/OS operating system can live virtually forever. The iSeries’ chief scientist and original architect explains the virtual system and how it came to be.
• JSR 168 and WSRP Strategies - As the portal market matures, two standards should help normalize portlet development and promote portlet use: a Java API called JSR 168, and a standard for running portlets via a Web services infrastructure called WSRP.
• A Versatile Threader for Spooled Files - BCD’s Catapult offers a wealth of features for handling and distributing iSeries spooled files and reports and provides a template for judging the worth of most document-management applications.
• SQL Tools for iSeries Programmers - Development tools that provide SQL functions, or that even directly generate SQL source code, can save time and effort when building applications that need to interact with databases. This roundup focuses on solutions that help programmers build or use SQL functions in applications.
• Food Producer Finds EDI Adoption Fruitful - J.R. Wood, a fresh-frozen fruit products producer, needed to enhance its EDI system. It also wanted to move into the future with UCCnet compliance. EXTOL’s Business Integrator product family helped J.R. Wood meet both goals.
• Open Sesame? - Astro listens to a phone conversation in which IBM tries to make an open-and-shut case on its BladeCenter specifications program.