December 2007

• Hot New Products -
• 6 Succinct Tips - Tips cover an Info Center search shortcut, HTML command documentation, an easy tool to control queries, a way for an ODBC connection to use your library list, environmental variables for global data, and a BIF for calculating beginning and end of month.
• NetBeans, Anyone? - When it comes to new development concepts and paradigms, we need to branch out, be brave, and be willing to experiment. Your IDE is a good place to start.
• Why Do So Many Vendors Make Getting Web Info So Hard? - Some vendors, even in the computer industry, don't seem to understand that their websites have become their public face. That must be why it's so difficult to find what you really want on some of them.
• Tech Tips - Building a SCAN CL Command * Using Compare and Swap to Increment a Counter * Preventing Adopted Authority from Being Propagated * Using /COPY with Free Format * Using the Job Date Instead of the System Date * Host Servers Tip * Changing Object Ownership
• Tips for Programming and Development, Part 1 - It's that time again, the year is ending and we all start to look ahead to 2008. What will the new year bring? Improved efficiency if you follow the more than 30 tips from readers, IBMers, and our technical editors.
• Today’s Application Generators Warrant A Closer Look - Application generators are easier to master than many languages, they shield you from lower-level development tasks, and they let you build web solutions that run natively on the System i.
• A Dynamic Duo for Automating LPAR Backups - If your shop shares one tape device among multiple LPARs, you’ll be glad to know that a software duo available on the System i works well to accomplish the difficult task of automating LPAR backups using a shared device.
• The Direction of System i Technology, Part 2 - System i technologies have played a major role in defining the platform. But what lies ahead for the System i? Which new technologies and initiatives will determine the system's future? Our panel of experts tackle these questions and more.
• Industry Observer - Be Prepared to Re-Create Programs * Corporate Web Identity * Wal-Mart RFID Update * Technology Future
• Dr. I Doctor - Dr. I Doctor answers a question about SSH and SCP performance, and explains an apparent security breach in Windows Vista.
• Buyers Guide to Business Intelligence Applications - Databases are a central strength of the System i, and business intelligence tools that extract information from them are strategically vital. This buyers guide contrasts and compares features of business-intelligence apps from 12 major vendors.
• i, Robot...(/SECURITY) - Who’s watching your servers right now? If it’s not you, your security may be at risk. Help/Systems new Robot/SECURITY offers a complete solution to protect your valuable data.
• Tips for Networking and Systems Management - Holiday hoopla got you stressed out? Make a cup of eggnog and unwind with this collection of tips for iSeries Access, iSeries Navigator, printing, remote administration, and systems management.
• Configure a Safe Environment for PHP Web Apps - The PHP execution environment is the outer ring of application security. It includes PHP and application patch maintenance, encryption, directory structures, configuration files, and updating PHP regularly.
• f.y.iSystem - IBM Announces Third Quarter Financial Results; Coming to RPG: Local File Support for Subprocedures; Avnet Ramps Up Partner Programs with Bundles, Online Database; Possibly Flawed i5 Possibilities; News in Brief
• IBM Announcements -
• Who Knows What Evil Lurks in the Hearts of Men? - What do pulp-magazine heroes have to do with data processing? Could one of them be the force driving cloud computing?
• API Parameters and Data Types - i5/OS provides many industry standard APIs that are available to developers working with ILE CL. The first article in this series introduces many of the essential concepts involved in using these APIs from CL.
• Requirements Gathering and Documenting - The number one reason for project failure is poorly defined user requirements. But your projects can be successful if you know how to get clear, succinct user requirements that you can easily quantify and test.
• Going Green: Doing My Part - Growing environmental concern may cause the IT world to evaluate its environmental impact. Here are some suggestions about how and why you should keep up with the trend and help your data center go green.
• An Update on iSeries Access Family V5R4 - While we are still using iSeries Access V5R4, many new capabilities have been added lately that greatly enhance the use of this family of products. Here are a few of them.
• Leverage Amazon Simple Storage Service - After you're acquainted with S3, you'll think of many uses for this low-cost web service. S3 can play simple or complex roles, functioning in intricate web applications or simple commands, being part of a formal backup strategy or simply providing cheap offsite storage.
• HMC and Hardware Documentation Changing - Starting with POWER6-based server platforms (and for HMC Version 7), hardware documentation will be self-contained and no longer available in the Information Center. Find out what these changes mean for you.
• Feedback - Where's the Fit and Finish?; Thanks for Putting Our Thoughts into Words; One More "Con"; Black Art Revealed
• FIDM Finds the Perfect Fit in VoIP - FIDM was beset with messaging problems and long distance charges, but then IBM and 3Com stepped in with an i5-specific VoIP solution.
• Route Finder: Moving to SQL - There are lots of reasons for a System i developer to use SQL. Whether you're writing an ad hoc query or a larger application, SQL helps simplify data selection and streamline data manipulation. In this Route Finder, we look at some of the most common uses of SQL and consider the factors that influence how you can use SQL most effectively. The Route Finder also includes a product roundup.