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The Top Five Myths of Screen Scraping
A Simpler Way to SOA-Enable Existing Applications
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NEW ELEARNING FROM SYSTEM iNETWORK |
Microsoft Excel and Word for IBM i Developers Thursday, June 9, 2011 Join Craig Pelkie for this in-depth eLearning course, and you'll learn techniques to integrate these Microsoft Office applications with your IBM i database. This eLearning course meets at 3:30 p.m. ET on Thursdays for five sessions starting June 9th.
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LANSA Turns aXes into IBM i Cloud Enabler
Published: April 26, 2011
by Alex Woodie
LANSA is shipping a new release of its aXes Web enablement software that's designed to turn IBM i server environments into private and public clouds, including a platform for software as a service (SaaS). The vendor's new aXes-Cloud software, which ships with aXes version 2.0, enables organizations to make multiple IBM i server applications available to any browser-supported device. Version 2.0 also includes new query and spool file capabilities that IBM i users may find useful.
There's no denying the fact that "cloud" is extremely hot at the moment. Regardless of what the term actually means or whether it represents any true innovation compared to previous hosting models, cloud has taken off and embedded itself into the lexicon of the American businessperson. This has led IT vendors of all stripes to reposition their wares (or just re-write their marketing materials in some cases) to reflect a cloud basis, and you can't really blame them.
Cloud-mania is, thankfully, more subdued in the IBM i world, where hot technology and marketing terms du jour are usually ignored, and practicality and pragmatism have always ruled the day. That is not to say resellers and service providers aren't moving to roll out their own cloud hosting models in response to customer demands for lowering operating costs. Server outsourcing, as well as application service providing (ASP), have been a solid presence on the IBM midrange platform for more than a decade. But there is a clear trend of more IBM i workloads shifting from in-house servers to bureau-based computing centers, which is partly driven by the seemingly never-ending IBM i server consolidation cycle.
Chop Up the Cloud
This brings us to LANSA and its new cloud enablement offering. This offering is based on aXes, its screen modernization tool that converts 5250 data into HTML, which it obtained two years ago. aXes installs directly on the IBM i server, and uses a combination of XML and CGI techniques to enable on-the-fly screen conversions, without any source code changes or installation of client software.
LANSA unveiled a new aXes-Cloud component in aXes version 2.0 that, when installed on an IBM i server, turns that server into a "cloud gateway." This cloud gateway streamlines user access to multiple IBM i servers and applications sitting on the network behind the gateway. Users log on just once, and are automatically routed to all their applications, even if the apps are located on separate physical IBM i servers. "Users don't need to be aware that the cloud gateway exists," LANSA says in its announcement.
The Australia-based vendor, which has its U.S. headquarters near Chicago, sees several usage scenarios for the aXes-Cloud available with version 2.0. The first is for companies that run their own multi-server IBM i environments. Such an organization could use the aXes software to create a private cloud that streamlines user access to applications running on different IBM i servers.
This private-cloud scenario also provides the benefit of enabling browser-based access to IBM i servers that are too old, or too heavily customized, to support a direct aXes installation. According to LANSA, all IBM i servers sitting behind the cloud gateway server will operate as if the aXes-Cloud software is installed on it. That's a nifty little feat of IT magic that could prove useful.
LANSA also foresees aXes-Cloud being used by hosting providers to create public clouds for their customers. In the public cloud scenario, a customer can access any IBM i server installed behind a cloud gateway, including servers running at the hosting provider's data center, or even those that the customer keeps in house.
Benefits of the public cloud offering are similar to those of the private cloud. This includes making IBM i applications accessible over the Web, even if the underlying application or server infrastructure is too old or too heavily customized to justify its own Web-enablement project, according to LANSA.
Sharpening Cloud Business Models
Last but not least, LANSA is positioning the aXes-Cloud software to help ISVs turn their IBM i applications into SaaS offerings. LANSA says this offering will help by creating modern Web interfaces from 5250 applications without any programming.
One company that's using aXes-Cloud to bolster its hosting business is Evolution Systems, a Sydney, Australia-based IT consultancy with extensive expertise in IBM i hosting and SAP implementations.
In February, LANSA announced that Evolution Systems has adopted aXes-Cloud to bolster its IBM i hosting business, and to help create a new platform as a service (PaaS) offering to customers who want to outsource their IBM i workloads.
Geoff Boreland, founder and managing director of Evolution Systems, says the new software and its subscription-based pricing, "facilitates the fast and simple provisioning of new customers and additional users. We now offer hosted services with on-demand scaling whether up or down."
You can expect to read about additional IBM i business partners joining LANSA on the cloud journey. "We are currently in discussions with additional companies offering System i cloud solutions," states LANSA vice president of sales Kevin Corcoran.
Other aXes 2.0 Bennies
aXes version 2.0 brings several other new capabilities in the areas of spool files, database queries, and programmatic automation of 5250 applications.
Top of the list is enhancements to the aXes Data Explorer, which is a Web-based aXes program that allows users to query the DB2/400 database using IBM's SQL services. LANSA says aXes Data Explorer can handle all SQL queries, from the simple to the complex. It also lets users do things such as create and save SQL queries for later execution and export query results to spreadsheets, the vendor says.
The aXes Spool File Explorer, which enables users to access IBM i spool file output from the comfort of a Web browser, has also been enhanced. Users can view spool files on the Web browser as a PDF, HTML, text, or image file. The program also lets users create and save spool file queue searches for later use and export spool file data into a spreadsheet.
Finally, users can programmatically drive their 5250 apps with aXes-Robot, which is a brand new addition to the aXes suite. The aXes-Robot is a series of APIs that enable developers to basically simulate a user sitting in front of a 5250 session (hence the robot terminology). LANSA says this feature will be handy in several situations, including performing data entry as a batch program, using Web services to expose IBM i data that can only be accessed via 5250, or creating a connection between an ASP.NET website and a 5250 application.
LANSA is offering three flavors of the aXes-Robot API, including a .NET interface for Windows programs, a Java API that runs on IBM i and Windows, and an RPG-based API for pure IBM i environments.
aXes requires i5/OS V5R3 or later, and requires a FastCGI-enabled HTTP server such as aXes Application Server. The software supports recent releases of popular Web browsers, including Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, and Chrome. LANSA offers access to aXes-Cloud through subscription and per-user licensing options. For more information, see www.axeslive.com.
Sydney, Australia — April 19, 2011 — LANSA announces a new Version of the aXes 5250 Web Enabling Tool with a) the capability to offer access to new and existing IBM i RPG/COBOL applications via the Cloud, b) a complete overhaul of the pair of aXes browser-based query, access and reporting tools – DB2 Query and Spooled File Explorer and c) the ability to interact programmatically with 5250 data streams.
aXes Cloud Computing Software — aXes-Cloud significantly enhances the current Cloud computing offerings available on the IBM i.
Routing via a Cloud Gateway IBM i on which aXes is installed, users get browser-based access to their IBM i server running their line-of-business applications wherever their IBM i is situated. For a full description please visit: www.axeslive.com/products/cloud-computing-software.htm.
As a bonus, the browser access to the IBM i occurs on-the-fly without having to change any of the application code and without having to install any new software at the client PC.
aXes-Cloud, installed on the Cloud Gateway, enables any device that runs a browser (e.g., desktops, laptops, mobile devices) to be automatically connected to multiple IBM i servers. aXes-Cloud is a perfect solution to automatically connect users to their applications spread across multiple IBM i servers. Users log on to aXes-Cloud and it automatically routes them to the IBM i server and applications. Users don't need to be aware that the Cloud Gateway exists – they logon as normal.
aXes-Cloud provides a perfect opportunity for cloud computing service providers to add the IBM i to their offerings.
No additional software needs to be installed anywhere except for a single copy of aXes-Cloud installed on a Cloud Gateway server. aXes-Cloud operates as if aXes were installed on each of the connected servers. Users enjoy access to their applications from any device and any location.
As aXes-Cloud is an extension to aXes it provides all of the aXes features for multiple IBM i servers and applications. From any browser, aXes users can securely access all their applications, work with their spooled files, query databases and manage operations on any connected IBM i server.
aXes Data Explorer for querying DB2 data from a browser — aXes Data Explorer is a Web-based DB2 query tool for querying DB2 databases on IBM i servers, using the SQL services provided by IBM. To use aXes Data Explorer, you only need a browser and a connection to an IBM i server.
Some of the aXes Data Explorer features include:
aXes Spool File Explorer for accessing spooled file output from a browser — aXes Spool File Explorer is a tool for interrogating output queues and viewing spool files on IBM i servers. To use aXes Spool File Explorer, you only need a browser and a connection to an IBM i server.
Some of the aXes Spool File Explorer features include:
aXes-Robot for Programmatically Driving 5250 Programs — aXes-Robot is an Application Program Interface (API) that developers access when creating applications that programmatically drive 5250 programs. aXes-Robot caters to a wide range of programming options with three versions of the API available: .NET (runs on Windows); Java (runs on Windows and IBM i); and RPG (runs on IBM i). No ActiveX controls are used.
The primary uses of aXes-Robot are:
The aXes family of products is available for license from a worldwide network of reseller partners or from your local LANSA office. Visit www.axeslive.com for details.
For more information:
Hackers, crackers, intruders, oh my! And each with their pride at stake, But rest assured with a System i, You'll have a host that they can't break.
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Though the term hacker is used with pride by relative old-timers who remember the glory days of self-modifying code, patched binary code and jury-rigged wire connectors, it's since taken on more negative connotations, referring to someone who breaks into computers to disrupt service or "own the machine." Traditional hackers call these scurrilous creatures "crackers." We prefer the term hackers to describe both the malicious cracker and the ethical interloper. The malicious hacker is out to steal information, drive your business to its knees or take over your machine. The ethical hacker exposes the vulnerabilities in your system defenses so you can plug the holes.
The Intrusion Detection System (IDS) in IBM* i5/OS* notifies you of attempts to hack into, disrupt or deny service to the system. Prior to IDS, i5/OS took some protective measures against these types of intrusions. However, with the new IDS support, the i5/OS system can now tell you about the intrusions.
The types of intrusions on an i5/OS system that are caught, audited and, in many cases, discarded before they become a threat are multiple kinds of attacks, scans and traffic-regulation anomalies for TCP and User Datagram Protocol (UDP). In this article, we'll explain these different intrusions and provide an example of IDS in action.
You can read the article at: IBMSystems Magazine
I found another interesting news on the IT Jungle website and I have copied it below for your information.
Published: March 23, 2011
Hey, Joe:
Last year, I stumbled on a cool method for automatically deleting spooled files. When you create a spooled file, you can set the number of days that you want to keep that file on your system. Then once a night, you can submit a job that runs the Delete Expired Spooled Files (DLTEXPSPLF) command that will automatically delete expired spooled files. You should try it.
--Peter
After working with the Power i and its antecedents for almost 30 years, I always find it interesting when somebody shows me something valuable that I haven't used before. DLTEXPSPLF is a simple command that automatically removes all expired spooled files from all the system Auxiliary Storage Pools (ASPs) or the system ASP on your iSeries, System i, and Power i partitions.
DLTEXPSPLF takes a little planning because spooled files don't just expire on their own accord. Rather, you have to configure each spooled file with its own expiration date for later removal. This can be done before or after the spooled file is created.
To really understand DLTEXPSPLF, it's best to look at an example. Let's say that we want to set up all our INVOICE spooled files to automatically be deleted from the system after 30 days. We can easily do this by making the following changes.
1.Change the printer file that is used to create your target spooled file, so that it includes a target expiration period for newly created invoices--Let's assume you're using a third-party accounting package that uses a printer file called INVOICE to create all your invoice spooled files. If we want to designate that all INVOICE spooled files will expire after 30 days, we can change the EXPIRATION DATE FOR FILE (EXPDATE) parameter to *DAYS and the DAYS UNTIL FILE EXPIRES (DAYS) parameter to 30 days inside the INVOICE printer file. For this modification, we can simply run the following CHANGE PRINTER FILE (CHGPRTF) command.
CHGPRTF FILE(INVOICE) EXPDATE(*DAYS) DAYS(30)
This command changes the printer file immediately so all new invoices will automatically be tagged with an expiration date of 30 days past their creation dates. Note that this will work for any spooled files that are created through an associated printer file. Altering source printer file parameters can serve as an easy way to set different expiration dates for different types of spooled files.
2. Set up a daily job to delete all spooled files that have expired during the previous day--This can be done either through IBM's job scheduler or through a third-party i/OS job scheduler such as Help/Systems' Robot/SCHEDULE. Run DLTEXPSPLF this way in your scheduled job if you want to delete expired spooled files in all of your ASPs.
DLTEXPSPLF ASPGRP(*ALL)
Run DLTEXPSPLF this way if you only want to delete expired spooled files in your system ASP (ASP 1).
DLTEXPSPLF ASPGRP(*SYSBAS)
Spooled files always expire at 23:59:59 military time on their expiration date. So if you run DLTEXPSPLF once a day, it will delete all the spooled files that expired the day before.
To add an entry to the IBM job scheduler for running DLTEXPSPLF on a daily schedule, you can run the following ADD JOB SCHEDULER ENTRY (ADDJOBSCDE) command that IBM lists in its i5/OS V5R4 Information Center entry on DLTEXPSPLF.
ADDJOBSCDE JOB(DLTEXPSPLF) CMD(DLTEXPSPLF ASPGRP(*ALL))
FRQ(*WEEKLY) SCDDATE(*NONE) SCDDAY(*ALL)SCDTIME(010000)
JOBQ(QSYS/QSYSNOMAX) TEXT('DELETE EXPIRED SPOOLED FILES SCHEDULE ENTRY')
And that's all there is to automatically deleting your job logs. If you want to add any other types of spooled files to your automatic deletion schedule, change their print file attributes, provided you can find the print file they are created from.
You can also change spooled file expiration dates on the fly by running the CHANGE SPOOLED FILE ATTRIBUTES (CHGSPLFA) command to modify the expiration dates of files as they are created or as they sit in an output queue. To change the expiration date on a recently created spooled file to 30 days, all you have to do is gather the relevant spooled file information and run the following CHGSPLFA command.
CHGSPLFA FILE(spooled file name) JOB(job number/user name/job name)
SPLNBR(spooled file number) EXPDATE(*DAYS) DAYS(30)
If you don't want to mess around with changing expiration dates on the fly, you can create your own program to change the expiration dates for all spooled files in an output queue. A few years, I wrote a program called MOVSPLF that was used to move spooled files from one output queue to another. This program creates a work file of all the spooled files in a particular output queue and uses CHGSPLFA to move each spooled file to another output queue. With a little modification, you can easily change MOVSPLF to set expiration dates for all the spooled files in an output queue. Click here to check out the architecture and code for the MOVSPLF program.
--Joe
Seriously, in regards to IBM i (or more commonly on eHow.com, the iSeries) you can learn:
How to Install, Upgrade or Delete i5/OS & Related Software, which really looks like an article on how to connect to a server running IBM i from a PC.
How to Create XML From an iSeries File, which describes how to turn data files stored on an i system into XML files.
How to Restore an iSeries on Another System, which looks like how you might put the contents of a single database stored on an i system onto a diskette.
How to Restore From an iSeries Tape, which sounds like it might really work, except that the author's maple syrup has won awards in competition, leading me to believe that then again, maybe it won't.
How to Remove an iSeries Password Cache, which sounds like few too many instructions to do something complex, but the author has a degree in computer science.
How to Print From iSeries to Ricoh, which seems like basic info.
At first I thought this was a totally cool phenomena, that IBM i had claimed a decent presence on a mainstream website. But now I'm not so sure. Most of these instructions are written in 3 to 5 steps and most are by authors whose backgrounds have nothing to do with technology, which leaves me wondering:
Are there SMBs (or dare I say, enterprises) out there that have some form of an i system sitting amongst their Wintel servers with no clue about what to do with it? And suddenly a day comes when they want to take some data off it and put it on a Wintel system but have no one in-house who knows how to do that and so ventures to the web where they find these instructions on eHow.com?
Naw.
Seeing as how most entries are written by self-proclaimed writers, and that eHow.com offers $15 to $20 per hour to folks willing to write 3 or so entries in that hour and offers fame and glory on a website with high hits as a benefit, I'd have to guess that these writers are covering everything and anything to make a buck.
—Rita-Lyn Sanders, Senior Industry Editor
The article was originally published on the SystemINetwork website
There has been some confusion in the marketplace regarding Zend Technologies and its IBM i offerings. To summarize, Zend is moving away from Zend Core and Zend Platform offerings, and encouraging all IBM i customers to start using the new Zend Server, or at least begin planning the migration, because Zend will stop supporting the Core and Platform runtimes this July.
Zend announced Zend Server 5.0 for Linux and Windows in October 2009, and launched the IBM i version of that product in April 2010. At some point, the Cupertino, California, company announced the end of life for Zend Core and Zend Platform, which for years have been the primary PHP runtimes for Windows, Linux, and IBM i servers.
Zend has already stopped distributing Zend Core for i5/OS, which was free, as well as Linux and Windows versions of the free PHP runtime. And it has (mostly) stopped selling Zend Platform, which was the enterprise-strength version of the PHP runtime that added things like performance optimization and application monitoring capabilities. (The company will still sell a Zend Platform license in special circumstances, it says in its end of life statement. But this probably only relates to Windows and Linux.)
The vendor announced that, as of July 1, it will no longer support Zend Core or Zend Platform on any environment. However, there are some caveats to that as it relates to the agreement it has with IBM, which for years has been distributing copies of Zend Core for i5/OS with the i5/OS and IBM i operating system and paying for its customers to get full year of technical support from Zend. IBM has taken these steps to encourage i5/OS and IBM i shops to adopt PHP for application modernization, and it has worked pretty well, by most accounts.
One of the caveats is this: If an existing IBM i customer has just begun the one year of free technical support from Zend that IBM offers to all customers adopting Zend Core for i5/OS, then Zend will abide by that agreement and continue to support that customer on Zend Core for i5/OS, according to a Zend Server FAQ on the Zend Web site that discusses the options for Zend Core and Zend Platform for i5/OS customers. Similarly, Zend Core for i5/OS customers who are under contract, and who need extra capacity, will be allowed to buy additional licenses up until their support contract runs out. After that, they'll need to upgrade to its replacement, Zend Server (Community Edition) for IBM i.
While Zend will (grudgingly) support the old Zend Core for i5/OS product for the full 12 months for customers who have already started their year of tech support (or sell them extra capacity), Zend says it "strongly recommends" that customers instead move to Zend Server CE for IBM i.
Any new IBM i customers who want to start taking advantage of their free year of tech support from Zend will not be allowed to get support on the old Zend Core product. Instead, they will be required to move to the new Zend Server CE for IBM i product if they want to get support. (Or, they could just use Zend Core for i5/OS, but they won't get support from Zend.)
All IBM i customers, including those in the middle of their free year of tech support, have the option of upgrading from Zend Core for i5/OS to Zend Server CE for IBM i. When IBM i customers get to the end of their one year of free technical support, customers who desire tech support will need to migrate to Zend Server CE or the full Zend Server or IBM i product, which starts at about $5,000 per year on a Power System Model 520.
The Zend Server CE and Zend Server for IBM i products are basically the same product, the only difference being that customers who have upgraded to Zend Server for IBM i get a key that unlocks additional features.
So, why would an IBM i shop want to move to Zend Server, aside from the fact that it's the only way to get technical support? According to Zend and IBM, the Zend Server product family is a big improvement over the Zend Core and Zend Platform products, in a number of ways.
Perhaps the biggest enhancement is the fact that Zend Server for IBM i requires only a single Apache Web application server instance. Thanks to IBM's FastCGI technology, the need to have two Apache instance--one in IBM i and another in AIX accessed via PASE--is eliminated. This boosts performance, and simplifies installation and maintenance, the vendors say.
Customers moving up to the full Zend Server for IBM i product will benefit from other new features, such as integrated code-tracing that enables developers to build faster, more efficient apps; new job queue functions that enable PHP apps to better control the execution of application and maintenance tasks; and new page- and data-caching functions that boosts performance and scalability.
For more information, see http://www.zend.com/en/products/server/zend-server-ibm-i-faq.
Linoma Software last week unveiled a new release of GoAnywhere Director, its managed file transfer (MFT) solution. Version 3.5 brings a number of enterprise-level capabilities, including support for message queue (MQ) technologies and CIFS file shares, auto resume features, and file locking capabilities. New IBM i-specific command shortcuts were also added.
Transfer Anywhere debuted about three years ago as Linoma's do-it-all data movement utility for IBM i and other platforms. The Java-based software, which grew out of Linoma's earlier Transfer Anywhere product, allowed users to do all kinds of things with their data, including distributing it via SFTP and FTPS; translating among different file formats; replicating data among databases; encrypting data via OpenPGP; compressing data via ZIP and TAR; and managing all this from the comfort of Web browser interfaces.
In 2009, Linoma rolled out GoAnywhere Director as it simultaneously introduced a version of the product called GoAnywhere Services that was primarily designed as a "data storefront" to make it easy for customers to share data with their customers or partners over the Web, without requiring a formal client installation of the full MFT product on a supported server.
Organizations that do a lot of heavy lifting with their data movement activities and need a centralized solution for ease of management and compliance are better off with the full GoAnywhere Director product, which installs on IBM i, Windows, Unix, and Linux servers.
Linoma has fleshed out the product with GoAnywhere version 3.5, which features various enterprise-level features. For example, support for fault-tolerant MQ technologies like WebSphere MQ (MQ Series), SonicMQ, and ActiveMQ (via the Java Messaging Service, or JMS, standard) makes the software applicable to these high-volume, business-critical environments.
Small businesses communicating with a lot of Windows servers will be interested in the new support for the common Internet file system (CIFS) protocol. Linoma says support for the SMB/CIFS protocol will enable the software to manage, encrypt, and transfer files to and from network shares in Windows, Linux, and Unix environments.
Customers who have been stumped when large file transfers unexpectedly fail or timeout will be interested in the new auto-resume feature that debuts in version 3.5. This feature is commonly found in more expensive MFT solutions that use proprietary protocols to help ensure delivery. Linoma says the auto re-connect feature works with FTP, FTPS, and SFTP protocols.
Another enterprise-level feature in version 3.5 is support for file locking capabilities. Since GoAnywhere Director has the capability to directly connect to relational database management systems such as DB2/400, SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, Postgres and others, the capability to lock data files on read and write operations will help to ensure data integrity and minimize any conflicts.
Linoma also added a new high availability feature that ensures GoAnywhere configuration settings can be recovered in the event of unexpected outage. This feature works with DB2/400, MySQL, and SQL Servers, and also stores log data collected by GoAnywhere. \r\nIBM i customers will also be interested to hear about the new command shortcuts that Linoma added. These shortcuts will streamline access to popular functions from the IBM i command line, including SFTP gets/puts, Open PGP encryption/decryption, ZIP and UNZIP.
File monitors have also been added that constantly scan for new or modified files in certain folders. When GoAnywhere detects a change, it can automatically execute a process workflow against the file. The product's scheduling and workflow functions have also been adapted with new templates that streamline the setup process for certain functions.
Linoma chief architect Bob Luebbe hopes his customers take advantage of the new functions. "As its feature-set continues to grow, GoAnywhere Director can be used to streamline even more data transfers while providing the audit trails and security needed for compliance," he states in a press release.
GoAnywhere Director 3.5 is available now. Pricing starts at $3,495. For more information and trial downloads, see the product website at www.goanywheremft.com.
The article was originally published on the IT Jungle
“GoAnywhere Director allows customers to eliminate custom scripts and the numerous tools that were typically needed for transferring, encrypting and translating data.” says Bob Luebbe – Chief Architect
Omaha, Nebraska (Vocus/PRWEB) February 08, 2011
Linoma Software has released version 3.50 of GoAnywhere Director, a Managed File Transfer (MFT) solution which will automate and secure the exchange of data with your customers, trading partners and enterprise servers. New features in GoAnywhere Director 3.50 include:
GoAnywhere Director allows for remote administration from any Web browser, including iPads and smart phones. The latest release includes improved styling and organization of the screens, along with more on-screen help to enhance usability. Additional templates have also been added to make it easier to create more variations of project workflows. For instance, in just a couple minutes, a user could utilize a template to create a project that extracts data from a database, converts it to CSV format, encrypts it with Open PGP and sends it to a FTP server.
“GoAnywhere Director allows customers to eliminate custom scripts and the numerous tools that were typically needed for transferring, encrypting and translating data,” says Bob Luebbe – Chief Architect. “As its feature-set continues to grow, GoAnywhere Director can be used to streamline even more data transfers while providing the audit trails and security needed for compliance.”
GoAnywhere Director installs on most platforms including Windows, Linux, IBM i (iSeries), AIX, UNIX, HP-UX, Solaris and Mac OS X. A fully functional trial of GoAnywhere Director is available at http://www.GoAnywhereMFT.com. Pricing starts at $3,995.
The document was originally published on the PRWeb Website
Reliable Financial Intelligence Will Help Drive Competitiveness Across Diverse Range of Industries and Materials
MANCHESTER, NH--(Marketwire - February 1, 2011) - UNIT4 CODA, Inc., a business unit of UNIT4, the world's leading provider of enterprise resource planning (ERP) and financial management software for fast changing organizations, today announced that Superior Bulk Logistics, a leading bulk transportation and logistics company, has purchased Coda Financials as its financial management software.
Superior Bulk Logistics required accounting software that could handle the company's operational complexity across the range of industries and types of materials it transports. Using Coda Financials, the company will benefit from accurate, real time financial intelligence that will help drive competitiveness and optimize profitability in a competitive marketplace. Superior Bulk Logistics operates four divisions, each specializing in a different part of the trucking industry, ranging from transporting hazardous and non-hazardous materials, transloading food and non-food, liquids and dry bulk products as well as cleaning and sanitizing those trucks.
According to Donna Hudson, Accounting Manager for Superior Bulk Logistics, "As a growing leader in bulk trucking, with complex accounting needs across multiple subsidiaries, we needed a comprehensive financial software solution that maximizes our IBM AS400 systems and applications and integrates our operational data for both financial and operational reporting.
"After evaluating several industry offerings, such as those offered by JD Edwards, Microsoft and others, we realized that Coda Financials knocked it out of the park with its deep functionality, flexibility, integration and performance. Its single financial model, real-time reporting and multidimensional analysis are just three of the standout features that made Coda Financials the preferred choice for Superior Bulk," she concluded.
In making the announcement, Steven J. Pugh, chief executive officer of UNIT4 CODA, said, "In the demanding and complex trading world of transportation and logistics, access to reliable financial intelligence, and comprehensive analysis and control of financial information can set a company apart from its competitors. Today, more than 200 of the world's leading transportation and logistics companies rely on our best-of-class Coda Financials global accounting solution. It is especially invaluable for those organizations where classifying, measuring, and analyzing profitability by shipment, vessel voyage, container and bill of lading are of utmost importance."
About Superior Bulk Logistics
Superior Bulk Logistics, through subsidiaries Superior Carriers and Carry Transit, hauls liquid and dry bulk cargo, including both chemical and food-grade products. Overall, the trucking units of Superior Bulk Logistics operate a fleet of some 875 tractors and 2,000 trailers. The company's SuperFlo unit provides transloading services -- the transfer of cargo between railcars and trucks. Superior Bulk Logistics' Sanicare Wash Systems unit cleans tank truck trailers and other bulk containers used for food products. Superior Bulk Logistics offers service between Mexico and the U.S. and Canada through a partnership with Transpormex, a division of Grupo Dexel. For more information, please visit http://www.superiorbulklogistics.com.
About UNIT4 CODA
UNIT4 CODA, Inc. is part of UNIT4, a $517 million global business software company that creates, delivers and supports adaptable business software and services to help dynamic organizations manage their business needs effectively. We strive to set the global standard for business solutions that enable companies to embrace change -- simply, quickly and cost effectively. Coda Financials is an award-winning suite of best-of-class management software designed to integrate with industry- and company-specific applications. CODA provides real-time financial visibility and control across people, processes and systems. By acting as the financial information backbone for companies with fast-changing and mixed application environments, it offers a "no compromise" approach to financial modeling, process controls and application choice. For more information on UNIT4 CODA, visit http://www.unit4coda.com. Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/UNIT4CODA.
For further information contact:
Margaret Bonilla
Birnbach Communications for UNIT4 CODA
603-548-0693
Email Contact
Magic to Sell MicroStrategy BI into IBM i Base
Published: February 1, 2011
by Alex Woodie
Magic Software will offer the complete suite of MicroStrategy's business intelligence offerings as part of an alliance the two software company's announced last month. The MicroStrategy BI solution is a good fit for IBM i and JD Edwards shops because of its relatively low overhead and openness, according to Magic, which will also be helping IBM i shops build DB2/400-based data marts using its iBOLT integration tool.
MicroStrategy has not traditionally been one of the BI vendors that IBM i shops look to when contemplating the implementation of a BI solution. While the Vienna, Virginia, software company and its customers have undoubtedly tapped into IBM i data sources before, MicroStrategy, for whatever reason, just hasn't had much of a presence in the IBM midrange marketplace, especially compared to competitors like Cognos and SPSS (both owned by IBM) and Informaiton Builders, which is a close IBM partner.
That is about to change as the result of MicroStrategy's new relationship with Magic Software, which develops native IBM i integration and development tools, and is well-known and respected in the IBM i community. Magic executive vice president Glenn Johnson says the company is excited to be selling the reporting and analytics from MicroStrategy, and expects the tools to be a good fit for many IBM i shops.
"MicroStrategy's reputation is awesome. They have the number one rankings from Gartner and a number of specialized analysts that look at business intelligence tools," Johnson says. "MicroStrategy tends to be a very efficient solution, and I think it matches well with IBM i."
Johnson referenced a recent Gartner report that found MicroStrategy customers analyze the largest amount of data, and that they have a large (but not the biggest) user base compared to customers of other enterprise-level BI offerings. And when it looked at the number of administrators required to support the BI environment, Gartner found MicroStrategy to be at the bottom of the list.
"In other words, it requires the least amount of administrative overhead to keep it running," Johnson says. "You've heard all of our pitches of our approach, to be meta-data driven and efficient in a development environment. And we felt that in terms of BI solutions, that MicroStrategy was very similar in terms of our own goal to provide excellent capabilities with minimal overhead."
Magic is offering its customers a bundle that combines its iBOLT or UniPaaS software with MicroStrategy products. The bundle includes perpetual licenses for several MicroStrategy products, including development tools and end-user reporting tools. The final per-user cost comes in around $60, which is on the aggressive side. The company can sell any product in MicroStrategy's catalog, which also includes online analytical processing (OLAP), data mining, Web-based dashboards, and mobile interfaces for the iPhone and iPad.
While MicroStrategy's tools are primarily Windows-based, they can access practically any data source, including DB2/400 via MicroStrategy connectors that support i5/OS V5R4 and IBM i 6.1. To that end, Magic plans to use iBOLT, which is typically used as a business process integration and orchestration tool, as an ETL tool of sorts, to load data marts and data warehouses on the IBM i server. The capability to keep BI-related data on the IBM i server will appeal to midrange shops that don't have skills on other databases, or who are concerned about the security of their data residing on other platforms.
Johnson says JD Edwards' customers will be primary beneficiaries of Magic's new MicroStrategy offerings. Indeed, later this month Magic will participate in iConsortium's JDE Executive Summit in Hilton Head, South Carolina, alongside MicroStrategy representatives and Lyle Ekdahl, general manager of Oracle's JD Edwards business.
Oracle sells its own BI stack and competes with MicroStrategy's OLAP software with its respected Hyperion offering. Nevertheless, the software giant is pragmatic about helping its JD Edwards shops acquire BI capabilities, and is open to working with MicroStrategy, Johnson says.
"You have to be realistic about the differences between Red Stack and Blue Stack," Johnson says. "When it comes to really building a data mart on the IBM i, how are you going to do that? How is that solution going to be positioned in the marketplace, especially when you're talking about JD Edwards World, which is exclusively on the IBM i platform?"
The IBM i server may also get a sort of reprieve from migration plans when customers make DB2/400 data available to MicroStrategy's BI tools, Johnson says. "I think having BI tools that can run in other environments is going to be advantageous to preserving the investment in IBM i," he says, "because it will mean that you can get the reports, analytics, and decision-making tools into the hands of senior management, line of business managers, and knowledge workers that otherwise might not be there in typical IBM i environments. And that will, I think, reduce the pressure to move to other platforms."
For more information on Magic and MicroStrategy offerings, visit the companies' websites at www.microstrategy.com and www.magicsoftware.com.
The article was originally published at Four Hundred Stuff
Just when you think it's safe to jump in the PHP sandbox and play with all the cool toys, a bully comes along and tries to snatch one out of your hands. According to the MySQL website, Oracle Corporation has dropped support for versions of the MySQL open-source database that run on IBM i and AIX. Citing "very low demand," Oracle says it won't build anymore MySQL binaries for the AIX and IBM i platforms.
It's too bad that Oracle has decided to not play fair, but the company is in the database business, and in business, I suppose it doesn't make sense to continue something that doesn't benefit you.
Still, IBM users don't need to get in a huff at the prospect of losing one of the keys to running open-source apps on i, nor should i users launch into a tantrum (yet).
True, Oracle ultimately owns the MySQL code (even though it's open source). But the IBM i versions at least are available through the Zend PHP bundle that is distributed with current versions of IBM i, and you can download MySQL for i from the YiPs website as well. Besides, that latest version of MySQL for IBM i works with i 5.4, 6.1, and 7.1. "And that's quite a bit of runway that people have," says Alison Butterill, IBM's application development offerings manager for Power Systems.
And lest we forget that once a upon a time, before the IBM i version of MySQL existed, folks did download MySQL and compile it for their i systems so that they could make use of open-source programs like Joomla and SurgarCRM. I remember those days . . . and the buzz that a potential IBM i version of the database created.
Because of the way open source works, anyone still can download the source code for the MySQL database and compile it for their server environment. "They [Oracle] were creating the object code, and that's what they've stopped," Butterill says.
Oracle hasn't answered my query for more information about the decision to put an end to MySQL versions for IBM i, but it seems odd to me that there is "very low demand," especially considering that Zend seems to have a large customer following on IBM i.
Oracle will likely honor any existing support contracts it has with customers for the application. And as is the case with any open-source software, there is a community through which users can find support in the shape of forums and blogs.
For IBM's part, Big Blue is investigating the options, Butterill says. "We're focused predominantly on keeping the open-source commitment on IBM and figuring out some way of maintaining the MySQL option."
Too, IBM put a lot of time and energy into writing the IBM DB2 for i Storage Engine that translates MySQL statements for DB2 and owns that code. I doubt IBM is going to just stand by and watch as the bully tries to knock that out of the sandbox.
—Rita-Lyn Sanders, Senior Industry Editor
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by Dan Burger
Cloud computing is confusing. It helps if you study it in bite-sized portions. For midrange shops running their core business applications on the IBM i and OS/400 platforms formerly known as AS/400, iSeries, System i, and now Power Systems, there are three considerations that should grab your eyeballs. They are skills, security, and services. You can look at them individually or in combination, but they will likely be a primary factor in whether the cloud is important to you now or in the near future.
We have cloud proliferation. Every day new clouds come puffing out of virtual smokestacks, if you can picture that. Each has its own purpose and may or may not be platform specific, which has a bearing on whether iSeries shops will pay attention to them. Just like any enterprise software, all clouds are not created equal and one cloud does not fit all. Decisions would be a lot easier if that was not the case.
Behind many cloud decisions is a desire to offload IT. Although it's often thought that technological advancements increase efficiencies and reduce complexity, the advancements and the efficiencies often arrive by themselves. Reduced complexity seems to miss that bus most of the time. As a result, businesses are on an IT technology treadmill that keeps them searching for employees with the skills that are keeping pace. Not all companies have done this effectively. The reasons are usually attributed to this being a distraction to the mission of the company, the scarcity of skilled people or the costs associated with acquiring the technology and the skilled staff.
Every business has its own situation, but IBM i shops have a reputation for complaining about a dwindling number of IT professionals with modern skills. Executives who face that situation today or see it as an issue coming sooner rather than later might see the cloud as relief as the pressures to maintain existing systems can be moved to a cloud with the expertise to keep the business running smoothly.
Anyone who's been mildly curious about cloud computing has read articles detailing the cloud-busting obstacle that security has been when it comes to executives' unwillingness to venture into the great unknown. This is more of a concern to not very particular consumers than it is to very particular businesses.
I talked with Harold Moss, the chief technology officer of cloud security strategy at IBM about the security concerns. He echoed the "not all clouds are created equal" truism, and added that IBM clouds were more secure than most companies' in-house security because companies struggle to apply the appropriate levels of security and also with the interpretation of security information they collect.
We've learned as much from the annual State of the IBM i Security survey and report produced by security software vendor PowerTech. Although the IBM i is an extremely secure platform, it is rarely used to the level it is capable.
"Our view is that the cloud can be more secure than the traditional environment," Moss says. "First, there is the increase in security services. We can help organizations that don't have enough resources to manage their in-house security requirements. As it is now, organizations are not taking care of business when it comes to security."
In his unabashed endorsement of IBM services, Moss recommends IBM's managed security services, where skills are current and expertise covers specific platforms as well as multiple platforms. They get packaged and delivered in a manner that might be called security as a service.
"Security is very complicated," Moss says. "Where there used to be one dedicated system on which to manage security, now there are multiple systems and they are communicating with each other. There are mobile devices punching holes in the firewall and information is being shared with partners. In my opinion, with managed services you get a better level of quality because it's a deeper investment."
Returning to the topic of cloud security, Moss says it's not right to paint all clouds black when it comes to security. Different clouds will have different levels of security, he says. And a generic checklist approach to security doesn't necessarily work, because security needs varying according to workloads.
"There's no need to build in things that will never be used," Moss says. "Capabilities like anti-spam and anti-phishing are unnecessary in a development and testing cloud. Think about what you are doing in the cloud. If it's accessing and protecting data, there are specific security needs that pertain to that."
What IBM is saying is that it has more money to invest in security than most customers do. And because it sets out to hire expertise, it has a better chance of creating a more secure environment than most customers. If economy of scale is a factor--and it should be because IBM plans for multiple customers to share the cloud--this should be less expensive than building similar security in-house.
"People don't apply security because they don't want security," Moss says. They don't apply security because it is not cost effective. They can't get a return on their investment. Security is not understood before an incident happens. It's looked at as having to hire a person or persons and buy some equipment. This doesn't make sense to an executive unless it can be tied to an impact. In this case, the impact is rarely forcing the issue."
IBM has a huge presence in the security business. Through its software and services, it manages more than 7 billion security events daily. Its X-Force branch employs more than 15,000 researchers, the company holds more than 3,000 patents in the security business, and more than 4,000 customers outsource their security to IBM. It has also created the Institute for Advanced Security, a group focused on cybersecurity research and development.
Even with all the cloud evangelism ringing in our ears, the momentum remains chiefly with smaller applications and databases that seldom qualify as mission critical for traditional businesses. Moss calls that a "point in time" statement and predicts more transition to cloud-based systems. As part of that transition, he says, there will be increased investment in public and private clouds. The confidential information will be kept in private clouds. The public clouds will handle not so sensitive information.
Retail organizations are required to share a great deal of information and this industry is moving to the cloud. Wal-Mart, for one, is pushing for this to happen. Retailers are not ready to put all their critical data out there, but with all the PCI services in the cloud there is interest beyond the curiosity level.
"IBM is betting heavily on the cloud for a reason," Moss says. "We believe more companies will go in that direction."
This article was originally published at: http://www.itjungle.com/
Published: November 30, 2010
by Alex Woodie
Micro Focus recently launched a new release of RUMBA, its terminal emulation suite that is used by many IBM i shops. The highlight of version 8.1 may be integration with Microsoft Office, which will allow users to easily move data from the emulator to Outlook or Word. Other notable features include FIPS 140-2 certification, a new screen and data capture system, GUI enhancements, and new developer tools. The vendor also launched Web-to-Host 6.1 and OnWeb 7.5.
For the last decade, two unmistakable computing trends have wound their ways through American corporations. The first concerns the "legacy" applications running on IBM iron that users access through green screens. Namely, lots of people don't like them, and want them replaced with things with Web interfaces. A second, related trend has played out on our desktops, where Microsoft maintains an excruciatingly profitable software monopoly with the Windows and Office juggernauts. Many people hate this, too, and think the future lies in accessing Web-based services from Linux desktops, or maybe the new iPad.
Since 2000, the writing on the wall has said that expensive, proprietary technology from IBM and Microsoft will lose, and inexpensive, open source technology from smaller and--let's just say it, nicer--companies will win. To a large extent, this is exactly what's happened. The AS/400 installed base is a fraction of its former self, while Microsoft struggles to remain relevant outside its niche.
However, while the AS/400 and the Office/Windows duo have lost market share and luster, neither product line has gone completely away, which undoubtedly confounds their critics. Perhaps the products are so ingrained in some organizations that removing them would be too painful. Or maybe, just maybe, there are still IT managers who resist the urge to change out information systems simply because somebody thinks they're just too old.
Which brings us to RUMBA version 8.1. Like peanut butter and chocolate, Micro Focus realizes that the AS/400---er, IBM i-based Power Systems server--and Microsoft Office just go better together. There's no sense in fighting it: Office is ubiquitous. It's everywhere. So instead of forcing users to flip back and forth between RUMBA sessions and Office apps, Micro Focus has figured out a way in RUMBA 8.1 to let users drive data from the emulator directly into Outlook, Word, and OneNote.
This capability to push data and transaction details from a RUMBA session into Outlook or Word will enable users to share information more easily than before. It will replace untraceable copy-and-paste-based business processes that spring up and increase productivity. And since it's centralized and monitored, this direct push of data into Office will lower security risks, Micro Focus says.
User productivity is a central theme of RUMBA 8.1, and another time-saver can be found in a new feature that allows users to capture historical data and recently used screens for later use. This enables several new capabilities, including: making recently viewed information available to users immediately; enabling users to search through recent transactions; and helping trainees to figure out the product quicker. Micro Focus also sees this feature being used to build issue-specific user profiles that offer instant access to background information or oft-used queries.
Micro Focus also touts the capability to customize RUMBA installs with this release. The company says version 8.1 features a new "tile and zoom" interface that spreads out RUMBA sessions across several windows (like Windows), as well as customizable toolbars, and an improved status bar. The vendor also supports the development of custom RUMBA programs with the Rumba Developer Edition, which features access to APIs and works with Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 and 2010.
Web Enhancements
The Web-based version of RUMBA, called Web-to-Host, has also been enhanced. Web-to-Host version 6.1 features support for double byte character sets (DBCS) that allows it to be adopted by more Asian users. Like RUMBA, its SSL/TLS- and SSH-based encryption mechanisms have been validated FIPS 140-2 compliant, enabling the software to be used by governmental agencies and contractors. And like RUMBA, Web-to-Host is certified to run on Windows 7 (or at least the browser running in Windows 7).
Micro Focus also rolled out a new release of OnWeb, its modernization tool that creates Web interfaces and Web services out of green screens. With OnWeb version 7.5, Micro Focus launched an Internet Information Server (IIS) plug-in that allows the OnWeb server to function as a component of Microsoft's IIS Web server. Retro users will appreciate the new command line tool that allows administrators to control OnWeb applications through the command line. Other improvements were made to the OnWeb APIs, the OnWeb Designer, and the OnWeb Builder.
This article was originally published at: http://www.itjungle.com
One of the more commonly asked questions I see in forums and by end users is how do you get your data from the AS400 down to the PC in a text file format or as an Excel based spreadsheet. And fortunately with modern tools and software this is a very simple problem to solve. Now a days there are many different ways to tackle it depending on what exactly your needs are and what skill-set you or your users have.
First up you can roll your own tools. RPG and CL are a couple of the native programming languages for the platform and if you can write RPG and CL programs then you can really automate the whole data download process from the AS400 environment without any additional tools. You simply create a CL program that reads a spool file or an RPG program to query a database table and write that out to another temporary physical file that can be queried.
Manipulating a spool file this way has the advantage of breaking it apart into the appropriate fields from the source data. Once you have this information put together you can simply have the program email it. One very simply method of emailing from the AS400 is the SNDDST command. But SNDDST can be a bit of a pain to get working since it takes some configuring.
From a Windows based PC you have many many options to get at the data. To download a spool file you simply launch Operations Navigator, search through the output queues for the report you want to download and click and drag it to your desktop. The software automatically converts the spool file into plain text format and downloads it to your computer. Operations Navigator will also convert spool files into Adobe pdf format.
From here it's a very simple and straight forward process to import the plain text file directly into an Excel spreadsheet. You launch Excel and open the new file, excel will recognize the format and prompt you to add the column breaks. This method is so easy and straight forward it can even be done by end users with a little bit of training and over the shoulder help.
Now you can also query your AS400 directly from a Windows client using an ODBC or OLE driver to access the underlying database. This can be done using your favorite programming or scripting language of choice that can access ODBC, which should be just about all of them. Using this method you need to know how to construct an SQL statement that will be used to query the data set you need.
In fact using this method before I have created Perl scripts to query a specific set of information, in this case it was daily invoices using a date parameter. All the data was downloaded and dumped into a newly created spreadsheet and them subsequently emailed to a list of people. The whole thing was then automated every day by adding it into the task scheduler on the client system. And if I recall correctly this whole script was less than fifty lines of Perl code. How is that for quick and easy?
About the Author
John Andersen is an IT manager and creator of the Power System Jump Start course. Check out his Midrange Jump Start web site for more info on how to quickly and easily manage your AS400, iSeries or System i.
(ArticlesBase SC #2329226)
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ - Three Easy Methods to Get Data From AS400 to Excel
by Alex Woodie
In an ideal world, every IBM i shop would have its own dedicated development box. But as IT budgets shrink, it's hard enough to get management to update the production server, let alone provide a playground for developers to experiment with new tools and technologies. But now that www.idevcloud.com is nearing completion, IBM i developers will soon have a place to try out the latest RPG, PHP, and Java tools against a live System i machine, for a very reasonable fee.
In the next few days or weeks, you will be able to go to www.idevcloud.com and sign up to get access to a range of IBM and Zend development tools and compilers, as well as a System i Model 525 server running i5/OS V5R4 and IBM i 6.1 and 7.1 to run against. The library of tools available to iDevCloud subscribers will include:
The cost for the service will start at about $50 per month, which gets the subscriber basic access in a shared library. For $150, a subscriber can get SECOFR authority in his or her very own LPAR. Users will be able to download the tools of their choice from a secured website, and access the System i server over the Internet.
iDevCloud is the brainchild of Jim Oberholtzer, CEO of Agile Technology Architects and a COMMON board member, and Larry Bolhuis (AKA Dr. Franken), the principle of Frankeni Technology Consulting, who is renown for bringing bizarre and fantastic midrange creations to life. The idea spun out of the duo's work with iEngineer, a group of active System i professionals.
"The intent of iDevCloud is to provide a playpen for i developers to do what they want to do," Oberholtzer told IT Jungle last week. "If you happen to work for a bank or a financial institution or another organization that has relatively heavy security restrictions, they can't, by definition, just let you go out and let you play. And not everybody has an AS/400, iSeries, or System i sitting at home."
The focus of iDevCloud is on education and training. People who want to bolster their RPG skills or try a little bit of Java or PHP can do so in a controlled environment, against a live System i server. "If you're producing education for the i community, then the service is available to you as well," Oberholtzer said. "Those folks find it hard to afford a machine and keep it current."
There are restrictions. iDevCloud is not to be used to build or run commercial applications; a fully paid license to the IBM or Zend software would be required in that case. Subscribers can use iDevCloud as a springboard for becoming an ISV, but they must license their own copies of the software before doing any actual commercial development.
Third-party vendors will also be able to play on the iDevCloud. Oberholtzer is in talks with some utility vendors to make their wares available on the cloud, which will make the experience more rich and rewarding for subscribers, he says.
The iDevCloud is functionally ready to begin business today. Subscribers are beginning to access the Model 525 at iEngineer's office in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The only work really left to do is to update the front-end www.idevcloud.com website to begin taking orders.
It's early, but hopes are high for iDevCloud. Oberholtzer and company would like to buy a new POWER 7 machine at some point. And, depending on how things go, the business could morph into a production cloud utility. "Ultimately that's where I hope to go," Oberholtzer says. "Realistically, that has a lot to do with IBM's licensing model, which is really the roadblock."
Everybody in the Power System and System i community knows that IBM i would make a great cloud platform. iDevCloud isn't the IBM i community's first foray into cloud computing. Just look at i365's online backup service or Kisco's integration to Amazon's S3 cloud or Infor's new approach to surround IBM i-based ERP products with Windows apps running on Microsoft's Azure cloud.
IBM may yet tackle the licensing barriers that are preventing the IBM i platform from flourishing as a cloud platform (and hopefully will do so sooner rather than later). In the meantime, iDevCloud's bottom-up approach--where individual programmers are offered access to shared IBM i development resources for a nominal fee--certainly sounds like the start of something good.
This interesting article was originally published at ITJungle.com
