Just announced and (I think) just released!  Frank will deliver a webcast on the latest version of the Q Replication Dashboard.  He installed it last night at a customer site and is already deciding which new features he likes best.  Stay tuned - I am sure his prep for the webcast will fuel some blog entries.  Here’s the invitation to the webcast:

The Fillmore Group and leading experts from IBM will deliver a 45-minute webcast to introduce the Q Replication Dashboard and improvements included in the new, redesigned Dashboard scheduled for release this month (or maybe yesterday).

The Q Replication Dashboard is the free monitoring tool available from IBM that replaces the Java Q Replication Dashboard and the Data Studio Administrative Console (DSAC) with a thin-client, browser-based interface. The Dashboard provides real-time Q Replication monitoring. In the webcast presenter and DB2 Gold Consultant Frank C. Fillmore, Jr., will introduce and explain how the new redesigned Dashboard’s expanded features and better ability to customize will enhance your organization’s Q Replication monitoring capabilities. Frank will demonstrate and explain the new Dashboard’s:
•Improved performance for replication environments with large numbers of subscriptions and queues
•Greater customization and filtering capabilities
•Ability to access more data
•Better access to historical data
•Simplified security
•Improved visual appeal
•Smaller (512mb requirement) footprint for both the client and server

Two sessions of the webcast will be delivered on September 15th, one at 9:00am EDT and another at 7:00pm EDT.

To register: E-mail kim.may@thefillmoregroup.com and include your name, company name, telephone number and the session (9:00 am or 7:00 pm) you would like to attend. Read More…

I can finally announce it - it’s finalized - Chris Eaton will be here September 9th for the Baltimore/Washington DB2 Users Group meeting.  For me, this is a big, big deal.  The turnout for the June meeting was disappointing and the board agrees that the LUW and z/OS track folks really need to be meeting together to encourage networking and all the social aspects of the users group.  So we are doing both tracks together September 9th in Columbia, with the hotel offering us an extra room and the attendees all getting a sit-down lunch - together, in one dining room. 

The LUW agenda is below.  Joining Chris presenting are *two* DB2 Gold Consultants - Frank Fillmore (on DB2 Connect) and Dave Beulke (on Java tuning and Data Studio).  Registration and the z/OS agenda are on the website at www.bwdb2ug.org.  If you are in town, please join us - this is like getting best of IOD in one day!

Read More…

The Information Management training team, led by Mike Agostino and Jim Jackson, recently instituted a program to enable Frank Fillmore, as a DB2 Gold Consultant, to obtain IBM authorized course curriculum for private class delivery.  What this means to DB2 customers is that IBM has created an alternate source from which to obtain DB2 training, which should encourage everyone delivering training to sharpen their pencils to keep pricing competitive, and at the same time raise the level of delivery quality by welcoming seasoned speakers and consultants like Frank back into the business of IBM Information Management training.  Listed below are some of the courses available - the complete list is on our website at www.thefillmoregroup.com under the training link.  I will blog on the rest of the list when I have time for the typing!

CE030 DB2 Family Fundamentals, CE120 SQL Workshop, CE130 DB2 SQL Workshop for Experienced Users, CE242 Using Q-Replication, CE820 Using Rational Data Architect, CF180 Relational Database Design, DW145 Data Replication: Basic Usage (SQL Replication), DW154 Data Replication: Advanced Topics (SQL Replication), DW030 Changing Business with Data Insight, DW112 Architecting the Data Warehouse, DW314 Alphablox Essentials with Blox Builder, DW321 Managing Workloads for DB2 LUW and Infosphere Warehouse, DW351 Infosphere Warehouse 9 Components, DW820 Advanced Data Warehousing Workshop: Multi-Dimensional Modeling, DWA51 Infosphere Warehouse 9 - SQL Warehouse Tool and Admin Console, DWB51 Infosphere Warehouse 9 - Cubing Services, DWC51 Infosphere Warehouse 9 - Data Mining and Unstructured Text Analysis, CF242 DB2 9 for LUW Multi-Partition Database Administration, CF492 DB2 9 for LUW Advanced Recovery, CF602 DB2 Connect DRDA Implementation with TCP/IP, CF632 DB2 Connect 9 for z/OS Problem Determination and Performance, CF710 DB2 9 Stored Procedures Programming Workshop, CG100 Using xQuery to Query XML Data with DB2, CG130 Query and Manage XML Data with DB2 9, CG242, DB2 for LUW Multi-Partition Environment for Single Partition DBAs…and more coming soon!

Ron Reuben, IBM’s Data Studio “Enabling Architect”, Frank and I had a discussion a couple weeks ago about developing some specific offerings around Data Studio that will introduce the product - and provide immediate benefit - to existing DB2 customers.  We came up with three offerings and sent them to Ron; this Friday we are scheduled to circle back with him and discuss how these were welcomed by his team.  These ideas reflect, naturally, where we see Data Studio’s capabilities providing the most immediate impact to customers we’ve worked with.  These are ideas - not limitations!

1.  Data Studio Administration Console (DSAC) is a free download with many capabilities, and can be used extensively for Q-Replication real-time monitoring.  We suggested contacting all current Q-Replication customers and offering assistance with the implementation of DSAC.  This should take only a few days and will introduce Q-Rep customers to the Data Studio product family and get them familiar with the look-and-feel of the components.  For more information on DSAC, check out:  http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg27007070

2.  Data Studio Developer (DSD) and pureQuery, which, by the way, was recently enhanced with v2.1 last week.  Read More…

Frank was contacted by the IBM Data Studio team this summer and asked to begin blogging about Data Studio, the customers we work with who are using it, and hopefully, as time goes on, how Data Studio changes the way databases are supported across the enterprise.

He said, “Sure!”, and then we got to work.   Being two people with strong opinions, it’s no surprise we opted to expand on the IBM request and give the blog more breadth.  Based on our business - The Fillmore Group is a 20+ year IBM Business Partner with a focus on Information Management - and our individual competencies and perspectives we are now blogging on Data Studio AND the issues we see facing IBM database customers today - across the Information Management portfolio, from product choices to education to ongoing support.

Frank is a DB2 Gold Consultant so his perspective is technical and solution-focused.  My specialty is education and services - enabling organizations to successfully support their database and data warehouse environments.

We look forward to your questions and comments.