If you are in the Baltimore/Washington area I want to make you are aware of two upcoming DB2 events – the September Baltimore/Washington DB2 Users Group meeting with a special LUW track on September 15th, and a hands-on pureQuery Proof of Technology The Fillmore Group is hosting in our Towson headquarters the following day, September 16th. 

IBM Silicon Valley Lab’s Vijay Bommireddipalli is presenting at the users group meeting the 15th on .NET and Java tuning, then leading the pureQuery PoT the following day.  Read More…

Thanks to all who attended the Optim Virtual Briefing on DB2 Connect.  If you were not one of the 250 attendees last Thursday, the replay and materials are available here.

For more in-depth training, consider the following IBM authorized training classes.

• CF602 “DB2 Connect 9 to DB2 for z/OS DRDA Implementation with TCP/IP” December 6, 2010
• CF632 “DB2 Connect 9 for DB2 for z/OS Problem Determination and Performance” September 20, 2010

While the IBM Optim teams are excited to see customers adopting InfoSphere Data Architect, everyone recognizes the journey from CA ERwin to IDA can be frustrating.   The Optim team has been working to develop more resource materials for ERwin users and recently emailed a new Tips & Tricks guide developed by Joe Cullen.  If you find this valuable please let us know, and we will let you know when the new materials are released.  Thanks to Joe Cullen for offering to share this with the community!

IDA Tips&Tricks by Joe Cullen

The developerworks team has announced a free technical webcast next week on pureQuery, based on feedback from the z community.  Like other developerworks webcasts it will be available for replay - as is the recommended prerequisite, pureQuery Part 1.

pureQuery Deep Dive Part 3:  Client Optimization Administration Enhancements for DBA’s

June 24th, at 1pm Eastern, 10am Pacific

Our dynamic duo of client optimization experts is back again!  Patrick Titzler and Chris Farrar, who some of you may remember from pureQuery Deep Dive Part 1, will discuss the enhancements released in Fix Pack 3 in Optim Development Studio and pureQuery Runtime that make the maintenance, security, and management of the client optimization processes better for DBA’s.  These enhancements are driven by real customer experiences and are centered around a relational repository that enhances security, fosters collaboration and streamlines the process of administering a pureQuery-enabled application.  Tooling support for these capabilities in Optim Development Studio will be demonstrated. 

Register today and don’t miss out on your opportunity to hear from the experts!

While there are many indications the “Great Recession” is over, the budget lag and fear of one last dip seems to be constraining IT project funding - EXCEPT - of all places, training.  While this seems perfectly logical (when there are fewer hands to do the work, making sure those hands are skilled is critical), historically, training budgets are the first to be cut when there’s a downturn.  Maybe organizations are wising up this time around…here at The Fillmore Group we are receiving more training requests than anytime in the past five years.  Read More…

My colleague, Kim May, was interviewed at last year’s IBM Information On Demand Conference.  If “brevity is the soul of wit”, Kim’s summary of The Fillmore Group’s philosophy and the value of the IOD conference is soulfully witty indeed!

Kudos to Kim.

I’ve been seeing a lot of an old friend lately: DB2 Connect.  This is the software which enables Distributed Relational Database Architecture (DRDA) Application Requestor (AR) or “client” applications running on Linux, Unix, and Windows platforms to access DB2 ”host” databases on System z and System i.  More precisely, DB2 Connect accesses an Application Server (AS) which can be DB2 for z/OS, DB2 Server for VSE&VM, or DB2 for i (Wait, shouldn’t that be DB2 for “me”?)

What we know today as DB2 Connect started out almost 20 years ago as Distributed Database Connection Services (DDCS).  Then it was amazing to access host DB2 data using a spreadsheet.  Of course it took an experienced consultant a few weeks to install and configure DDCS and it’s supporting software which relied on the Systems Network Architecture (SNA) communications protocol.  It was so difficult, The Fillmore Group had a services offering called “Client/Server in 10 Days” where we guaranteed to get DDCS working in your shop in two weeks.  Now you can install and configure DB2 Connect using TCP/IP in about an hour.

So what does DB2 Connect actually do?  At its most basic, DB2 Connect is a protocol converter that changes the character coding on the host (Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code or EBCDIC) into the equivalent used on Linux, Unix, and Windows platforms (American Standard Code for Information Interchange or ASCII).  It does lots of other things and can be a source of lots of troubleshooting and performance tuning, but EBCDIC to ASCII translation is a core function.

So what’s happening lately?  First, after a few years of no publicly available training in DB2 Connect, The Fillmore Group is holding classes: CF602 “DB2 Connect 9 to DB2 for z/OS DRDA Implementation with TCP/IP” and CF632 “DB2 Connect 9 for DB2 for z/OS Problem Determination and Performance”.  The CF602 beginning June 21 is actually nearing capacity, so if this is something you need, sign up to attend now.  CF632 starts May 17.

As a bonus, I’ve attached a DB2 Connect configuration worksheet.  If you know what it all means and can use it right away, great!  Have at it.  If not, we’ll see you in class.

Second, on the consulting side of the house we’re seeing lots of DB2 Connect activity - especially with DB2 for i.  Having a relational database directly integrated into the i5/OS operating system, System i always has been a bit of a land unto itself.  Now we’re seeing lots of activity integrating System i data into eCommerce and Business Intelligence applications.  If this is what you’re doing, let us know how we can help.

The countdown to the first day of Spring is below 20!  Spring can’t come soon enough for me, as here in Baltimore we’ve had over 80 inches of snow - our average is 18.  In preparation for Spring I am coordinating events with the local IBM teams to introduce customers to two great technologies we hope everyone will consider implementing in 2010:  InfoSphere Change Data Capture (CDC) and Optim Data Growth Solutions. 

Both events are planned for Baltimore’s beautiful Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles.  The tentative date for the CDC event is Thursday, May 6th, with a PoT scheduled two weeks later on May 20th.  I am working on getting the Optim dates on the calendar.  If you will be in the Baltimore/Washington area please try to join us - both topics should be of value to organizations looking for ways to better control their data.  CDC’s niche is in quickly moving data to where it’s most effective, while Optim Data Growth Solutions can help any organization with a packrat in the IT Department.  You know who you are.

Hope to see you there!

I am happy to announce the return of distance learning to The Fillmore Group.  Our team developed and implemented a proprietary distance learning tool, built using a combination of WebSphere and DB2, with the free RealPlayer plug-in providing the ability to deliver streaming instructor audio and video, after the events of 9/11 made traveling for DB2 training a challenge.  Over the years we perfected the distance learning tool’s use and used it to deliver training to hundreds of people around the world - who would otherwise not have been able to attend classes.

A couple years ago IBM’s Information Management training group began evaluating distance learning technologies and limiting their use as they have been trying to find a methodology they can use consistently.   But progress hasn’t been as fast as anyone hoped, so the training team has given us the approval to again offer the public classes we deliver for IBM via distance learning.  Starting with the three classes below students can enroll in the IBM classes, use the same curriculum and lab exercise portal as the students in class, and “see and hear” the instructor lecture on the materials.  If you don’t have a travel budget, you can still join us for class!

Coming up soon are the following courses:

CE821, Using InfoSphere Data Architect, starting March 1

CF602, DB2 Connect for z/OS with DRDA, starting March 8

DW352, InfoSphere Warehouse Components, starting March 15

For course outlines and registration information go to www.ibm.com/training

Or Optim…not sure which.  Oracle is hosting an 11g technology day in Baltimore next week and I am hoping to get a sense of what Oracle users are talking about.  If you are in the area and would like to join me, I would be happy for the company!  Details are:

Discover How You Can Lower IT Costs While Building a Foundation for Innovation

Oracle is pleased to announce Oracle Technology Day featuring the latest updates on Oracle Database 11g Release 2 and Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g. During this interactive event, attendees will have the opportunity to hear from Oracle experts while mingling with Oracle partners and industry peers.

This information packed technology day will include keynotes and breakout sessions where attendees will gain first-hand insights on new solutions offerings and related product developments.

Oracle end-users and partners will:
• Hear the latest on Oracle Database 11g Release 2 & Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g
• Meet face-to-face with Oracle subject matter experts
• Network with industry peers in an informal setting
• Visit with Oracle Partners
Don’t miss your chance to get the latest on Oracle’s world-class portfolio of industry-leading technology solutions - register today!

To register call 1.800.820.5592 ext. 6953.

Wednesday,
February 3, 2010
8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Hilton Baltimore
401 West Pratt Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
+1.443.573.8700