I’m pleased to announce The Fillmore Group’s IBM Data & AI Software Professional Services Product is live on AWS Marketplace (MP).

This is a one-stop shop for:

1. IBM Data & AI software license entitlement
   • Fully-managed RDS for Db2 plus Db2 SaaS including Db2 pureScale (high availability OLTP) and Db2 Warehouse (MPP analytics)
   • Platforms like Netezza and Cloud Pak for Data (CP4D)
   • Integration tools such as DataStage (ETL), watsonx.data (Data Lakehouse), and Data Gate (low-latency access to mainframe data)
2. Professional services delivered by a team that includes IBM Gold Consultants and IBM Champions among its members
   • Installation, implementation, and version upgrade
   • Optimization, healthcheck, and performance tuning
   • Backup/Recovery and High Availability/Disaster Recovery
3. Instructor-led training with hands-on Lab Exercises for all of these technologies

That’s the technology. Now let’s focus on the financial advantages.

• By purchasing any or all of this on AWS MP you help retire AWS spend obligations.
• By leveraging the AWS Migration Acceleration Program (MAP) you can reduce the up-front out-of-pocket cost of moving workloads to AWS.

Click on this link to obtain all of these benefits: https://aws.amazon.com/marketplace/pp/prodview-aczcrfki56v3m

IBM Data Replication 2020: In a Nutshell

IBM replication is based on two unique technical solutions: InfoSphere Change Data Capture, the heritage DataMirror product, and Q-Replication, the IBM-developed replication solution that uses MQ messaging.

IBM replication supports numerous sources and targets. For heterogeneous environments, that is, where either the source or target are not Db2, IBM recommends InfoSphere Change Data Capture. For Db2 to Db2 replication, IBM recommends Q Replication.

The currently available sources are targets are below. New offerings are always being added; for a current list visit the IBM replication homepage.

New offering highlight: Mainframe replication for Db2 for z and VSAM featuring “Remote Capture”, with the replication engine installed off the mainframe. The new solution delivers easier installation and administration as well as lower MIPs consumption to support replication from System z.

Coming soon: Refreshed monitoring tools built on Watson Knowledge Catalog, enabling expanded governance and integration with replication monitoring.

Implementation support, healthchecks and education:  Contact The Fillmore Group. We have several Quickstart offerings and have been delivering the IBM replication education offerings for decades.

Replication Sources: Db2 (LUW, Z/OS, iSeries), Oracle, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, VSAM, IMS, Informix, Sybase, MySQL.

Replication Targets: All above RDBMSs plus Teradata, Kafka, Hadoop, Files, Information Server (DataStage/QualityStage), Cloudant, AWS RedShift, S3, Azure SQL DB, JDBC targets (MongoDb, etc.), IBM IAS/ Db2WH/Db2WHoC, Netezza/Cloud Pak 4 Data System, and more.

Remote Capture Quickstart

Postgres Capture Quickstart

Kafka Replication Quickstart

If your organization is considering a year end CDC acquisition and plan a 2020 implementation, consider training and services from The Fillmore Group to accelerate your success.  The Fillmore Group is working to update the IBM Change Data Capture curriculum – course KM020G – adding optional sessions covering replication to Kafka and replication to and from PostgreSQL.  Please note: customers purchasing replication licenses prior to year end may qualify for free PostgreSQL or Kafka education.  Contact me if you are interested.

In addition, our team is also ready to assist with replication Quickstart services.  A TFG consultant will help your organization leverage the best features and functionality available in the IBM replication product family – quickly!

Training
2/3/20 – 2/5/20 Change Data Capture Essentials.  Prepare for planning, installing, managing and monitoring IBM replication with this IBM training class, KM020G.  Cost:  $2775.  View the course outline: KM020G Change Data Capture Essentials

2/6/20 – 2/6/20 CDC New Features – Kafka and PostgreSQL.  These 1/2 day sessions are designed to extend the KM020G class material with topics specific to Kafka and PostgreSQL replication.  Cost:  $350.  Outline: Kafka and PostgreSQL Replication Class Module Abstracts

Services

• Kafka Quickstart.  Leverage expert technical assistance for a successful implementation.  Overview: Kafka Replication Quickstart.
• PostgreSQL Quickstart.   The Fillmore Group’s PostgreSQL delivers a skilled consultant to work with your team to plan and execute a successful replication implementation.  View the offering summary: Postgres Capture Quickstart.
• Remote Capture Quickstart.  Work with a skilled replication expert to apply this new offering in your environment with services to help you design, install and administer replication away from System z, reducing MIPs consumption and lowering System z  data replication costs. View the offering summary: Remote Capture Quickstart.

Through a partnership with TechData, one of IBM’s select global training providers, The Fillmore Group delivers authorized training for the design, installation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of IBM Analytics solutions. This partnership allows The Fillmore Group to leverage the award winning IBM technical training content that is exclusive to IBM’s global training providers.

I am pre-announcing (if that’s a word) our upcoming free, hands-on IDAA training class scheduled for June 19th and 20th at the Radisson Cross Keys in Baltimore.  This class is being updated to support the IDAA V7.1 (“Sailfish”) and will contain content covering the new architecture, sizing considerations for the new generation of IDAA appliances, and recommendations for organization upgrading from the Mako model IDAA’s to Sailfish.

The fine print:  attendees must be IBM customers considering an IDAA purchase in 2018.  While class is free (and we will treat attendees to breakfast and lunch both days), attendees are responsible for their own travel and lodging expenses.

We have 20 available class seats, available on a first-come-first-served basis.  Frank and I will be at IDUG next week promoting the class – if you have any questions and would like to discuss the class content, your IDAA challenges, or anything else IDAA-ish – let us know if you will be there and we will try to meet.

The registration link is here.  My email is kim.may@thefillmoregroup.com – email me with any questions.

IBM Db2 Analytics Accelerator Training

Dates (2 days):  Tuesday and Wednesday, June 19 and 20, 2018

Class Times:  9:00am – 4:00pm

Cost:  Class is *free* to pre-registered attendees

Instructor:  Frank Fillmore

Join us for this refreshed class that includes material specific to the latest IDAA “Sailfish” releases, including V7.1, and the M4002, aka “Maverick”. Attendees will learn how and why an IDAA can extend your System z’s processing capabilities to enable Hybrid Transaction/Analytic Processing (HTAP).

Topics:

• An introduction to the new V7.1 architecture and IBM Integrated Analytics System (IIAS).
• The heterogeneous accelerator environment:  what works well today.
• Assessment tools to support acquisition:  Workload Assessment, CVE, PoC.
• Positioning IDAA within your organization with the most valuable use case.
• Migrating from the Netezza-based IDAA to V7.1.

Lab 1: Basic IDAA Activities
– Data Studio / IBM Db2 Analytics Accelerator Studio GUI
– Table acceleration
– Query processing and analysis

Enhancing Value to the IDAA with the IBM Tools Ecosystem
– Assessment: What is the workload that would benefit from being accelerated?
– Optimization: How do I monitor and optimize a workload to take advantage of the Accelerator?
– Administration: Can I manage the Accelerator more effectively?

Lab 2: Advanced IDAA Exploitation
– Incremental Update: keeping accelerated data in sync with DB2 for z/OS OLTP
– Accelerator-only Tables (AoTs): intermediate tables and ETL processing

Frank’s on a roll – he recently received notification his US Secret clearance was approved and learned this morning he’s been named an IBM Champion in a second category – IBM System Z – making him a “Double Champion” in both System Z and IBM Analytics.  And he recently earned his Amazon Web Services Certified Solutions Architect certification so he can help Db2 for LUW users deploy on the Amazon cloud when, you know, management tells them they must.

Frank is juggling a couple current projects and managing The Fillmore Group’s consultants.  If you are in need of IBM System Z and/or Analytics education, consulting, staff augmentation or purchasing assistance he would be happy to chat with you about how our team can help.  And don’t forget to congratulate him – he is one of four consultants recognized by IBM for the “Double Champion” status!

The Fillmore Group’s capabilities statement listing all the areas where we can help is attached.  Take a look – and to Frank say,

CHEERS!!!!

The Fillmore Group Capabilities Statement 2018

As always the holidays are over too soon.  Here at The Fillmore Group we are back to work, starting the year with the usual goal setting and head scratching.  Three initiatives we worked on in 2017 showed a great deal of promise but never seemed to quite gain the traction we had hoped for.  So, unlike in prior years when I would start with a blank page, I am committing myself to pushing these three harder in 2018, as all three offer terrific options to maximize the value of an organization’s data assets.  These are:

Oracle to Db2 database migrations.  Last year IBM offered discounted Db2 licenses to current Oracle customers – and when I say “discounted” I mean practically gave them away.  Frank Fillmore and I delivered several competitive migration presentations and got lots of positive feedback from Oracle customers.  Still, we didn’t see a lot of Db2 adoption from these folks and I’m sorry – for them and us.  This is a head-scratcher, because I’m not sure where we are getting snagged, but we need to figure it out in 2018.

IDAA/IIAS/HTAP vs. “edge systems”.  Admittedly 2017 was a bit of a transition year for the IBM Db2 Analytics Accelerator (aka the IDAA) as IBM completely revamped the design, replacing the Netezza-bolted-to-a-mainframe with 2 Db2 BLU Acceleration-based options to deliver the Hybrid Transaction Analytic Processing (HTAP) capability.  Meanwhile in 2017 analysts were predicting that edge systems are the future – sounding frighteningly like they did in the late 1990’s when the standalone data warehouse was the next big thing.  It makes absolutely no sense to me to build out a completely new system, particularly on the periphery of an organization’s most secure system, to perform analytics when IBM has clearly demonstrated you can leave the data in place and perform both your OLTP and analytic processing in tandem.  We need to continue to educate customers to ensure they understand the overall value – reducing complexity, reducing cost, and keeping data secure.  The new BLU-based version has a new name:  IBM Integrated Analytics System – IIAS.

Supporting the Db2 eco-system.  This is such a no-brainer but one that needs constant attention, effort and input to maintain.  IBM formal classroom education offerings are minimal.  Conferences – IBM and IDUG – are changing and it’s difficult to determine which is most appropriate to attend.  Users groups (including the Balto/Washington Db2 Users Group) are struggling to provide our users with unbiased product information, education and resources.  We aren’t giving up and hope the greater Db2 community continues to work to stay active and involved within the community and within our individual organizations.  If we want to stay relevant we need to stay involved.

Happy 2018!  Off to work!

The Fillmore Group 1H 2018 Class Schedule

As an IBM Business Partner that truly believes that proper training is one of the most critical factors influencing the successful deployment and use of technology, we here at The Fillmore Group continue to evaluate the IBM Analytics courses available and to select those we feel will potentially help IBM Analytics customers succeed.  And, of course, as we believe affordable technical services are another of those critical factors influencing success, we are happy to customize classes and include them along with a fully scoped implementation or healthcheck effort.

One highlight and two classes NOT posted on the IBM website.  First, the highlight.  We’ve been told that pureScale is finally being adopted by Db2 LUW customers.  This is great news as it is great technology, featuring one of the best System z features (Parallel Sysplex) re-imagined for distributed environments.  Unfortunately, the course curriculum was written for the original version of pureScale, v10.5, and hasn’t been updated to reflect the enhancements in v11.  Nor does the course include hands-on exercises.  We have a solution:  Frank Fillmore recently delivered the class to a group of students implementing v11 and updated the materials and built hands-on exercises.

Second, two classes NOT posted on the IBM website but available in the first half of 2018:  hands-on IBM Integrated Analytics System (IIAS), the just-released upgrade to the IBM Db2 Analytics Accelerator (IDAA) and QMF for Multi-Platforms.  We are working on curriculum for both of these classes and hope to have them scheduled for sometime early in the year – we are targeting February for the IIAS class and March for QMF.  If you are interested in either class please let me know.

It’s Q4 – and that means IBM software sellers are making their best deals.  As an IBM customer, you know the year end deals are the best available, right?  I hope so…but if you have any doubt and/or think getting a second opinion may help validate just how great the pricing is, please contact The Fillmore Group for a free second opinion.

And, of course, if you need help implementing the solution being proposed, or education to ensure your team is able to effectively support the new solution, we would be happy to provide a services estimate.  As an IBM Authorized Training Partner, expert consulting provider and Analytics Reseller (for both distributed/PPA software and System z), we have access to IBM customer discount levels and understand the various packaging and pricing metrics used for solution sizing and selection.

Don’t let PVU vs. TB sizing, sub-capacity and limited use licensing confuse you into spending more than you need to…click HERE to contact us for an explanation and a second opinion.  The doctor is in!

Sirius/XM already has the Holly channel playing Christmas music and Halloween was just a couple weeks ago. It’s way too early!  But…the clock IS ticking and there really are only 4 solid weeks left in 2017 to close some of those, “I’ll get to them later” deals.

This Thursday The Fillmore Group will deliver a webinar for IBM sellers willing to consider collaborating with a Business Partner.  We understand many sellers have heard about – or experienced – unsuccessful teaming with a partner.  Join us to overcome your fears!

In this session we will *try* to explain that not all partners are alike, and some (like The Fillmore Group) can help you close deals by extending your reach and helping with challenging technical situations (which product is the “right” one?), arcane licensing and packaging research, and using an implementation discussion to address a customer’s concerns about the cost of services and education (yes Oracle takeout opportunities, I’m talking about you!)

IBM program challenges that impact Business Partners will also be explained, so that IBM sellers understand why partners get so antsy about keeping the lines of communication wide open – and getting added to sales records.

All in 30 fast minutes.

If you are an IBM seller who would love to close an extra deal or two before year end, please join us.  If you aren’t an IBM seller, please join us for another webinar; this one is just for sellers.

The session will take place on Thursday, November 16th from 11:00am – 11:30am EST.  Register HERE.