I have been a big fan of IBM i for many years.  I believe it can meet most any business need out there.  In my most recent IBMSystemsMag.com article I propose that we need to rethink how and where we are running processes within our infrastructures.  Why NOT focus on running the majority of our businesses on IBM i?

Note that if you have a Microsoft KoolAid mustache right now you might want to take some tranquilizers before reading the article being it is an opinion piece and I have no issue letting punches go through toMicrosoft when it involves the viability of an existing IBM i business.

If on the other hand you are looking for some celebration of IBM i, well then belly up to the bar, spill your KoolAid and sip a cold IBM i beer.

If you would like to discuss this in more detail then head on over to theIBMSystemsMag.com comment area for this particular article.

Aaron Bartell

I believe the UI technology adopted by the majority in the next generation of apps is going to be HTML5, CSS3 and Javascript?  This became apparent to me as I’ve adopted the various Sencha tooling and wrote a presentation titled “HTML5 for RPG programmers”.  One of the primary reasons it will survive is because it doesn’t care what’s on the server side for a language (much like it’s predecessors of HTML4, but even more so now).

Because of the power in HTML5/CSS3/Javascript, many of the apps formerly relegated only to the desktop will now be written for the browser.  This means that one of the most highly valued skillsets in the next decade will be knowing how to appropriately use HTML5/CSS3/Javascript to develop web apps.

Today Jon Paris mentioned a sale that SitePoint is having where you can get three eBook PDF’s of some excellent titles dealing with HTML5/CSS3/Javascript/Mobile.  Do yourself a favor – invest in your future and order the titles at this URL at a crazy good deal:

http://www.sitepoint.com/sale/day/1

Note it is only 1 day, so make sure to get over there TODAY!

AaronBartell.com

So this post is more for my benefit so I can find my own resolution via Google search, but it may be helpful to others (and maybe somebody can tell me why this wonky “fix” actually works).

I have a number of websites running on IBM i that use WordPress as their primary engine for driving flow/layout/etc (i.e. www.OpenRPGUI.com).  WordPress works great because it is very easy for both geeks and regular people to add/change content.  WordPress is also great because there is an absolute plethora of free plugins that you can install (i.e. WPTouch allows your site to be easily viewed on mobile devices).  And plugins are stinkin’ easy to install IF your IBM i server is configured correctly.

To configure WordPress on IBM i to allow the automatic way of installing plugins (i.e. the non-FTP route) you need to do the following:

Step 1…

if ( getmyuid() == @fileowner($temp_file_name) )
  echo 'DEBUG:step4';  
  $method = 'direct';
  @fclose($temp_handle);
  @unlink($temp_file_name);
}

Anybody know why this would allow me to utilize the browser based Wordpress install approach? When I take the echo out then Wordpress reverts back to prompting me for my FTP info when I try to install a plugin.  And if I have this echo statement but don’t do the CHGOWN to QTMHHTTP then it also doesn’t work.  CRAZY!

I think I will now go and lay an egg – that will be much easier than the effort it took to find and resolve this issue.  Anybody up for an omelete?!

AaronBartell.com

It would be good to discuss what the term “cloud” means to you as it relates to IBM i.  Trevor Perry and I have an active dialog going on concerning how IBM i has (or hasn’t) been made available in the cloud.  I first realized our difference in perspective in this Twitter response that he had to my Openstack blog post:

@aaronbartell The dozens of webservices? Or the large number of customers delivering #IBMi to mobile? Or the anywhere anytime BI customers?

I will state for the record that I believe there is nothing wrong with having multiple definitions for cloud  - we just need to make sure that when we debate that we are debating the same definition.

If IBM i in the cloud meant offering web services, delivering IBM i to mobile or BI, then yes, IBM i has been in the cloud for close to two decades.  Let’s call this definition #1.

My view of cloud is based on what I believe popularized the term, and that is when a business or individual leases space on the internet for an entire platform programming stack (i.e. operating system, application server, data base).  Some examples of the services I would consider cloud are Amazon’s many services, Google’s AppEngine, or leasing a server with somebody like Hosting.com.  We’ll call this definition #2.

Trevor made the comment that I continually slam IBM for the things that are seemingly only “Aaron’s requests”.  I believe I represent more than my personal interests, but I will do my best to not slam IBM in the future and will try some rephrasings. So with that said, IBM has many great technologies that fit excellently in both definition #1 and #2.  My hope is that I can partner with IBM to bring about “IBM i in the cloud” as stated in definition #2.

If anybody from IBM is reading this, please tell me how I can help *us* reach that goal *together*.  One gem of an IBM’er pushing for IBM i in the cloud is Jon Rush who is using the Virtual Loaner Program infrastructure to another level.

What other definitions do we need to introduce? Remember, there can be many definitions – even though not all may agree.

AaronBartell.com

A new approach to hosting applications titled “OpenStack” has come across my radar a number of times this year so I decided it was time to blog about it.

You can read a recent article about it here.

With IBMi we have had an integrated stack for a LONG time.  It’s not surprising that other OS+DB+Language stacks are trying to accomplish the same thing after realizing the disconnected nature of things isn’t a good thing in all situations (loosely coupled interfaces are only good if you are unsure of the technology you are adopting – hence the desire to build so portions of technology can be easily replaced).

I think the other thing going on here is a concern over how much IP problems there have been as of late.  I haven’t dug deeply into the license mantra of OpenStack, but I would guess they are going to pursue technologies that insulate adopters from litigation.  I would be curious as to how they are going to do that with Java and MySQL (arguably the most popular language and DB) being in constant flux over the past few years.

I am tempted to spin up OpenStack on an Amazon EC2 instance to give it a whirl.

On final note, I must say that if IBM were to take the “cloud bull” by the horns, this next generation of cloud could be significant for IBM i (it already has many of the integrated flavors that are *attempting* to be achieved by others – though they will eventually accomplish what IBM has done with IBM i).  There are those in IBM that see this reality and others that don’t.  So much depends on IBM’s ability to change their licensing approach (i.e. pay for what you use, as you go).  Let’s push IBM to realize their potential in the cloud with IBM i!

AaronBartell.com

The good people at SystemiDeveloper.com have once again invited me to speak at their RPG & DB2 Summit conference.  The team at SiD holds a special place in my heart because they were one of the first to take a risk of having me speak when I had zero speaking experience under my belt.  I neglected to tell them I barely managed a C in my college public speaking course – guess you could say I am a big fan of “fake it till ya make it” :-)

They have a new “RPG on the move: Mobilizing your RPG apps” track/focus that is exciting for me because the SiD folks focus a lot on one of my favorite mantras…

There’s very little you can’t do with RPG

… I will be speaking on two of my favorite subjects: Developing your first Android app as an RPG developer, and diving into a full implementation of Android and web communicating with RPG on the IBM i - OH, IT WILL BE  A GOOD TIME!!

You can find the formal announcement here: http://bit.ly/oEhW5o

Come to St. Louis and join us for some bacon, RPG, DB2 and a cold beer – is there any better combination?

AaronBartell.com

Real-world examples are my favorite because it takes a technology concept and puts it to the test.  Such was the case with my most recent article where I describe how to couple open source solutions to create hospital patient wristbands with QR codes.  In this article I introduce the RPG programmer to the free and open source iText tool which is an excellent way to create PDF’s on IBMi.

Check it out and let me know what you think!

AaronBartell.com

Welp, something happened that I never thought would happen – I have been asked to do a KeyNote for a conference and I didn’t even have to issue a bribe – WOW MAMMA!

When IBMiDevCon contacted me about doing their keynote session at first I thought they maybe called the wrong number – we definitely had an awkward turtle(click) pause on the phone.  I just never knew I was keynote material because I have so many darned opines – what if I get up there and I accidentally say Microsoft is the bomb?  What if my Tourettes Syndrome(click) kicks in at an in-opportune time like it did for Bob Wyley in “What About Bob(click)”?  What if I forget my lines and start quoting from the Gettysburg Address? (I do plan on bringing my fake Lincoln beard just in case I need to improvise until my lines come back to me).  What if I forget I am speaking and start running in place and I end up with the same issue as Andy Bernard in The Office(click)?  Anything could happen, really.

Being I have never given a keynote presentation before I obviously didn’t have a session composed yet.  That let me to think through some topics people need to hear about, but not only hear about, but get some opinions (remember, I have lots of those).  You can see the keynote abstract(click) on the IBMiDevCon site. The reference to underwear was purely coincidental because I wrote the abstract while standing in front of my bathroom mirror flexing my muscles (or as much muscle as a geek that doesn’t lift weights can have).  That just goes to show that you should never judge an idea based on when or where you thought of it.  Some of my best ideas have come when I have resisted the peer pressure to try yellow snow to see if it was spilled Mountain Dew.

Welp, that’s all I can think of to say right now.  Hope to see you in Vegas at IBMiDevCon!

Till next time,

AaronBartell.com

Having options is a good thing because life is full of various scenarios.  That’s why I like the fact that SystemiNetwork puts on virtual conferences because many are in a scenario of constrained IT/training budgets.  Virtual conferences are much less expensive both in time and money.   The best part of this upcoming conference is that it WON’T COST YOU A DIME – IT’S FREE!

I am happy to announce that I will be presenting at the SystemiNetwork AppMod virtual conference coming up on Oct 20th 2011.  The topics I cover will be “HTML5 for RPG Programmers” and “Intro to Open Access for RPG (OAR)“.  You can find the sessions here.  Sign up today (or anytime tomorrow or on a day that ends in “day”).

Oh and if you haven’t heard/seen Trevor Perry present then I would highly suggest you attend his sessions at this event.  Even if he is speaking on a topic that isn’t in your job description, he is always entertaining.

And on final note, here is a recipe for what I ate at lunch today:

1 – Toast a slice of bread.

2 – Spread ranch dressing on it

3 – Put on a layer of cheddar cheese

4 – Put on a layer of sliced tomatoes

5 – Top it off with pepper

Mmmmm….

AaronBartell.com