22
Sun, Dec
3 New Articles
  1. You are here:  
  2. Home
  3. MORE
  4. Commentary
  5. Analysis of News Events
  6. In the Wheelhouse: IBM i 7.1 Technology Refresh 8 Announced

In the Wheelhouse: IBM i 7.1 Technology Refresh 8 Announced

Analysis of News Events
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

On the cusp of the expected IBM i 7.2 announcement, IBM announces IBM i 7.1 Technology Refresh 8, which contains updates for hardware, DB2, the Integrated Application Server, and specifically IBM i HTTP Administration.

 

While it's the last bullet point of the entire TR8 announcement, don't think that the Integrated Application Server on IBM i 7.1 now being based on the WebSphere Application Server 8.5 Liberty Profile is a less-important announcement than the others. Liberty is an ultra-lightweight and dynamic application server environment that allows applications to run with bare minimum support from the underlying Java architecture. In layman's terms, when a Liberty application runs, it loads only what it needs to do the job at hand and then loads anything else it needs on-demand.

 

The idea is to be efficient in memory allocation, thereby ensuring leaner, less-resource-intensive application serving. I just had to check to make sure we were still talking about WebSphere. We are. If you're used to running IBM Sametime, Portal, Web Content Management, or other WAS-based applications, then you're used to the memory requirements required by such workloads. For each Sametime server, you're talking at minimum 6 GB RAM on IBM i. Imagine if those applications could take advantage of Liberty, minimizing the amount of memory and making WAS instance applications fly in terms of performance. I should really reach out to someone at IBM Software Group about that....

 

I get excited about Liberty compared to traditional WebSphere for a few reasons.

 

For starters, changes to default server configurations are acknowledged automatically during run time. It's as simple as altering a server.xml or any other XML file included in the server.xml. If you've ever made a WAS change, then you've most certainly waited hours or maybe days or maybe even longer before you could afford the application downtime to give WAS a restart. This makes administration of traditional WAS far more difficult than it needs to be. Even if you needed to restart a Liberty-based app, which you don't, but if you need to, the startup times are apparently seconds.

 

Simple management, modular design, low memory footprint, integrated and lightweight developer tools are what's needed in today's largely web-driven application environments.

 

As part of Technology Refresh 8, IBM has updated the IBM Web Administration for i (http://yourserver:2001/HTTPAdmin) to allow you to graphically create and manage Liberty-based application servers.

 

These Liberty Profile updates to the Integrated Application Server and IBM Web Administration for i will arrive in probably the next IBM HTTP Group PTF.

 

Other software updates included in the IBM i 7.1 Technology Refresh 8 announcement are to DB2 on i and free-form RPG enhancements to Rational Developer for i (RDi) 9.0.2.

 

Hardware components of the announcement are as follows:

 

IBM i 7.1 TR8 improves support for the latest POWER7+ servers and includes options for increased capacity, higher-performing configurations, and new technology that allows options for Ethernet adapter sharing across partitions. Among the highlights:

  • New SR-IOV technology for NIC allows native sharing of Ethernet adapters without VIOS in the configuration and allows increased performance and quality of service control when VIOS is in the configuration.

  • Native (non-VIOS) configurations with 16 Gb Fibre Channel adapter support is added.

  • Native (non-VIOS) SAS configurations can now support up to two EXP24S SFF Gen2-bay drawers (#5887) cascaded from an EXP30 Ultra Drawer (#EDR1).

  • The number of virtual disks allowed per virtual SCSI adapter in an IBM i server partition is increased.

    IBM i 7.1 TR8 PTF Group is required for native support. Planned availability is June 6, 2014.

 

The last line mentioning native support is necessary because otherwise these features would only be possible with VIOS.

 

According to IBM Chief Architect Steve Will, the adoption rates for Technology Refreshes have been steadily climbing. That's good news because it shows that the IBM i community is very interested in keeping their assets current. The myth of a community dominated by old iron perpetrated by community outsiders not worthy of a name mention still remains a myth. There are many POWER7 and POWER7+ with IBM i 7.1 systems out there. With the upcoming launch of IBM i 7.2 and POWER8 right around the corner, I'm assuming customers who have held off on updating to POWER7+ will be moving to POWER8 once it becomes available.

Even Our Documentation Is Modernizing

I remember the days when I'd get a new version of IBM i and then copy the IBM Information Center from the shipped CD onto my big, thick-as-a-phonebook IBM ThinkPad. You know, for "mobile" documentation. My, how times have changed.

 

The IBM Knowledge Center is now the replacement for the IBM Information Center. Actually, it's a replacement for the very, very many Information Centers across multiple products and versions, not just IBM i 7.1 and its predecessors. The link above directs you to the IBM i section, but the other sections are simply a mouse-click away by selecting "Back to All Products" in the top left.

 

Compared to the Information Center, the IBM Knowledge Center is blazingly fast for search result retrieval and has a much more modern-looking and interactive interface.

 

The really cool thing about the Knowledge Center is the ability to save the results of your searches inside "collections," which allows you fast retrieval of information you find relevant and want to access often. You don't just save pages; you can also save any sub-content associated with that page. Collections are available on the bottom left side of the page, and your collections are associated with you via your IBM ID.

 

I find that I reference the same material repeatedly, so rather than rely on my browser history or bookmarks, the ability to use collections makes it easy for me to find the information I need whether I'm using my laptop, iPad, or large-screen devices. Unfortunately, the website is not designed with smartphones in mind. A smartphone app to offer mobile-friendly interaction with this data would be very useful.

 

While the ability to comment and "like" pages in the Knowledge Center is certainly more social-conscious than the old Information Center, what I'd like to see is the results of those (e.g., most commented, most popular, what I like, what I've commented on, etc.). For instance, if I spot an error in documentation and want to comment on it, then I can easily return to that to see if it's been rectified. I want to know if other people have commented on my comments.

 

A couple of constructive criticisms aside, the Knowledge Center performs well and is a much more modern and effective replacement for the old Information Center. But you can't use it if you don't know about it right?

Upgrading Sametime to Version 9 on IBM i

Are you planning to be at the COMMON Annual Meeting and Exposition in early May? I'll offer a shameless plug and ask you to come join Kim Greene and I as we talk about Upgrading Sametime to Version 9 on IBM i. The Sametime 9 upgrade has a few challenges, so we're going to tackle them one by one to ensure your migration is as easy as possible.

 

Our session is on Monday, May 5, 2014 at 9:30 a.m.–10:45 a.m. in the Pacifica Ballroom 11 (Loew's Royal Pacific Resort). Hope to see you there.

 

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: