Welcome to another edition of Talsco Weekly

IBM i Brief: 📈 IBM boosts software and AI demand as consulting slips.
AI: Sensible thoughts on GenAI Strategy For IBM i.
Career: 🌟 Mastering RPG and IBM i: Proven Methods to Advance Your Skills.
Development: 🚀 Creating a Web Service with Basic Authentication. RPG programs with logic cycle vs RPG programs without logic cycle 🎬.
Database: 🔍 Logical files in separate library. 📊 Evolution of Database Technologies.
Learning: 6 Online Courses that will help compliment your IBM i and RPG skills 🎓.
Open Source: Unleashing the Power of Ansible: Mastering System Management and Zero-Downtime Deployments.
Trends: IBM i: Embracing Modernization Through Open-Source Innovation.

IBM i Brief

📈 IBM boosts software and AI demand as consulting slips

If you missed this one (like I did) IBM surpassed Q2 revenue estimates and raised its software growth forecast, capitalizing on increased AI spending.

The company’s focus on Watsonx and open-source AI models led to a 7% software revenue increase to $6.74 billion.

IBM’s AI Book of Business hit $2 billion, with a positive outlook for 2024. Consulting revenue fell, reflecting clients’ shift towards long-term AI projects for competitive advantage.

Recent press releases confirm IBMs focus on AI.

See IBMs GenAI strategy for IBM i below.

AI

Sensible thoughts on GenAI Strategy For IBM i

The IBM i community has always been thoughtful in it’s approach to emerging technology.

The good thing is, when it comes to GenAI

it is refreshing to see the people who control the IBM i platform being skeptical, hopeful, and practical about how the technology might be used to help the companies who choose Power Systems running IBM i as the platform for their mission critical applications.

In summary, Steve Will, CTO IBM i Platform, sees the AI strategy for the IBM i as follows:

Our strategy has been to invest in things that will allow IBM i solutions to leverage IBM i and Power for current and future needs.

It’s about providing choices for advancing solutions and simplifying technology integration. Regarding AI, we know customers want AI that works with their existing solutions and data.

People won’t buy IBM i just for new AI workloads. We aim to ensure your current solutions can extend to use AI, whether through database use or AI interactions.

What will GenAI be used for and/or what is the IBM i community asking it to do?

GenAI will be used for trend analysis, anomaly detection, and automating the management of IBM i platforms, particularly for managing fleets of machines. The IBM i community is asking for AI that works with their existing solutions and data, focusing on enhancing current operations rather than adopting new AI workloads.

What will GenAI not be doing?

GenAI will not be used for tasks like porting RPG code to Java, replacing workers on assembly lines or in customer support, or similar tasks. IBM is not focused on creating AI modules that replace human jobs or developing new AI workloads specifically for IBM i.

What does the future hold for GenAI on the IBM i?

We are not saying that IBM i shops are not interested in such things – perhaps they are. But IBM and its IBM i users will wait for third-party software developers to come up with such things, we think. – IT Jungle

Time will tell.

Career

🌟 Mastering RPG and IBMi: Proven Methods to Advance Your Skills

The IBM i ecosystem is thriving.

There is a demand for upgrading legacy AS400/iSeries systems to take advantage of all the capabilities of the IBM i.

Transitioning to modernize skills is essential.

This includes learning and utilizing modern RPG (Free form), mastering web languages (PHP, Python, etc.), and understanding modern application design.

Embracing SQL, modularizing RPG programs, and exploring tools like Visual Studio Code can and will take your career to the next level.

Read this post, I am sure you can relate.

Development

🚀 Creating a Web Service with Basic Authentication

Here is a step-by-step tutorial 📘 where Mike Larsen, Director of IT at Auburn Pharmaceutical shares steps to add basic authentication to web services using IBM’s IWS tool.

From configuring the server for authentication to deploying and testing services, the process involves setting up user profiles, modifying server configurations, and using tools like SoapUi for testing. Ensuring secure access, this method enhances system security and user verification for maintaining data integrity and confidentiality.

RPG programs with logic cycle vs RPG programs without logic cycle 🎬

RPG programmers are familiar with the logic cycle, but did you know RPG programs can be created without it? Discover why you might choose one method over the other, complete with examples. Watch here.

Database

🔍 Logical files in separate library

“My senior System Administrator stumbled across a number of logical files which were in a different to their physical files, and wondered how many more there may be?”

Find the solution here.

📊 Evolution of Database Technologies

Database systems have long been crucial in IT, organizing, storing, and retrieving vast data.

In the 1970s and 1980s, the advent of relational database management systems (RDBMS) revolutionized the way data was stored and managed. These systems, such as Oracle, IBM DB2, and Microsoft SQL Server, organized data into tables with predefined schemas, where rows represented records and columns represented attributes.

The rise of vector databases signifies a new era, managing data in multi-dimensional vectors ideal for AI and ML applications. Vector databases excel at similarity searches, handling high-dimensional data efficiently, and facilitating advanced AI integration.

Learning

6 Online Courses that will help compliment your IBM i and RPG skills 🎓

If you are looking to add skills to your tool belt that will compliment your IBM i and RPG background, here is a list of courses that might be of interest:

IBM Data Engineering
- Duration: 6 months, 10 hours/week
- Level: Beginner
- Overview: A comprehensive course covering relational databases, NoSQL, Big Data, and ETL processes. You’ll gain practical skills in tools like MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Hadoop, Apache Spark, and more.
IBM Data Science
- Duration: 6 months, 10 hours/week
- Level: Beginner
- Overview: Designed to teach data science fundamentals, including Python, SQL, data analysis, visualization, and machine learning. Real-world projects help build a portfolio.
IBM Full Stack Software Developer
- Duration: 5 months, 10 hours/week
- Level: Beginner
- Overview: Learn front-end, back-end, and cloud-native development. Technologies include Node.js, React, Docker, Kubernetes, and more.
IBM Data Analyst
- Duration: 5 months, 10 hours/week
- Level: Beginner
- Overview: Focuses on data manipulation, analysis, and visualization using tools like Excel, Python, and SQL.
Machine Learning Specialization (DeepLearning.AI)
- Duration: 2 months, 10 hours/week
- Level: Beginner
- Overview: Covers fundamental AI and machine learning concepts, with a focus on real-world applications using tools like TensorFlow and scikit-learn.
IBM AI Developer
- Duration: 6 months, 4 hours/week
- Level: Beginner
- Overview: Provides skills in AI-powered app and chatbot development, covering software engineering, AI, generative AI, and programming with Python, HTML, and JavaScript.

Note: Keep in mind, if you don’t have experience with Modern RPG (RPG Free), RDi and VS Code you likely should consider that as well, because it is the core of modernization for the IBM i platform.

Open Source

Unleashing the Power of Ansible: Mastering System Management and Zero-Downtime Deployments

What is Ansible?

Ansible is an open-source IT automation tool that allows you to manage and configure systems, deploy software, and orchestrate more advanced IT tasks like continuous deployments or zero-downtime rolling updates. It was developed by Red Hat and is known for its simplicity and ease of use compared to other automation tools like Puppet, Chef, or SaltStack.

Ansible and the IBM i

While Ansible was originally designed for Linux/Unix or Windows systems, IBM i organizations have increasingly been moving towards automation and DevOps practices. As a result, there has been growing interest and capability in using it.

See the Ansible Collection for the IBM i.

Use cases in IBM i environments

Ansible is becoming more and more useful in IBM i environments (2021) 📄

Examples of Ansible in IBM i Environments:

System Automation:
- Managing PTFs (Program Temporary Fixes): Automates applying PTFs on IBM i systems, including checking for updates, downloading, and applying them across multiple instances.
- User Management: Automating user account management on IBM i to ensure consistent access control policies.
Application Deployment:
- Deploying IBM i Applications: Automate deploying IBM i applications in RPG, COBOL, or other languages by copying source code, compiling it, and deploying it to production.
- Integration with CI/CD Pipelines: IBM i applications can be integrated into modern CI/CD pipelines with Ansible, enabling continuous deployment and integration.
Configuration Management:
- Automating System Configuration: Automates IBM i systems’ configuration, including system values, job queues, and network settings, ensuring consistency and reducing human error.
Backup and Recovery:
- Automating Backups: Automate IBM i backups, managing critical data and configurations, including using native tools like BRMS.
Monitoring and Compliance:
- Ensuring Compliance: Ansible playbooks can ensure IBM i systems comply with standards by checking security settings, installed patches, or system configurations.
- Monitoring Tasks: Integrates with monitoring solutions to automate event responses and gather system performance metrics.

Trends

IBM i: Embracing Modernization Through Open-Source Innovation

The AS/400, iSeries and now the IBM i have transformed over the years.

We have spent the past 25 years serving the IBM i (AS/400, iSeries) market.

We have seen it all.

In the 90’s, the AS/400 was seen as the backbone of enterprise IT shops across virtually every industry.

Most everything was written COBOL or RPG. Custom to third-party ERPs.

As with all things, new technologies emerged and others entered the market.

Some AS/400 vendors (we know it’s called the IBM i now) 😊, went by the wayside, some coasted, yet others continued to innovate.

Here is one example of a vendor that is doing things differently.

We bring solutions that are different, in that they are developed in C and not the usual RPG .

The IBM i space is very different today, than it was a decade ago.

The IBM i brings the best of everything together.

The IBM i platform combines the strengths of legacy ERP systems, robust business processes, open-source innovation, best-of-breed solutions, AI capabilities, API integrations, web services, and modern web development.

The IBM i brings the best of everything, together.

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Contact us

If you are an RPG programmer looking to explore opportunities or a client who is looking for a talented IBM i professional, please contact us. We look forward to assisting you.

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