COMMON POWERUp 2024

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COMMON POWERUp 2024

THE BEST IBM i & POWER SYSTEMS EDUCATION.When you come to POWERUp, you’ll be able to customize your experience. Choose from 300 sessions, covering over 20 areas of IT, when you plan your schedule. Visit the largest Expo of its kind and meet the experts behind the solutions. Attend social events to meet renowned speakers and peers alike. This conference is structured to give you the pure education and professional connections needed to best enhance your career. Are you ready to POWERUp?

Exhibitor Hall: https://www.expocad.com/host/fx/common/s24/exfx.html

8:30am CDT

Opening Session

Monday May 20, 2024 8:30am - 10:00am CDT
Ballroom B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

9:00am CDT

Unlock Your Potential: The Value of Public Speaking

Public speaking is an invaluable skill, allowing you to communicate your ideas and thoughts more effectively. It can help you develop your communication skills, which can be beneficial in many aspects of life. It can help you become a better leader, negotiator, and problem solver. It can also help you build relationships, gain respect from others, and develop your self-esteem.

Public speaking also builds your confidence in yourself, and help you become an expert in your field. In this session we will focus on the nuts and bolts and what it takes to speak in front of an audience.

Learning Objectives:

Speakers

Charles Guarino

CEO & IBM Champion, Central Park Data Systems

Charles Guarino believes in the “power” of IBM Power Systems. His career reflects his dedication and interest in bringing the platform and its solutions to others and as a result has been recognized as an IBM Champion.He is a member of COMMON’s Speaker Excellence Hall of Fame... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 9:00am - 10:00am CDT
TBA 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Personal Development

Session Level Beginner

10:15am CDT

105: What's New in Db2 for i

In the tradition of previous Technology Refreshes (TR), the database team is delivering enhancements on the same cadence. Attend this session to hear about the many enhancements to SQL on i, SQL Query Engine, IBM i Services and more. This session will cover the new and enhanced Db2 for i capabilities added to IBM i 7.4 and IBM i 7.5 over the most recent IBM i Technology Refreshes.

This session will include something for everyone and anyone who uses the IBM i.

Resources: https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/1119129 and http://ibm.biz/Db2foriSQLTutor

Learning Objectives:

Speakers

Scott Forstie

Db2 for i Architect, IBM

Scott Forstie is a Senior Technical Staff Member within IBM i development and spends most of his time working as the Db2 for i Architect. He has worked on IBM operating system development since joining IBM in 1989.Scott is a frequently published author, speaker at industry events... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 10:15am - 11:15am CDT
Meeting Room 201C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Award BRONZE
Audience All comers

10:15am CDT

292: IBM i Shops: Prepare for DevOps

DevOps is a long twisting road that has no destination. But even more harrowing can be the tasks needed to prepare before embarking on this life-changing adventure. In the session we will explore several aspects that should be explored before embarking down the DevOps Road, all based upon open source implementations which means there is no price of admission! We will cover concepts like preparing the code, developers, management and users. In additional we will review a basic open source road map for leveraging DevOps features in an IBM i environment.

Learning Objectives:
1) Learn the basics of DevOps.
2) Explore how best to prepare the environment for a DevOps journey.
3) Review open source tooling and references for educating the team on DevOps.

Speakers

Mike Pavlak

Solution Architect, Perforce Software

Mike Pavlak has been working with IBM midrange solutions since 1992 and IBM Mainframes before that. After years of developing applications using RPG, CL and PHP he managed IT development and IT for power protection manufacturer Tripp Lite. Later Mike was instrumental in developing... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 10:15am - 11:15am CDT
Meeting Room 204A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Beginner
Audience All folks interested in exploring DevOps from the beginning.

10:15am CDT

143: What's new in PowerHA

Learn through live demonstrations how to take advantage of all the exciting new enhancements in PowerHA with a focus around automation, simplification and integration.

Learning Objectives:
1. A brief review of PowerHA
2. Learn and see the exciting new features
3. A preview of what is to come in the future

Speakers

Brian Nordland

Associate Director of Development, Fortra

In addition to his role as Associate Director of Development for Power Development at Fortra, Brian Nordland serves as the technical product manager for PowerHA and Robot HA. Brian has spoken at events, webinars, and user groups—including COMMON—since 2014. He is a co-inventor... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 10:15am - 11:15am CDT
Meeting Room 201B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

High Availability Resilience

Session Level Intermediate
Digital Badge HA/DR
Audience Anyone interested in PowerHA, either those considering it or those who have had it and want to learn what is new

10:15am CDT

113: Real-Time Access to Integrated File System Data Across the Network

The green screen isn't the only place where users can interact with IBM i file system data. Find out how and when to share your integrated file system to other platforms to let your users get more done with less effort. The latest updates to these file sharing methods will be included.

Learning Objectives:
- Understand the file sharing options on the IBM i and their differences
- Understand how to set up/use the file sharing options on the IBM i
- Understand how policy settings can affect IBM i NetServer functionality

Speakers

Margaret Fenlon

Software Engineer, IBM

Margaret started working for IBM in 1983 on the S/36. From 1986-1994 she worked in various areas of what is now the IBM i including Authorization Management support of POSIX and the integrated file system. She worked on the port of SAP R/3 from 1994-1997. In 1998 Margaret joined the... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 10:15am - 11:15am CDT
Meeting Room 201A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Audience System administrators

10:15am CDT

383: Maintaining an IBM i Development Staff in a Changing World

For a long time, IT was treated as a cost center in many businesses. Now, your IT team should be a business asset, and should be treated like one from a business perspective. In this session we will examine how to maintain a development staff effectively in a post-pandemic world. Topics covered will include:
• Experience breakdown of a dev team
• Managing turnover as a business risk
• Telecommuting pros/cons
• Staff development
• Managing expectations/shop standards
• Finding talent

Learning Objectives:
1. Better manage an IBM i development staff
2. Manage attrition/turnover as a business risk
3. Find talent

Speakers

Brian May

Vice President of Product Management, Profound Logic

Professional IT Leader, Speaker and WriterSpecialties:Team Building, Development and RetentionTechnical SalesSolutions ArchitectureSoftware DevelopmentEnterprise Systems Manufacturing ProcessesApparel IndustryAccounting Principles

Monday May 20, 2024 10:15am - 11:15am CDT
Meeting Room 203B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

IT Leadership and Management

Session Level All
Digital Badge IT Strategy
Audience IT Management trying to overcome staffing issues as more IBM i talent retires.

10:15am CDT

399: Subscription on IBM i Placeholder

Speakers

Douglas Gibbs

Product Manager, IBM

Douglas Gibbs is the offering manager for IBM Power Systems I/O and works closely with the overall Offering Management, Sales and Development teams regarding all manners of I/O. Douglas has worked in the IT Industry for more than 25 years and has been in a variety of positions at... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 10:15am - 11:15am CDT
Meeting Room 103A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate

10:15am CDT

126: IBM i Networking and Servers Overview

The IBM i OS network communications has changed a lot since the AS/400 primarily communicated to workstations and printers using Twinax and to other computer systems using specialized communications lines. In some ways things are more complex because our IBM i OS systems communicate to a lot of other devices in many different ways, but in other ways things are simpler today because nearly all network communications are built on top of the foundation of Ethernet and TCP/IP.

This session will take a look at these foundation Ethernet and TCP/IP and how they are built up within the IBM i OS. We will look at your communications adapters, Line Descriptions, and IP addresses, subnets, routes and more including the commands and interfaces used to manage these.

We will also look at some of the most commonly used networking servers like Telnet and FTP and cover their basics of configuration, management and even troubleshooting.

Learning Objectives:

Speakers

Wayne Bowers

Software Engineer, IBM

Wayne Bowers has been with IBM since 1997, where he works with the IBM i Global Support Center in Rochester MN. He is an Advisory Software Engineer specializing in the support of the IBM i Access (aka Client Access) products, Console, the TCP Telnet communications server, and the... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 10:15am - 11:15am CDT
Meeting Room 203C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Award GOLD
Audience IBM i OS users to Administrators looking for a better basic understanding of networking on the IBM i OS.

10:15am CDT

103: Basics of QA and Testing for IBM i Professionals

Quality Assurance in software development is known to be an important factor for IT teams and goals. Regardless if testing is done by developers or testers it is crucial. We will talk about concepts and practices defined as the foundation of testing by ISTQB methodology. This will covering topics such as defects and ramifications, how testing is part of the larger quality assurance model, the definitions of error, defect, fault, and failure. We will discuss the difference between debugging and testing, the objectives of testing, and how testing changes at different parts of development and in different development lifecycles.

Learning Objectives:
Describe how a defect in software can cause harm to a company. Distinguish between the cause of a defect and its effects. Give reasons why testing is necessary by giving examples. Describe why testing is part of quality assurance with examples of how testing contributes to higher quality. Explain and compare the terms error, defect, fault, failure, and the corresponding terms mistake and bug. Recall the common objectives of testing.

Speakers

Yvonne Enselman

Principal Architect for Quality Assurance on IBM i, Yvonne Enselman Professional Services

I am a Quality Assurance, Project Management, and Professional Services expert.Named IBM Champion 2024I have twenty-five years of experience in the IBM i industry starting in application development, transitioning through quality assurance, and into management. My passion has been... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 10:15am - 11:15am CDT
Room 202 A-B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Program Testing

Session Level All
Award SILVER
Audience Testers interested in the ISTQB methods and doctrine. Developers who want to test more efficiently and work with QA/Testers more effectively.

10:15am CDT

121: What's New and Exciting in RPG

With each new release of the IBM i operating system and with Technology Refreshes, IBM has given us some new features in RPG. This session tells you about the new and exciting features of RPG and how you might like to use each feature in your own applications.

Learning Objectives:
1. IBM's strategy for releasing new RPG features
2. The new features available recently
3. What I find exciting about them

Speakers

Scott Klement

Development & Solutions Architect, Midrange Dynamics

Scott volunteers as a member of COMMON's Board of Directors, Strategic Education Team, Certification Committee and Innovation Awards. He is the author of around 1000 articles and a dozen open source projects. Scott's efforts to help out the IBM i Community have resulted in dozens... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 10:15am - 11:15am CDT
Room 202 C-D 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - RPG

Session Level Beginner
Audience RPG Developers

10:15am CDT

171: Foundations of IBM i Systems Admin: Reading Joblogs

Very few shops today have a dedicated system administrator; so the administrator hat ends up with the developer or other staff. So where do you start? We'll cover the basics of what you need to know to administer IBM i. In our favor, IBM has been busy over the past several releases improving the tools and options for administering our system!

Learning Objectives:
1) Understand the use of a joblog for finding errors and issues with jobs.
2) Learn the tools available for reading and searching joblogs.

Speakers

Larry Bolhuis

Cloud and Datacenter Engineer, IBM Champion, Service Express Inc.

Larry has grown up with computers since his father became a CE in 1967. He obtained a bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Calvin College in 1982 and soon after began working on IBM midrange equipment with the S/34 and S/36. Larry began working on the As/400 at its introduction In 1988.After spending many years as a developer Larry began working on communications, networking, and systems management tasks. Years of... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 10:15am - 11:15am CDT
Meeting Room 203A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level Beginner

10:15am CDT

181: Intro to IBM i Services (SQL) for Admins

This session is designed for IBM i system administrators. It covers real-world problems faced by system admins, and how to solve them using SQL (with some help from IBM i Services). Don't be intimidated by SQL. It isn't just for developers! You can copy and paste the examples provided in this session to get started easily. Attend this session and add a suite of new tools to your system admin toolbox!

"Learn how to use the “Run SQL Scripts” tool to:
1. Investigate active/queued/completed jobs
2. Retrieve system networking information,
3. Investigate object locks, and much more!"

Speakers

Steve Riedmueller

Certified IBM i Admin - Speaker, Mentor, and Advocate, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

I am a COMMON Certified IBM i Administrator with over 20 years experience on IBM i, as well as a COMMON speaker, N2i mentor, and IBM i advocate.I've been working on the platform since 2001 as a system admin/engineer. I have experience with OS upgrades and patching, system security... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 10:15am - 11:15am CDT
Meeting Room 102 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level Beginner
Audience Traditional “green screen” administrators who want to start leveraging SQL.

10:15am CDT

123: IBM i Security from the Ground Up

Come to this session to learn the basics of IBM i Security. During this session Carol will cover the three building blocks of IBM i Security - Security-relevant System Values, User Profile Configuration and Object Security. Carol will also describe how (the order) the system checks security as well as program adoption. This session builds the foundation for other topics discussed during the rest of the conference. Emphasis will be placed on using modern interfaces (Navigator for i, IBM i Services, etc)

Learning Objectives:

Understand the functions provided by security-relevant system values
Know which attributes of the user profile contribute to the capabilities of the user and understand the best practices settings for these attributes
Understand the options available for setting authority on objects (files, programs, etc)
Know the order in which IBM i checks authority when a user accesses an object
See how you can create and manage user profiles, system values and permissions in New Navigator

Speakers

Carol Woodbury

IBM i Security SME and Senior Advisor, Kisco Systems

With over 30 years' experience in the area of IT security, Carol is known world-wide as an expert in the area of computer security. During her career, Carol has architected security solutions for Fortune 100 companies as well as small and medium-sized organizations. Carol is passionate... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 10:15am - 12:30pm CDT
Meeting Room 101 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Beginner
Audience Any user that has little or no knowledge of IBM i Security or someone that needs a refresher of the details of IBM i security will benefit from this session.

11:30am CDT

179: SQL and IFS - Reading/Writng IFS Files with SQL

SQL is great for accessing data located in a relational database. But in a modern world it is also necessary to consume data that is located in the IFS (Integrated File System) or provided by web services

With each Technology Refresh IBM introduces and enhances Db2 for i Services. With Release 7.4 Technology Refresh 3 IBM provides new SQL Stored Procedures for reading data from and writing Data into the IFS.

In composition with other SQL Functions it is easy to scan through IFS files or decompose *.csv files or JSON files or XML documents located in the IFS.

Learning Objectives:
In this session you’ll learn how to write data to the IFS and how to read IFS files, by using no other programming language than SQL.
It will be also demonstrated how to access and decompose *.csv files located in the IFS without copying them into a physical file or SQL table.

Speakers

Birgitta Hauser

Database and Software Architect, IBM Champion, Independent Consultant

Birgitta Hauser worked on the IBM i and its predecessors since 1992. She graduated with a business economics diploma, and started programming on the AS/400 in 1992. She worked and works as traditional RPG Programmer but also as Database and Software Engineer, focusing on IBM i application... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 11:30am - 12:30pm CDT
Room 202 A-B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Advanced
Audience Developers and users who are experienced in SQL Queries and want to know how to write data into the IFS or have to consume IFS data, or simply want to enhance their SQL know-how.

11:30am CDT

188: SQL Coding Tips and Techniques

SQL is a very powerful language for processing data. There are many ways to write SQL statements to get the desired results. However, not all queries are created equal. This session will compare different ways to approach a problem from an SQL perspective in terms of code maintenance and performance. Taking the right approach for writing SQL helps Db2 for i help you.

Learning Objectives:

Speakers

Kent Milligan

Senior Db2 for i Consultant, IBM

Kent Milligan is a Senior Db2 for i Consultant in IBM Technology Expert Labs. Kent has over 25 years of experience as a Db2 for IBM i consultant and developer working out of the IBM Rochester lab. Prior to re-joining the Db2 for i Expert Labs practice in 2020, Kent spent 5 years... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 11:30am - 12:30pm CDT
Meeting Room 201C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All
Audience Developers

11:30am CDT

177: Using DevOps to Quickly React to Business Needs: DevOps ROI

Learn how to use DevOps to make your Development, Testing and Deployment steps truly agile - all while reducing risk and realizing immediate and significant ROI

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn about DevOps
2. Learn about the significant ROI benefits of ROI
3. Understand the DevOps steps needed

Speakers

Alan Ashley

Presales Consultant for DevOps for IBMi, Arcad Software

When it comes to describing someone, even yourself, it can be difficult. This time it's easy. I grew up on the AS400, through iSeries, and into the IBM i world. Started on a model B50 (I know it was a B model) where the disk drive needed two persons to replace and now in the DevSecOps... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 11:30am - 12:30pm CDT
Meeting Room 203A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Development, Operations, and C-level executives wishing to take advantage of DevOps ROI

11:30am CDT

214: Git and IBM i - How to Build Your Source

Getting started with native source in Git isn't that hard and there are multiple development tools but what about getting your source changes to the IBM i? What about those special IBM I dependencies that need to be managed? We'll look at what a Build is and how the IBM i has different requirements then other platforms and how we can meet those requirements. We'll also discuss the open source tools that you can use to set up a Build for native source and how to automate it.

Learning Objectives:

Speakers

Jeffrey Tickner

ARCAD Software

Jeff Tickner has worked in Change Management on the IBM I for 17 years at different companies. He is certified in Rational Team Concert as well has having experience with other Change Management packages from SourceSafe to Subversion. Jeff currently works for ARCAD Software, an international... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 11:30am - 12:30pm CDT
Room 202 C-D 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate

11:30am CDT

404: NVME is your Friend

Speakers

Daniel Sundt

IBM i Product Manager, IBM

Dan Sundt is an IBM i product manager. He has the responsibility for the IBM i business, including defining and guiding future directions and strategies. He works with the IBM i sales, marketing, and development teams as well as customers and partners to ensure that the IBM i operating... Read More →

John Folkerts

Power Systems IO Product Management, IBM

John Folkerts has recently taken on the role of Power Systems IO Product Manager. John is responsible for direct attach storage, network adapters, fibre channel adapters, IO expansion and a variety of other areas. His previous roles within IBM included hardware development of... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 11:30am - 12:30pm CDT
Meeting Room 201B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate

11:30am CDT

137: BRMS - How It Can Save YOU!

Backing up your system can be critical for disaster recovery, data recovery, and audit. Managing it manually can be daunting and apt to failure. Learn how BRMS can save the day and automate many essential tasks (some that you may not be doing).

Learning Objectives:
What is BRMS
How can it help essential tasks:
Disaster Recovery
You deleted what?
Audit
First steps to make the move

Speakers

Jeffrey Carey

Sr. System Administrator, Ensono

Jeff Carey is an IBM i professional with over 25 years of experience on the platform, specializing in system administration. He currently is a Senior System Administrator for Ensono, a company providing managed services for Mainframe, IBM i, Cloud, and hybrid IT, headquartered in... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 11:30am - 12:30pm CDT
Meeting Room 203B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

High Availability Resilience

Session Level Beginner
Digital Badge HA/DR
Audience IT professionals who need to backup or restore data from IBM i systems.

11:30am CDT

326: Visual Studio Code and IBM i - Bring Your Own Device

Bring a laptop to this session and work through live exercises in the browser with Liam and Jesse!

This session covers everything you need to know about using Visual Studio Code with IBM i - from editing, to compiling, to accessing the database, using the RPGLE linter, database tools, and many other features.

Learning Objectives:
* Installing VS Code and extensions
* Working with IBM i inside of VS Code
* Writing and compile in RPG, CL, etc
* Using database tools for Db2 for i inside of VS Code
* Introduction to git

Speakers

Jesse Gorzinski

Business Architect, IBM

Jesse Gorzinski works for the IBM i development lab in Rochester, MN. He is a Senior Business Architect and Senior Technical Staff Member (STSM) responsible for open source technologies on the platform. Jesse, who was doing RPG programming at the age of 18, is an expert on application... Read More →

Liam Allan

Software Advocate, IBM

I am a developer and open-source advocate. Ask me about Node.js, VS Code, app deployment and CICD :)

Monday May 20, 2024 11:30am - 12:30pm CDT
Meeting Room 102 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programmer Tools

Session Level All
Digital Badge VS Code
Audience IBM i Developers

11:30am CDT

130: Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Virtual i Partitions Hosted by IBM i

IBM i has the capability of hosting an IBM i Logical Partition (LPAR) to provide virtual disk storage for other IBM i partition. IBM i has provided „hosted disk” for Windows servers and AIX or Linux partitions for several years, but the ability to host another IBM i LPAR is new. See the step by step process in creating hosted virtual partitions. Learn the requirements, the prerequisites, and all the steps needed to create this once your back in the office. This will be great for creating a virtual partition to test your 7.5 upgradeI

Learning Objectives:
1) Understand the relationship between all the components of a virtual LPAR. 2) How to create virtual storage. 3) How to use this knowledge back at your shop to build your own.

Speakers

Pete Massiello

IBM i Advisor, Massiello Holding Corp.

Pete Massiello has been working with the AS/400, iSeries, IBM i since 1989, focusing on systems management and technical support. He has held numerous technical positions through out his career. He is the President of iTech Solutions Group, an IBM Premier Business Partner delivering... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 11:30am - 12:30pm CDT
Meeting Room 201A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level Intermediate
Award SILVER

11:30am CDT

196: Live Demo of the New IBM Navigator for i

The IBM Navigator has been around for a very long time, the good news, a brand new version has just been delivered that re-images Navigator from the ground up. Really, the only thing that the same is the Title. The User interaction, tables, data , architecture, is all completely new and is leveraging the very latest in modern technology. As the title says... we will explore many of the new aspects of the IBM Navigator via a live demo.

Learning Objectives:

Speakers

Tim Rowe

Business Architect Application Development & Systems Management for IBM i, IBM

Tim Rowe is the Business Architect responsible for Application Development and Systems Management for the IBM i operating system. His responsibilities include helping to make sure that the IBM i has what is needed to be successful both today and into the future. He sends much of his... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 11:30am - 12:30pm CDT
Meeting Room 203C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level Beginner

11:30am CDT

220: Introduction to Open Source on IBM i

Introductory and survey level discussion that looks at the installation of the Open Source solutions on IBM i. We'll also review many of the components available via open source and discuss the PASE environment. If you've been on the outside looking in at Open Source, this is the place to start.

Learning Objectives:
1. Understand how to install open source solution on IBM i
2. PASE basic understanding
3. Explore the solution in the open source packages.

Speakers

Mike Pavlak

Solution Architect, Perforce Software

Mike Pavlak has been working with IBM midrange solutions since 1992 and IBM Mainframes before that. After years of developing applications using RPG, CL and PHP he managed IT development and IT for power protection manufacturer Tripp Lite. Later Mike was instrumental in developing... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 11:30am - 12:30pm CDT
Meeting Room 103A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level Beginner
Audience All levels welcome

1:30pm CDT

415: Be The Star That You Are! Empowering You to Make a Difference in Your World

In a world turned upside down, sometimes it seems that all around us is darkness. When surrounded by clowns and frowns, it is tough to see things clearly.

To counter this darkness, we need light, more light. And like the galaxies over our heads, the darkness dissipates when all the stars shine together.

Each and every one of us is a star. Our unique extraordinariness means that we have our own light to shine that no one else can offer. Often, though, we don’t recognize that we are a star, and our light is dim, or does not shine at all.
Trevor brings his signature keynote “Be The Star That You Are!” as a campaign to have all of our stars shine – together – to vanquish the darkness in our world.

Using his Seeing Stars framework, Trevor offers fresh perspectives to be comfortable with our own personal presence, uncover personal power, find balance from engaging and indulging in play, and discover our purpose and mission.

Together, we can shine our light, overcome darkness, and collectively make a difference in this world.

Speakers

Trevor Perry

Storyteller | Instigator | Agitator, The Extraordinary Company L.L.C.

Trevor Perry is a technologist by trade and a motivational speaker by passion. His keynote speeches and breakout sessions are in demand across the globe at technology conferences and events. He is an Australian of Irish heritage who lives in America, and spent time faking an English... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CDT
Ballroom B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Personal Development

Session Level All

2:45pm CDT

419: Practical Examples of Using AI and IBM i

Abstract forthcoming

Speakers

Jesse Gorzinski

Business Architect, IBM

Jesse Gorzinski works for the IBM i development lab in Rochester, MN. He is a Senior Business Architect and Senior Technical Staff Member (STSM) responsible for open source technologies on the platform. Jesse, who was doing RPG programming at the age of 18, is an expert on application... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 102 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Beginner

2:45pm CDT

256: SQL Plan Cache Uncovered

This session explains how the SQL Plan Cache is used by Db2 for i to support the execution of your SQL & non-SQL queries. In addition, you'll learn about the various Plan Cache related tools & services that you can leverage to identify and remedy query performance problems.

Learning Objectives:

Speakers

Kent Milligan

Senior Db2 for i Consultant, IBM

Kent Milligan is a Senior Db2 for i Consultant in IBM Technology Expert Labs. Kent has over 25 years of experience as a Db2 for IBM i consultant and developer working out of the IBM Rochester lab. Prior to re-joining the Db2 for i Expert Labs practice in 2020, Kent spent 5 years... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 201C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate

2:45pm CDT

391: Analyzing Geospatial Data Using Db2 for i

In everyday life when we asks questions like “Where is the nearest coffee shop” or “How far away is the airport” we are asking questions about geospatial data. Geospatial data is used to represent objects and events that occur on the surface of the earth. Geospatial analytics allows you to not only store geospatial data representing real location in your database, but to also compare and analyze geographic relationships and trends.

Learning Objectives:
This session will introduce the set of new user-defined geospatial data types, scalar functions, and table functions that make up Geospatial Analytics with Watson and provide many real-world examples of how to use them

Speakers

John Westcott

Analytics Consultant, Db2 for i, IBM

John Westcott is a member of the Db2 for i Database and Analytics team in IBM’s Technology Services (formerly Lab Services). A consultant with over 35 years’ experience on IBM i, his skills include Business Intelligence, Business Analytics, Database Modernization, SQL and RPG... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 203A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Database developer designing applications

2:45pm CDT

235: Git Branch Management for IBM i Source; I Want JUST the Changes

One of the challenges of managing IBM i source with Git is we don't want to Build ALL of our objects for a few changes like a Java project. We want just the changes specific to our project. How do we get JUST those changes and what impact does that have on branch management, merging and conflicts? I thought Git made concurrent development easier, why is this SO HARD?

Now that we at Arcad have been providing Git integration for a number of years we have experience on why a rebase or a fetch from master can have unintended consequences. Well what do we DO with stale branches that conflict with master if we can't fetch? Ho can we just avoid a conflict or resolve it with the least pain?

Learning Objectives:
1, Recognize how IBM i source and business requirements require different branch management.
2. Best workflow for IBM i shops with concurrent development
3. Most efficient way to resolve or avoid merge conflicts

Speakers

Jeffrey Tickner

ARCAD Software

Jeff Tickner has worked in Change Management on the IBM I for 17 years at different companies. He is certified in Rational Team Concert as well has having experience with other Change Management packages from SourceSafe to Subversion. Jeff currently works for ARCAD Software, an international... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Room 202 C-D 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate

2:45pm CDT

385: IBM Power: Made by Innovators for Innovators

This session reviews the history of innovation driven by the Power platform and explores how Power innovations fit strongly into current and future industry trends

Learning Objectives:

Speakers

Bill Starke

Power Processor Chief Architect, IBM

William Starke is an IBM Distinguished Engineer and Chief Architect for Power microprocessors. Since graduating from Michigan Tech University, Bill has been employed by IBM for over 30 years in several roles, spanning mainframe and Power systems performance analysis, logic design... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 201B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All

2:45pm CDT

363: Choosing the Right Cloud Strategy: Private, Public, or Hybrid?

Are you grappling with the decision of which cloud strategy suits your needs best? Join us in this session as we navigate the complexities of private, public, and hybrid cloud options. Learn how to tailor your cloud strategy based on workloads, organizational considerations, and application dependencies.

Key Points:

- Workload-Centric Considerations
- Organizational Perspectives
- Application Dependency Insights?

Learning Objectives:
Session Highlights:

Comparative Analysis: Gain insights into the advantages and drawbacks of private, public, and hybrid cloud strategies through a comparative analysis.

Decision-Making Framework: Discover a decision-making framework to help you choose the most suitable cloud strategy for your specific needs.

Real-world Examples: Explore case studies showcasing successful implementations of different cloud strategies.

Speakers

Lief Morin

GM, Cloud Services, Fresche Solutions

Monday May 20, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 203C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Advanced

2:45pm CDT

293: What’s New with Open Source & IBM i

Open source solutions have been on the IBM i platform for many years but recently the number of solutions deployed here has blossomed. Join Mike as he explores the latest news regarding packages and solution features available in IBM i Open Source Package Management and beyond.

Learning Objectives:
1) Review updates to the popular languages like PHP, Python and Node.js.
2) Explore new(er) packages available via the ACS: Open Source Package Management.
3) See examples of how the community is contributing to IBM i open source.

Speakers

Mike Pavlak

Solution Architect, Perforce Software

Mike Pavlak has been working with IBM midrange solutions since 1992 and IBM Mainframes before that. After years of developing applications using RPG, CL and PHP he managed IT development and IT for power protection manufacturer Tripp Lite. Later Mike was instrumental in developing... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 103A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programmer Tools

Session Level Beginner
Audience All folks interested in exploring or using open source on IBM i

2:45pm CDT

268: Using IBM and Db2 Services in (RPG) Programs … Can Make Life Much Easier!

With the last releases and technology refreshes IBM provided a lot of new SQL Services.

A lot of these Services provide functionalities that are not directly available in RPG or can only be implemented in RPG by calling complex System APIs and by using pointer handling for accessing the data.

However, now we have SQL services that can write data into the IFS or can delete old spool files or even better can convert a spool file into a PDF-Document. Since the last Technology Refresh it is also possible to send eMails or to generate *.csv files directly with SQL and IBM Services.

This session will demonstrate how RPG Programs can be simplified by just using embedded SQL and IBM Services.

Learning Objectives:
In this session you’ll learn how specific SQL Services can be implemented with embedded SQL in RPG or Cobol and how the formerly complex source code can be reduced

Speakers

Birgitta Hauser

Database and Software Architect, IBM Champion, Independent Consultant

Birgitta Hauser worked on the IBM i and its predecessors since 1992. She graduated with a business economics diploma, and started programming on the AS/400 in 1992. She worked and works as traditional RPG Programmer but also as Database and Software Engineer, focusing on IBM i application... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Room 202 A-B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - RPG

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Programmers, Managers and everybody who is interested in new Services and how this services can be used from within RPG (or Cobol).

2:45pm CDT

183: Anatomy of a Password

Have you thought about the passwords you use on your systems? What rules or restrictions do you have in place? But more importantly, why?! Have you ever thought about what those rules actually do to your passwords? Do you think they are making you more secure or less secure? In this presentation, we will cover passwords in depth, in theory, and specific to IBM i. Can your IBM i password be hacked? Come and find out at this inquisitive session!

Learning Objectives:
1. Set modern password policy
2. Understand password protection tools

Speakers

Robert Andrews

Principal Security Consultant, IBM

Robert Andrews is a Principal Security Consultant, Senior Technical Staff Member (STSM), and the Team Lead for the IBM i Security and Authentication Technology Expert Labs team in Rochester, MN. He is an IBM certified Thought Leader and The Open Group certified Distinguished Technical... Read More →

Anatomy of a Password pdf

Monday May 20, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 101 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Audience IBM i Admins or Security team members

2:45pm CDT

379: Foundations of IBM i Security Defense

The most important step in crafting any successful IBM i security strategy is identifying the practices and tools that will serve as the foundation for your security efforts – because until you do – all other security measures can be easily undermined.

Fortunately, this first step is simple. At the core of every successful IBM i security strategy is the exact same set of fundamentals – no matter what size your organization is or what industry you’re a part of.

Learning Objectives:
1. The importance of building your IBM i security foundation
2. What this foundation consists of
3. How to prioritize the layers of defense you implement

Speakers

Sandi Moore

Sr. Solutions Engineer, Fortra LLC

Sandi has been working with Fortra customers for over 20 years supporting systems monitoring and security software. With experience on IBM i, AIX, and Linux, she has been involved in product demonstrations, implementation, support, training, research, and product testing. Sandi is... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 203B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All
Audience Anyone tasked with addressing security on the IBM i will benefit from this session.

2:45pm CDT

323: Introduction to the Navigator Performance Tasks

Navigator for i has a rich set of tools to help you understand the performance of your IBM i. This session will review these performance tasks; from traditional performance management tasks, to System Monitors for real-time monitoring, the Performance Data Investigator to understand your performance signature, and Graph History for long-term trending. Attend this session to learn about these features and how to use them.

Learn about why and how to use the following in Navigator:
- System Monitors
- Performance Data Investigator
- Graph History

Speakers

Dawn May

Owner, Dawn May Consulting, LLC

Dawn has been involved with COMMON for over 20 years and has been a consistent volunteer since 2008. She's been a member of the strategic education team, a subject matter expert, and a speaker. Now, as President of COMMON, she's focused on leading COMMON as the industry leader of... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 201A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level Beginner

2:45pm CDT

342: Use Service Commander to manage ALL your stuff

So many different kinds of jobs run on IBM i. Node.js, RPG, Java, COBOL, Python.... All of them are managed in different ways, and that can get really frustrating, really quickly! Thankfully, there's an open source tool, Service Commander, that can simplify the management of all these IBM i jobs!

Learning Objectives:
Leverage Service Commander to manage running services on IBM i.

Speakers

Adam Shedivy

Software Developer, IBM

Adam is a software Developer working on enhancing client and open source integration on IBM i.

Monday May 20, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 204A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level All
Audience System Administrators

4:00pm CDT

173: Getting Started with SQL Functions and Procedures

SQL includes a full-fledged programming language, SQL PL. Come learn about the programming constructs, including error handling, that this language contains. You will leave with all the knowledge you need to start writing your own SQL functions and procedures.

Learning Objectives:
1. Understand the difference between SQL procedures, scalar functions, and table functions.
2. Become familiar with the SQL statements used for writing SQL routine logic.

Speakers

Ryan Moeller

Software Engineer, IBM

Ryan Moeller is a software engineer working on Db2 for i, specifically on the SQL Query Engine (SQE) team. He joined the team in the Rochester, MN development lab in 2020. Ryan specializes in SQL, database development, and query performance analysis.

Monday May 20, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 203A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Beginner
Audience Developers who want to start writing SQL-based solutions.

4:00pm CDT

402: The Latest Hardware for IBM i

Just like with the operating system, the team has been hard at work continuously innovating to provide our community with the latest technology to run business-critical workloads and applications. The latest Power10 processor-based hardware has new capabilities for IBM i users to help them achieve business and IT goals. In this session, Daniel Goldener, Product Manager, IBM Power Scale-Out Servers, and Brandon Pederson, IBM i and Power Product Marketing Manager, will show you the latest hardware to run IBM i. You'll learn the features and benefits of the system and new use cases, including edge computing and transactional AI.

Speakers

Daniel Goldener

Product Manager, Power Systems, IBM

I embarked on a dynamic career journey leading me to IBM, where I've dedicated over two decades to diverse roles. Beginning as an intern in 2004, I've navigated through Sales Operations, IT Strategy Consulting, and leadership in Systems Technical Sales, making significant contributions... Read More →

Brandon Pederson

IBM i and Power Product Marketing Manager, IBM

Brandon Pederson is the Product Marketing Manager for IBM i and Modernization within the IBM Power business. Prior to this role, Brandon was Content Marketing Manager for IBM WebSphere and Content and Community Manager for IBM Power. He has a degree in Marketing from Concordia University... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 201B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All

4:00pm CDT

109: Intro to FlashCopy & Cybersecurity Resiliency with Safeguarded Copy

If you’re using external storage in your IBM i environment without taking advantage of FlashCopy, we have one question for you: Why not? Get an overview of how FlashCopy works, the types of FlashCopy options available, how FlashCopy can be used in environments with or without independent ASPs.

In addition, learn how IBM's Safeguarded Copy extends FlashCopy to provide another layer of cybersecurity resiliency.

Learning Objectives:
1. FlashCopy Overview
2. Advanced FlashCopy Concepts
3. Cybersecurity Resiliency with Safeguarded Copy

Speakers

Brian Nordland

Associate Director of Development, Fortra

In addition to his role as Associate Director of Development for Power Development at Fortra, Brian Nordland serves as the technical product manager for PowerHA and Robot HA. Brian has spoken at events, webinars, and user groups—including COMMON—since 2014. He is a co-inventor... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 201A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

High Availability Resilience

Session Level Intermediate
Digital Badge HA/DR
Audience Those looking at wanting point in time copies of their data to either reduce their backup window, querying, or development and test purposes

4:00pm CDT

157: IBM i Strategy, Roadmap and Innovation

IBM i is an amazing platform for running a business today, and its future is bright – innovative, integrated and incredible! Hear Steve Will, IBM i CTO, talk about the strategy, roadmap and future of IBM i.

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn what the direction of IBM i is.
2. See how IBM i is being used in the industry

Speakers

Steve Will

IBM i CTO & Chief Architect, IBM

Steve is the CTO and Chief Architect for the IBM i Operating System. Spending the past fourteen years of his IBM career in this position, he has become an award-winning speaker, author of the influential blog "You and i," (https://bit.ly/You-and-i-blog) and is one of the most sought-after voices at customer briefings and events. Steve has worked on IBM i and its predecessors since before the creation of the AS/400, and is currently responsible for setting the strategy of the IBM i operating system, as well as deciding which enhancements will be implemented. In his role, he talks to clients and pa... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 102 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All
Digital Badge IT Strategy
Audience Anyone using IBM i

4:00pm CDT

101: Agile Testing and Concepts

Iterative development models are being used more frequently. We will discuss the concepts of Rapid Application Development focusing on agile methodology. Topics include the manifesto and how it relates to teams and practices. From there we will explore testing advantages and challenges and how to be productive. Test automation is a core concept in most agile implementations so we will cover how tools apply and can be used.

Learning Objectives:
Learning Objectives:
Understand Iterative Life Cycles
Define incremental development models and Iterative development model
Understand Basic Agile concepts and the manifesto
Determine the best types of testing for specific applications in a RAD environment

Speakers

Yvonne Enselman

Principal Architect for Quality Assurance on IBM i, Yvonne Enselman Professional Services

I am a Quality Assurance, Project Management, and Professional Services expert.Named IBM Champion 2024I have twenty-five years of experience in the IBM i industry starting in application development, transitioning through quality assurance, and into management. My passion has been... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 103A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Program Testing

Session Level All
Audience Audience: Developers and Testers who want to further their quality assurance knowledge base and how QA applies in Agile Software Lifecycle Development.

4:00pm CDT

355: Experience the Wonders of AI: Come Marvel with Me!

This session explores the fascinating world of AI, demonstrates its possibilities and how it can be used to improve our lives. We will discuss some of the latest available technologies and work with them in real time. This session is perfect for anyone looking to learn more about AI and the potential it has to offer.

Speakers

Charles Guarino

CEO & IBM Champion, Central Park Data Systems

Charles Guarino believes in the “power” of IBM Power Systems. His career reflects his dedication and interest in bringing the platform and its solutions to others and as a result has been recognized as an IBM Champion.He is a member of COMMON’s Speaker Excellence Hall of Fame... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Room 202 A-B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - General

Session Level Beginner

4:00pm CDT

361: Decoding Fullstack: A Comprehensive Guide to Front-End Strategies

Embark on a journey of front-end development mastery in this sessopm which will delve into effective strategies for utilizing popular frameworks such as Angular, React.js, Vue.js, and navigating the dynamic realm of full-stack development.

Key Focus Areas:_
- Angular, React.js, Vue.js Strategies:_
-Gain in-depth insights into the distinctive strategies and best practices for front-end development using Angular, React.js, and Vue.js.
- Navigating Fullstack Development:_
Explore the intricacies of full-stack development, understanding how to seamlessly integrate front-end frameworks with back-end technologies.
- Comparative Analysis:
Benefit from a comparative analysis of Angular, React.js, and Vue.js, enabling you to make informed decisions based on your project requirements.
- Optimizing User Experience:
Discover techniques for optimizing user experience through effective front-end development strategies, ensuring your applications are both functional and user-friendly.

Learning Objectives:
This session is for anyone who would like to gain invaluable insights into front-end development and selecting the ideal framework. Learn efficient techniques for integrating front-end frameworks seamlessly with back-end technologies and productivity-boosting strategies to streamline your front-end development workflow.

Speakers

Scott Gingerysty

Team Lead, Web Application Services, Fresche Solutions

I am a Senior Web Developer/Team Lead and Application Modernization expert at Fresche. I am passionate about IBM i application modernization. Since 2013, I have added new life into business-critical RPG applications using web technology. Whether it is a new development, augmenting... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 201C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - General

Session Level All

4:00pm CDT

148: Options for Consuming REST APIs from RPG

REST APIs have become a major part of business programming. We live in a world where virtually everything is connected to the Internet, and REST APIs are how they communicate with each other. In this session, you will learn how to call (or "consume") REST APIs from good ol' RPG. In addition to showing you the basics of how APIs work, this session explains how to use several free tools to consume them. The tools will be compared so that you can determine which one would work best for you.

Learning Objectives:
1. Understand why/when REST APIs are used.
2. Understand how REST APIs work.
3. Preview Calling REST APIs from RPG with several free tools.

Speakers

Scott Klement

Development & Solutions Architect, Midrange Dynamics

Scott volunteers as a member of COMMON's Board of Directors, Strategic Education Team, Certification Committee and Innovation Awards. He is the author of around 1000 articles and a dozen open source projects. Scott's efforts to help out the IBM i Community have resulted in dozens... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Room 202 C-D 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - RPG

Session Level Intermediate

4:00pm CDT

274: Di WHY? Do it yourself IBM i security assessment

For all IBM i do-it-yourselfers and tinkers, we'll temporarily set aside the question of "should I really be spending my time on this?" to show you how to run to your own security assessment. You'll leave with a checklist and some sample queries to get you started on your very own IBM i security audit.

Learning Objectives:
1. Provide a checklist of IBM i security audit tasks
2. Run sample queries to generate audit data
3. Evaluate audit data to assess security risk

Speakers

Justin Loeber

IBM i Security, Kisco Systems

Justin Loeber is the owner and CEO of Kisco Systems, a developer of IBM i security and compliance software. Kisco's mission is to secure every IBM i by helping educate the IBM i community about security, continuously improving its products and delivering the best value in the market... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 101 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Anyone with responsibility or accountability for IT security, data integrity, compliance or business continuity.

4:00pm CDT

124: HMC, IBM I, FSP, BMC & Firmware: Putting All the Pieces Together

Come to this session and dissect all the new components and concepts involved with partitioning your IBM Power Systems. Learn how all the pieces connect to each other, what you need to do to set them up, and how to manage and upgrade them. Get a handle on the various components of the Hardware Management Console (HMC), the Flexible Service Processor (FSP), and the Advanced Systems Management Interface (ASMI). Find out about the firmware in your machine, and how to make the required updates to it in an LPAR environment or on a standalone machine. Get tips for upgrading and setting up communications between the HMC and FSP as well as insight on where the ASMI fits in. Leave this session with up-to-date knowledge on these important hardware features of IBM PowerSystems & IBM i

Learning Objectives:
1) Understand how to upgrade & update your HMC.
2) Understand how to upgrade your FSP.
3) Learn how everything connects and interacts.

Speakers

Pete Massiello

IBM i Advisor, Massiello Holding Corp.

Pete Massiello has been working with the AS/400, iSeries, IBM i since 1989, focusing on systems management and technical support. He has held numerous technical positions through out his career. He is the President of iTech Solutions Group, an IBM Premier Business Partner delivering... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 203C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level Intermediate
Award GOLD
Audience If you have an HMC at your location, this is the session to learn how to manage it.

4:00pm CDT

208: IBM i Navigator an Administrators View

IBM Navigator for i is the web based interface for accessing, managing, and monitoring your IBM i. A brand new versions has been released. This session will look at how to get started, how to best leverage this interface for one users or an entire company. We will look at some of the administrative features added to New Nav to help with rolling this out to many users. This include how to set up TLS for you connections and how to limit select users from working with areas within the interface, and some key function that an admin will for sure find useful.

Speakers

Ann Wilkerson

Software Developer, IBM

Ann Wilkerson is the technical team lead for Navigator for i and a developer for IBM i Services.

Monday May 20, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 204A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level All

4:00pm CDT

410: Performance Based Workload Management on IBM i

We've all experienced the pain of an untuned, ad-hoc query or poorly written, untested application causing wide-spread pain on a partition. Learn how you can manage and mitigate unruly workloads on IBM i using monitors, watches, workload groups, and more. Learn about the types of activity that can cause performance problems on an IBM i partition, and what can be done to mitigate the impact of that activity.

Speakers

Anil Madan

Sr. Managing Consultant, IBM

Anil Madan is a Senior IBM i Performance Consultant with specialization in system, application and Db2 for i performance management. He is an IBM certified Thought Leader Technical Specialist and an IBM certified Executive Project Manager. Working out of the IBM Expert Labs in Rochester... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 203B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level All

5:15pm CDT

191: IBM i ACS 5250 Overview

IBM i Access Client Solutions (IBM i ACS) provides a best of breed 5250 emulator with many transformational features and capabilities that you may not be aware of or using most effectively. Join us for a quick, predominantly live demo session to get the most out of your IBM i ACS 5250 emulator 1) Get the most out of your IBM i ACS 5250 Emulator

Speakers

Wayne Bowers

Software Engineer, IBM

Wayne Bowers has been with IBM since 1997, where he works with the IBM i Global Support Center in Rochester MN. He is an Advisory Software Engineer specializing in the support of the IBM i Access (aka Client Access) products, Console, the TCP Telnet communications server, and the... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 5:15pm - 5:35pm CDT
Meeting Room 201A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Client Connectivity

Session Level All
Digital Badge ACS
Audience IBM i Access Client Solutions 5250 users

5:15pm CDT

210: What is SYSTOOLS and How Can You Leverage It?

Db2 for i provides useful tools and examples in the SYSTOOLS schema. Come to this session to learn what shiny gems lie within this unopened treasure chest. You need not be an SQL programmer to gain tremendous value from SQL tools!

Learning Objectives:
1. Understand what is SYSTOOLS?
2. Quick training in how to discover and use the tools within SYSTOOLS.
3. Understand how ACS can help you use SYSTOOLS.

Speakers

Scott Forstie

Db2 for i Architect, IBM

Scott Forstie is a Senior Technical Staff Member within IBM i development and spends most of his time working as the Db2 for i Architect. He has worked on IBM operating system development since joining IBM in 1989.Scott is a frequently published author, speaker at industry events... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 5:15pm - 5:35pm CDT
Meeting Room 201B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Advanced
Audience Anyone using an IBM i

5:15pm CDT

352: Simple Ways to Convert Your DDS Files into DDL Statements

Modernization is more than putting a GUI front-end on your applications. Database modernization should also be included, converting from DDS files to DDL tables, index, & views. All of the tools needed to do this is included with your IBM i & Db2 for I at no additional charge. Why use a third party tool when you can do it for free? Will also include how you can de-create various SQL objects into statements.

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn what tools are available to convert DDS to DDL
2. See example of how to use them
3. Learn how to recover the SQL statement used to create various SQL objects

Speakers

Simon Hutchinson

Author, RPGPGM.COM

Simon Hutchinson has been writing his highly acclaimed IBM i blog, RPGPGM.COM, for eleven years sharing his knowledge, experience, and giving many detailed examples of the latest RPG, SQL, and CL. His work has led him to be recognized by IBM as an IBM Champion for Power and IBM i Community Advocate. He is a subject matter expert for COMMON North America and... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 5:15pm - 5:35pm CDT
Meeting Room 204A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Anyone wanting to modernize their database from traditional DDS files to more modern DDL tables, indexes, & views.

5:15pm CDT

132: How to Become a Speaker at COMMON

You have a wealth of experience and expertise. Have you thought about sharing your know-how by speaking at COMMON? Speaking at COMMON is fun and a great way to get involved with other members as well as the organization at large. Come join this Question and Answer discussion with members of the Volunteer Excellence Committee. Let's talk about your questions, ideas for sessions or whatever is on your mind. We will share experiences about what it is like to speak at COMMON, successful speaking techniques, preparation steps, etc. You may be the next outstanding speaker at COMMON!

Learning Objectives:

Speakers

Kim Greene

President, Kim Greene Consulting, Inc.

Kim Greene is president of Kim Greene Consulting, Inc. specializing in providing consulting services for the HCL Collaboration Solutions portfolio for IBM i, Windows, and Linux. Kim has over 20 years of experience with IBM Domino and 25 years of experience with the AS/400, iSeries... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 5:15pm - 5:35pm CDT
Meeting Room 203B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Developing Business Skills

Session Level All
Audience Anyone looking to speak at a COMMON education offering.

5:15pm CDT

313: BRMS Recoveries

There's so much to cover in BRMS when setting up the backups that discussing recoveries sometimes gets lost. In this 20 minute session we will focus solely on the recovery process for both full system and single item recoveries. A few tips and tricks for making sure that you are able to recover exactly what you need when you need.

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn the steps to a full system recovery
2. Learn to recover single objects and IFS files
3. Take home a few tricks to make sure you are able to recover what you need

Speakers

Sarah Jacob

VP of Customer Experience, Agile Technology Architects

Sarah Jacob is the Vice President of Customer Experience at Agile Technology Architects. She is a Subject Matter Expert in Power Systems Administration and a volunteer for COMMON. Sarah specializes in Backup and Recovery planning and recovery testing. Additionally, she acts as primary... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 5:15pm - 5:35pm CDT
Meeting Room 101 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

High Availability Resilience

Session Level All
Audience Anyone who wants to use BRMS to perform recoveries

5:15pm CDT

329: What Modern App Dev for IBM i Looks Like

IBM i and VS Code is your one stop shop for everything in 2024. Whether you’re developing PHP, Node.js, Java, or RPGLE, the tools you need are ready to make your IBM i development environment and experience the best. We will build a web API from scratch, connect to Db2 for i, have the API call programs and deploy it - all in short time.

Learning Objectives:
How VS Code can be used for every angle of app development.

Speakers

Liam Allan

Software Advocate, IBM

I am a developer and open-source advocate. Ask me about Node.js, VS Code, app deployment and CICD :)

Monday May 20, 2024 5:15pm - 5:35pm CDT
Meeting Room 201C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programmer Tools

Session Level Intermediate
Digital Badge VS Code

5:15pm CDT

394: Debugging with VScode

VS Code for IBM i is a powerful IDE that enables developers to quickly and efficiently build, and deploy applications for the IBM i platform. It includes a powerful code editor that provides syntax highlighting, code completion, and code refactoring. It also includes integration with IBM i’s database and security features, making it easier to develop secure applications. It also includes an integrated debugger.
In this session we will highlight some of the major components and discuss how it can be used for everyday development.

Learning Objectives:

Speakers

Charles Guarino

CEO & IBM Champion, Central Park Data Systems

Charles Guarino believes in the “power” of IBM Power Systems. His career reflects his dedication and interest in bringing the platform and its solutions to others and as a result has been recognized as an IBM Champion.He is a member of COMMON’s Speaker Excellence Hall of Fame... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 5:15pm - 5:35pm CDT
Room 202 A-B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programmer Tools

Digital Badge VS Code

5:15pm CDT

222: UNIXCMD: Integrating RPG with Open Source

Applications in the PASE environment (Java, Ruby, PHP, Python, Node.js and more) have taken the IBM i community by storm. Naturally, you'll want to integrate them with your traditional RPG and CL programs... but it's not as easy as it sounds! The model of calling Unix-based programs is very different from the traditional model. The Open Source (free!) UNIXCMD project makes it easy. With UNIXCMD, you can read and write commands the same way you access files.

Learning Objectives:
1. Understand the difference between Unix and IBM i calling models
2. Understand how to use UNIXCMD to bridge the two models.
3. Some examples to get you started

Speakers

Scott Klement

Development & Solutions Architect, Midrange Dynamics

Scott volunteers as a member of COMMON's Board of Directors, Strategic Education Team, Certification Committee and Innovation Awards. He is the author of around 1000 articles and a dozen open source projects. Scott's efforts to help out the IBM i Community have resulted in dozens... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 5:15pm - 5:35pm CDT
Meeting Room 203A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - Frameworks

Session Level Beginner
Audience Programmers looking to combine RPG with newer open source techniques.

5:15pm CDT

257: Lets Learn The Acronyms

SQLRPGLE? DR? RPGLE? BRMS? What in the world does all of these mean? This session is to help newcomers understand a good chunk of the IBM I acronyms and give them a jump start in their career.

Learning Objectives:
1) Give newcomers a leg up in discussions with others on the platform that use these acronyms so they can understand what they mean.
2) Make sure newcomers understand the acronyms of the platform they are coming onto.

Speakers

Marina Schwenk

Senior Programmer Analyst, Everbrite

Marina started her career in January 2015 at Everbrite LLC in Greenfield WI after graduating from Gateway Technical College in May of 2014 with an Associate’s degree in IT Software Development. Marina works as a Senior Programmer Analyst at Everbrite and her primary development... Read More →

Shelly Petty

Application Support, Everbrite LLC

I am a Junior Full Stack Developer at Everbrite LLC. We run our production applications on the IBMi Power Server. Primary languages are CL, RPG, DB2 SQL and Java, and the UI: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Drupple, React, and Sencha.My position is a fast paced job and it includes Help Desk... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 5:15pm - 5:35pm CDT
Room 202 C-D 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - General

Session Level Beginner
Audience Anyone that is new to the platform or who just wants a better understanding of what all of the acryonyms mean.

5:15pm CDT

335: Shortcuts to Using the IBM i Audit Journal

Learn some new ways to make use of the integrated IBM i audit journal.

In this session you will discover how much information about how your system is being used beyond looking at QHST. Discover what files are being access by which users, how commands are being executed, or just how many invalid signons happened last week.

Learning Objectives:
1. The top 5 must have values for you system security logging.
2. How to discover the most frequent journal entry taking up space in your receivers
3. How you can use Run SQL Scripts in ACS (Access Client Solutions) to quickly access the audit journal information.

Speakers

Amy Williams

Sr Security Services Consultant, Fortra LLC

Amy Williams is a Senior Security Services Consultant who joined Fortra in 2015. She holds CISSP, CISA, and PCI-P certifications.Amy has worked on the IBM i platform for nearly 30 years and her experience includes application testing, system installation, system administration, and... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 5:15pm - 5:35pm CDT
Meeting Room 203C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Audience System administrators familiar with the IBM i Audit journal and need to improve ways of getting to the information

5:15pm CDT

205: Logging options for Rest APIs on IBM i

The IWS Rest API support has some exciting new logging options that has been recently added. With the new options you can now easily have tools like Splunk or Elastic Stack, or others, as you can now create a JSON based log file with Lots of additional details to help you better understand your API work flow and who is making connections.

Learning Objectives:

Speakers

Tim Rowe

Business Architect Application Development & Systems Management for IBM i, IBM

Tim Rowe is the Business Architect responsible for Application Development and Systems Management for the IBM i operating system. His responsibilities include helping to make sure that the IBM i has what is needed to be successful both today and into the future. He sends much of his... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 5:15pm - 5:35pm CDT
Meeting Room 102 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level All

5:15pm CDT

420: IBM i Security: A Dual Responsibility

Everyone wants their IBM i platform to be secure … But is this IBM’s responsibility or the organization’s running IBM i? The answer is ‘Yes’. In other words, there are responsibilities on both sides of this security equation. During this session IBM i CTO and Chief Architect Steve Will discusses IBM’s secure coding philosophy as well as the steps taken during the development process that address security – including how IBM responds to newly identified security vulnerabilities. Then, Carol Woodbury, co-founder and President of DXR Security, discusses an organization’s responsibilities – including addressing emerging security threats.

Speakers

Steve Will

IBM i CTO & Chief Architect, IBM

Steve is the CTO and Chief Architect for the IBM i Operating System. Spending the past fourteen years of his IBM career in this position, he has become an award-winning speaker, author of the influential blog "You and i," (https://bit.ly/You-and-i-blog) and is one of the most sought-after voices at customer briefings and events. Steve has worked on IBM i and its predecessors since before the creation of the AS/400, and is currently responsible for setting the strategy of the IBM i operating system, as well as deciding which enhancements will be implemented. In his role, he talks to clients and pa... Read More →

Carol Woodbury

IBM i Security SME and Senior Advisor, Kisco Systems

With over 30 years' experience in the area of IT security, Carol is known world-wide as an expert in the area of computer security. During her career, Carol has architected security solutions for Fortune 100 companies as well as small and medium-sized organizations. Carol is passionate... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 5:15pm - 6:15pm CDT
Meeting Room 103A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All

5:50pm CDT

192: IBM i ACS IFS Overview

IBM i Access Client Solutions (IBM i ACS) provides an IBM i IFS utility with many features and capabilities that you may not be aware of or using most effectively. Join us for a quick, predominantly live demo session to get the most out of your IBM i ACS IFS Utility. 1. Get the most out of IBM i ACS IFS

Speakers

Wayne Bowers

Software Engineer, IBM

Wayne Bowers has been with IBM since 1997, where he works with the IBM i Global Support Center in Rochester MN. He is an Advisory Software Engineer specializing in the support of the IBM i Access (aka Client Access) products, Console, the TCP Telnet communications server, and the... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 5:50pm - 6:10pm CDT
Meeting Room 201A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Client Connectivity

Session Level All
Digital Badge ACS
Audience IBM i Access Client Solutions users

5:50pm CDT

250: Top 10 Reasons to Build Your Own SQL Indexes

In todays world many of us use vendor supplied software. Many of us also are under the edict from manage to 'Not modify the Software'. Many CIOs do not necessairly understand that 'modify' means. This session will provide reasoning for developers, lower level managers can use to make the case for upper mananagement that creating indexes is not modifying the software, and can result in significant performance gains.

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn that adding indexes does not necessarily mean you are modifying packaged software.
2. Learn the most important reasons WHY you should add indexes to packaged software.

Speakers

Tom Davidson

Sr Consultant, Cleindori Consulting

I'm a 40 year veteran of the IBM i (System/38,AS/400, iSeries, IBM i). My background is in Manufacturing and Performance. I specialize is tuning older systems to extend their life.I am also a JDE CNC (18 years), and my second specialty is JDE/IBM i/Weblogic.

Monday May 20, 2024 5:50pm - 6:10pm CDT
Meeting Room 201C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All
Audience Programmers and DBAs that are trying to improve performance of their applications.

5:50pm CDT

339: 20 SQL Tips in 20 Minutes

In this new session, Scott will take you through 20 tips that will help you be more successful with SQL on IBM i. Rapid fire SQL tips to help you do more and do it better, because #SQLcandoit and so can you!

Learning Objectives:
1. Some SQL statements you may not have noticed
2. Some SQL options you may not have understood
3. Working SQL examples!

Speakers

Scott Forstie

Db2 for i Architect, IBM

Scott Forstie is a Senior Technical Staff Member within IBM i development and spends most of his time working as the Db2 for i Architect. He has worked on IBM operating system development since joining IBM in 1989.Scott is a frequently published author, speaker at industry events... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 5:50pm - 6:10pm CDT
Meeting Room 203A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All
Audience Anyone who wants to improve their SQL skills

5:50pm CDT

197: The Secrets to Making the Most of Online Meetings

Now that virtual meetings have become the new normal for so many of us, it's vital that we learn to make the most of this approach to getting things done. Whether you use Zoom, Teams, Webex, or another product, come to this session to learn the secrets to supercharging your online meeting productivity and getting results!

Learning Objectives:
In just 20 minutes, you'll learn:
- How to plan your meeting for success
- How to run your meeting for maximum productivity
- The best ways to take meeting notes
- When and how to end your meeting
- Tips and tricks to maximize your use of technology and supercharge your work from home environment

Speakers

Steve Wolk

CTO, PC Richard & Son

Steven Wolk is the Chief Technology Officer for PC Richard & Son, a family owned and operated chain of 66 appliance and electronics superstores located throughout NY, NJ, CT, and PA. Founded in 1909, PC Richard has always been known for honesty, integrity, and reliability throughout... Read More →

The Secrets to Making the Most of Online Meetings Steven Wolk pdf

Monday May 20, 2024 5:50pm - 6:10pm CDT
Meeting Room 203B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

IT Leadership and Management

Session Level All
Audience Anyone who coordinates or attends online meetings

5:50pm CDT

285: Collect Network Statistics the Easy Way

Network statistics are collected by interface and port for specified systems every 300 seconds. Since clients and servers connect to the system randomly; collecting information over time assures that a good representative sample of actual traffic is detected. This information can be leveraged for Traffic Analysis (for measuring workloads and performance); and for Security Analysis (for determining active ports and services). Three SQL routines will be reviewed.

Learning Objectives:
We will review the Collection routine; which is mostly just running NETSTAT_INFO every 300 seconds….
We will review the Traffic Analysis code; and results.
We will review a simple use for Security Analysis.

Speakers

Tim Hawkins

System Admin, Tanimura & Antle

When GPT3.5 is asked "What could AGI mean for computer security?"-- responseArtificial General Intelligence (AGI) could have significant implications for computer security:Enhanced Threat Detection: AGI systems could be trained to identify even the smallest behaviors of ransomwar... Read More →

Collect netstat info sql

Transmission analysis sql

Insecure ports and services sql

Sample transmission analysis xlsx

Monday May 20, 2024 5:50pm - 6:10pm CDT
Meeting Room 101 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Advanced
Audience System Administrators who will be attending the “Using SQL to drive IBM i Security scans” session; or who need to know how to capture network statistics.

5:50pm CDT

336: Understanding How Tech Impacts Our Bodies and What We Can Do About It

Our bodies weren’t designed to sit starring at a screen for hours every day. Whether you are at your desk interacting with Tech or looking down at your gadgets, we have all experienced the outcomes: decreased energy, fatigue, neck and back pain, issues with the hands and wrists, eye strain, disrupted sleep and the list goes on.

It doesn’t have to be this way. This session will delve into the science behind what makes our bodies feel so poorly in addition to what we can do about it. By making some simple changes we can improve how we feel, get our energy back and erase the negative impacts Tech can have on our bodies.

Learning Objectives:
1) Understand the impact Tech can have on our bodies
2) Understand the science behind why Tech can have a negative impact on our health
3) Learn what you can do to improve the outcome of interacting with Tech

Speakers

Kim Greene

President, Kim Greene Consulting, Inc.

Kim Greene is president of Kim Greene Consulting, Inc. specializing in providing consulting services for the HCL Collaboration Solutions portfolio for IBM i, Windows, and Linux. Kim has over 20 years of experience with IBM Domino and 25 years of experience with the AS/400, iSeries... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 5:50pm - 6:10pm CDT
Meeting Room 203C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Personal Development

Session Level All
Audience All IT professionals

5:50pm CDT

206: Introduction to RDi's Code Coverage Tool

This session will take the mystery out of using Code Coverage. Learn how this tool can help you adequately test your code and help QA with their goal of improving code quality. We cover setup, running and reporting.

Learning Objectives:
1. Understand what this tool can do to help you improve your coding efforts.
2. Demonstrate how this tool can help your Quality Control staff track testing of new modified code.
3. Show more productivity and help make a case for purchasing RDi.

Speakers

Jim Buck

CEO & Head Instructor, imPower Technologies

Jim Buck’s career in IT has spanned more than 35+ years, primarily in college education, manufacturing, and healthcare industries. Past president (13 years) of the Wisconsin Midrange Computer Professional Association (www.wmcpa.org) and has served on several teams developing IBM... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 5:50pm - 6:10pm CDT
Room 202 C-D 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programmer Tools

Session Level All
Audience Any level Developer, Managers, or Quality Control personnel!

5:50pm CDT

345: Use WildFly to Serve Your Java Web Apps

WildFly is an open source Java application server that is gaining some popularity. Come see what it looks like to build and deploy web applications quickly and easily using this powerful middleware developed/maintained by Red Hat.

Learning Objectives:
Deploy a new application in WildFly. Undewrstand a developer workflow for debugging/updating applications.

Speakers

Adam Shedivy

Software Developer, IBM

Adam is a software Developer working on enhancing client and open source integration on IBM i.

Monday May 20, 2024 5:50pm - 6:10pm CDT
Room 202 A-B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - Frameworks

Session Level Beginner
Audience Application Developers

5:50pm CDT

354: RPG array magic

Learn how the recent enhancements to RPG have added many new features & enhancements to the way you can use arrays. This will include all the new Built in Functions, Data Structure arrays, & dynamic arrays.

Learning Objectives:
1. Modern ways to code arrays to include the latest features, & what stops you from using them.
2. How Data Structure arrays simplify you getting information from the database.
3. The new Built in Functions for arrays that replace a lot of the complicated coding we use to do.

Speakers

Simon Hutchinson

Author, RPGPGM.COM

Simon Hutchinson has been writing his highly acclaimed IBM i blog, RPGPGM.COM, for eleven years sharing his knowledge, experience, and giving many detailed examples of the latest RPG, SQL, and CL. His work has led him to be recognized by IBM as an IBM Champion for Power and IBM i Community Advocate. He is a subject matter expert for COMMON North America and... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 5:50pm - 6:10pm CDT
Meeting Room 204A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - RPG

Session Level Intermediate
Audience RPG programmers looking to make their use of arrays easier & simpler for others to understand

5:50pm CDT

239: IBM i Event Monitoring with Manzan

In this session, we will explore a new tool for monitoring the system. Manzan provides a gateway to making IBM i watch facilities easily consumable by user applications, external resources, and/or open source technologies. Identified use cases include:

Monitoring system events for Kafka, ELK, SMS, FluentD, Grafana Loki, or AI
More comprehensive integration with syslog facilities
Queryable system events
Consolidated auditing/reporting activity.
In short, this project aims to make IBM i more integrated with infrastructure monitoring of a heterogeneous IT infrastructure, whether on-prem or cloud.

Speakers

Jesse Gorzinski

Business Architect, IBM

Jesse Gorzinski works for the IBM i development lab in Rochester, MN. He is a Senior Business Architect and Senior Technical Staff Member (STSM) responsible for open source technologies on the platform. Jesse, who was doing RPG programming at the age of 18, is an expert on application... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 5:50pm - 6:10pm CDT
Meeting Room 102 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level All
Audience System administrators looking for a way to monitor for various system events

5:50pm CDT

388: Understanding the Various Ways to Save Your IBM i

Understand the different ways to save your system, using BRMS, Flash Copy, or traditional native commands. Tips will be given along the way on best practices, using the console, and ensuring you have what it takes to recover.

Learning Objectives:
1) What each Save command does
2) How to run a full system save
3) What can Flash Copy do for you?

Speakers

Pete Massiello

IBM i Advisor, Massiello Holding Corp.

Pete Massiello has been working with the AS/400, iSeries, IBM i since 1989, focusing on systems management and technical support. He has held numerous technical positions through out his career. He is the President of iTech Solutions Group, an IBM Premier Business Partner delivering... Read More →

Monday May 20, 2024 5:50pm - 6:10pm CDT
Meeting Room 201B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level Beginner
Audience Anyone responsible for backing up their system.

6:00pm CDT

Welcome Reception in Expo

Monday May 20, 2024 6:00pm - 9:00pm CDT
Ballroom B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

8:00am CDT

180: Revving up SQL Performance with Indexes

One of the most important things needed to improve SQL performance is to have the proper indexing over tables, especially as table grow in size. Indexes are so important that the database provides index advice for assistance. However, advice is no substitute for knowledge and proper understanding of indexes. As with all advice, it must be reviewed and good judgment applied on when to create them.

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn about the importance of indexes on SQL performance
2. Learn how to use ACS tools to process Db2 Index Advice
3. Learn a methodology for identifying and ordering the key definition for new indexes.

Speakers

Kent Milligan

Senior Db2 for i Consultant, IBM

Kent Milligan is a Senior Db2 for i Consultant in IBM Technology Expert Labs. Kent has over 25 years of experience as a Db2 for IBM i consultant and developer working out of the IBM Rochester lab. Prior to re-joining the Db2 for i Expert Labs practice in 2020, Kent spent 5 years... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Meeting Room 201C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Beginner
Audience Database engineers and performance analysts as well as SQL programmers trying to improve performance

8:00am CDT

272: Access MongoDB from IBM i

MongoDB is a database / document management system which arose from the NoSQL movement to become a popular backend for web applications. While MongoDB is, in our opinion, no competition in the RDBMS space for IBM i Db2, Mongo is still fun and easy. You can use Seiden Community PHP+ and/or Python to access remote MongoDB installations from IBM i : we'll show you exactly how.

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn about MongoDB.
2. Learn to access remote MongoDB from IBM i PHP or Python.
3. Learn how to perform typical web application tasks using MongoDB and why you might wish to do so, or find yourself doing so.

Speakers

Jack Woehr

Senior Engineer, Absolute Performance, Inc.

Author of Ublu, an open source remote language for IBM i. A Quantum Computing enthusiast, Jack is an IBM Qiskit Advocate, 2021 IBM Champion, 2022 IBM Champion, 2023 IBM Champion, and 2024 IBM Champion.A consulting programmer with over 30 years' experience in open source specializing in open source based IBM i modernization... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Meeting Room 201B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All
Audience Anyone interested in MongoDB, especially in the context of accessing remote MongoDB installations from IBM i.

8:00am CDT

386: IBM Power's Differentiated Memory Roadmap

This session explores the historical importance of Power's memory architecture, reviews recent developments in Power's memory roadmap, and highlights the strengths of Power's memory architecture going forward versus developments in industry memory architectures.

Learning Objectives:

Speakers

Bill Starke

Power Processor Chief Architect, IBM

William Starke is an IBM Distinguished Engineer and Chief Architect for Power microprocessors. Since graduating from Michigan Tech University, Bill has been employed by IBM for over 30 years in several roles, spanning mainframe and Power systems performance analysis, logic design... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Meeting Room 203C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All

8:00am CDT

108: Choosing the right HA/DR solution

The High Availability and Disaster Recovery landscape is continually evolving with new technologies both on-premis and in the cloud dedicated to ensuring your business stays running. Navigating through these technologies requires and understanding of business needs, and outage protection goals.

Throughout this session we will discuss the types of outages, and the technologies available to protect against those types of outages in order to help you make decisions to map out your HA and DR journey. This session will give a brief overview of a number of technologies including: Db2 Mirror, Live Partition Mobility, Logical/Software based Replication, Full System Replication, and PowerHA technologies.

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn the importance of considering your recovery point objective and recovery time objective for different types of outages
2. Learn how different technologies can help achieve various RPO and RTO targets.
3. Learn how the technologies can be combined to form solutions with several examples of common solutions

Speakers

Brian Nordland

Associate Director of Development, Fortra

In addition to his role as Associate Director of Development for Power Development at Fortra, Brian Nordland serves as the technical product manager for PowerHA and Robot HA. Brian has spoken at events, webinars, and user groups—including COMMON—since 2014. He is a co-inventor... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Meeting Room 103A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

High Availability Resilience

Session Level Beginner
Award BRONZE
Digital Badge HA/DR
Audience Those looking to implement or enhance their HA or DR plans for IBM i that want an overview of various hardware replication technologies

8:00am CDT

112: Integrated File System Security Principles and Practices

Are you confused about IBM i Integrated File System security? You're not alone! Come to this session and learn the principles and best practices of securing your file systems. This session will cover more than just setting permissions (authority) on your objects. Other topics include virus scanning, controlling remote access, object audit, and more.

Learning Objectives:
- Understand the semantics of integrated file system security
- Learn other methods of securing beyond permissions including virus scanning, and more
- Learn ways to manage and improve integrated file system security

Speakers

Margaret Fenlon

Software Engineer, IBM

Margaret started working for IBM in 1983 on the S/36. From 1986-1994 she worked in various areas of what is now the IBM i including Authorization Management support of POSIX and the integrated file system. She worked on the port of SAP R/3 from 1994-1997. In 1998 Margaret joined the... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Meeting Room 201A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Audience IBM i system administrators and application developers who wish to learn more about integrated file system security. Most beneficial for those that have working knowledge of the IFS or have attended the introduction and/or advanced sessions.

8:00am CDT

229: IBM i 7.5 Plus Favorite Features

The Development lab is continues to roll out new functions and features with every release and technology refresh. In this session we will review some of the key features that have been delivered over the past couple of releases. These are things that you should be aware of either for you to incorporate today, or to help you tomorrow.

Learning Objectives:

Speakers

Tim Rowe

Business Architect Application Development & Systems Management for IBM i, IBM

Tim Rowe is the Business Architect responsible for Application Development and Systems Management for the IBM i operating system. His responsibilities include helping to make sure that the IBM i has what is needed to be successful both today and into the future. He sends much of his... Read More →

Scott Forstie

Db2 for i Architect, IBM

Scott Forstie is a Senior Technical Staff Member within IBM i development and spends most of his time working as the Db2 for i Architect. He has worked on IBM operating system development since joining IBM in 1989.Scott is a frequently published author, speaker at industry events... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Meeting Room 102 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All

8:00am CDT

341: Open Source: How to not mess it up

Free open source software (FOSS) is "free as a puppy." We should know that the "free" indicates freedom, not zero cost!

Adoption of open source software also brings its share of responsibilities. Failure to properly care for your open source stack can be costly. Incorrect use can also be costly.

In this session, we will look at best practices surrounding the use of open source software, which involves proper management of user authorities, support, CVE mitigation, and more.

Learning Objectives:
Understand how to successfully deploy open source projects and avoid some of the "foot guns" that come with "free" software.

Speakers

Jesse Gorzinski

Business Architect, IBM

Jesse Gorzinski works for the IBM i development lab in Rochester, MN. He is a Senior Business Architect and Senior Technical Staff Member (STSM) responsible for open source technologies on the platform. Jesse, who was doing RPG programming at the age of 18, is an expert on application... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Meeting Room 203A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All
Audience IT managers, project managers, or developers

8:00am CDT

275: Kick the Old IDE Habit With Code for i

SEU and PDM are no longer viable. Does RDi feel slow and clumsy? Or perhaps your manager won't pay for RDi, or won't let the team use it? VSCode with the Code for i plugin is an amazing solution, and Scott even prefers it over RDi. Why not learn how to get started?

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn how to set up VSCode with Code for i
2. Learn how to use it to connect to IBM i systems
3. Use it to edit, compile and read programs, including RPG.

Speakers

Scott Klement

Development & Solutions Architect, Midrange Dynamics

Scott volunteers as a member of COMMON's Board of Directors, Strategic Education Team, Certification Committee and Innovation Awards. He is the author of around 1000 articles and a dozen open source projects. Scott's efforts to help out the IBM i Community have resulted in dozens... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Meeting Room 101 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programmer Tools

Session Level Beginner

8:00am CDT

150: IBM i Security: What’s New for IBM i 7.4 and 7.5

Security improvements continue to be high priority to help mitigate vulnerabilities. Come see the various security related features included with IBM i that you can use to help improve the health of your environment.

Learning Objectives:
Discuss new enhancements in IBM i 7.4 and 7.5 related to improved security by default, system values, password levels, TLS 1.3, Authority Collection, Digital Certificate Manager, SST Profiles, and more.

Speakers

Robert Andrews

Principal Security Consultant, IBM

Robert Andrews is a Principal Security Consultant, Senior Technical Staff Member (STSM), and the Team Lead for the IBM i Security and Authentication Technology Expert Labs team in Rochester, MN. He is an IBM certified Thought Leader and The Open Group certified Distinguished Technical... Read More →

WhatsNewIBMiSecurity7475 pdf

Tuesday May 21, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Room 202 C-D 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Beginner
Audience System and security administrators

8:00am CDT

100: IBM i OS and Power System Upgrade Testing

Focusing on the unique needs of IBM i environments we look at the testing needed for system and OS upgrades/migrations. From strategic test management and planning to risk management and resource allocation. Concepts covered include how to identify testing points, determine risk, and implement responsible quality assurance. Updated to include templates and planning examples.

Learning Objectives:

Understanding testing strategies, tactics, and design.
Determine risks to system quality.
Aligning testing with risk exposure.
When to use risk based testing, static testing, behavioral testing, or structural testing for best results.

Speakers

Yvonne Enselman

Principal Architect for Quality Assurance on IBM i, Yvonne Enselman Professional Services

I am a Quality Assurance, Project Management, and Professional Services expert.Named IBM Champion 2024I have twenty-five years of experience in the IBM i industry starting in application development, transitioning through quality assurance, and into management. My passion has been... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Meeting Room 204A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Audience: IT department personal who want to deliver solid testing for upgrades. Any system administrator who is concerned about the testing their system is subjected to. Consultants who are in the upgrade/hardware/admin sphere and want to enhance their testing offering. QA professionals who want understand what the technical team is testing and evaluating before hand off.

8:00am CDT

129: Elevate Your IBM i Game: Transforming Bad Habits into Best

Best Practices is all about meeting IBM system compliance to achieve optimal results. Don’t let old myths or newly formed bad habits be the difference between success or a failure in service delivery. This session will examine V7R4/R5 System configurations, BRMS Backups, Disaster Recovery, and Security Management. Examine assumptions, technical gaps, blunders, and recommendations. Hear actual lessons learned so you do not make the same IBM i assumptions others have made. IT is not a game of chance

Learning Objectives:

Speakers

Richard Dolewski

VP, Enterprise Solutions, Connectria

Richard is a recognized SME and award-winning industry speaker specializing in, Cloud Computing Architecture, Business Resiliency, Disaster Recovery Planning and Backup & Recovery Program Design. He leads organizations through the new era of technology, achieving the desired, successful... Read More →

Josh Patterson

Tuesday May 21, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Room 202 A-B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level Intermediate
Award SILVER

9:15am CDT

170: Deploy, Administer, and Restrict IBM i ACS: Get and Deploy IBM i ACS

Deploy, Administer, and Restrict IBM i ACS Use the best practices and tools to be the most effective System Administrator possible. This module will extend your knowledge of IBM i Access Client Solutions (IBM i ACS) to more effectively deploy, administer and restrict the best IBM i access and administration client available.

Part I: Get and Deploy IBM i ACS
Part II: Administer and Restrict IBM i ACS
Part III: Ask Me Anything

Learning Objectives:
1. Where and how to obtain IBM i ACS client 2. IBM i ACS Deployment Guide

Speakers

Wayne Bowers

Software Engineer, IBM

Wayne Bowers has been with IBM since 1997, where he works with the IBM i Global Support Center in Rochester MN. He is an Advisory Software Engineer specializing in the support of the IBM i Access (aka Client Access) products, Console, the TCP Telnet communications server, and the... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Meeting Room 203C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Client Connectivity

Session Level Intermediate
Digital Badge ACS
Audience IBM i IT responsible for Deploying and Administering IBM i ACS.

9:15am CDT

327: Db2 for i Inside of VS Code

VS Code is really built with developers in mind. IBM has been building a neat Visual Studio Code extensions that makes accessing and working with the database much simpler for developers. Not only can VS Code be used for writing in many different languages, but now it has great tools for working with Db2 for i. You might see exporting data, working with examples, browsing your schemas, or even managing multiple database configurations. There's a lot to see!

Learning Objectives:
* How to connect to Db2 for i thru VS Code
* Using content assist for SQL
* How Visual Explain works in VS Code
* Understanding the power of Notebooks

Speakers

Ryan Moeller

Software Engineer, IBM

Ryan Moeller is a software engineer working on Db2 for i, specifically on the SQL Query Engine (SQE) team. He joined the team in the Rochester, MN development lab in 2020. Ryan specializes in SQL, database development, and query performance analysis.

Tuesday May 21, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Meeting Room 203A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All
Digital Badge VS Code

9:15am CDT

190: How Journaling Works with DB2

From its humble beginning journaling local database changes to physical files on the System/38, IBM i journaling technology has evolved to include SQL tables, the integrated file system (IFS), and even remote journaling. In fact, many IT teams have been using IBM i journaling technology for audits, replication, problem determination, removal of bad updates, and high availability for years!

This session will take you through the process of how journal works against data base files and IFS. You will learn about the various commands for creating and working with journals and journal entries.

You’ll learn:
• How to start journaling of PF/SQL/IFS
• Why before and after images are important
• How to use remove journal changes
• What remote journaling is

Learning Objectives:
You’ll learn:
• How to start journaling of PF/SQL/IFS
• Why before and after images are important
• How to use remove journal changes
• What remote journaling is

Speakers

Tom Huntington

EVP of Technical Solutions, Fortra

Tom Huntington is Executive Vice President of Technical Solutions at Fortra, and has been with the company for nearly 35 years. He helps manage the worldwide Fortra software engineer team that works to integrate and promote our automation and security solutions to partners and customers... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Meeting Room 201C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

High Availability Resilience

Session Level Beginner
Digital Badge HA/DR
Audience DB administrators and developers

9:15am CDT

295: BRMS Beyond the Basics

This session will discuss some of the advanced topics in using BRMS for your back up and recovery. Featured topics will be tape and library management, BRMS Networking, control group and list controls, BRMS Policies and how they affect the overall operation of BRMS, and using SQL to manage BRMS. Recovering from a BRMS back up can be extremely easy, but it can also present some opportunities for trouble. This session will discuss some of the landmines in a BRMS recovery and how to avoid them.

Learning Objectives:
1. Ultilize control groups and lists to fully customize BRMS backups
2. Set up and manage BRMS Networking
3. Learn how to make a BRMS recovery simple and as easy as possible
4. Using SQL services to manage BRMS and reports

Speakers

Sarah Jacob

VP of Customer Experience, Agile Technology Architects

Sarah Jacob is the Vice President of Customer Experience at Agile Technology Architects. She is a Subject Matter Expert in Power Systems Administration and a volunteer for COMMON. Sarah specializes in Backup and Recovery planning and recovery testing. Additionally, she acts as primary... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Meeting Room 201B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

High Availability Resilience

Session Level All
Digital Badge HA/DR
Audience BRMS users who know the basics but want to expand beyond that.

9:15am CDT

377: The IBM i Box of Chocolates - with Q&A

You know what Forrest Gump's mother said about a box of chocolates. Well, in this presentation by Steve Will, IBM i CTO and Chief Architect, you never know what you're going to get - but we're pretty sure you're going to like every piece!
Steve will spend a few minutes talking about a few morsels from the IBM i box of chocolates – including the state of the IBM i operating system, its plans, its technology and its community – and of course, AI!
And then he'll open the floor for questions.

Learning Objectives:
1. Current hot topics

Speakers

Steve Will

IBM i CTO & Chief Architect, IBM

Steve is the CTO and Chief Architect for the IBM i Operating System. Spending the past fourteen years of his IBM career in this position, he has become an award-winning speaker, author of the influential blog "You and i," (https://bit.ly/You-and-i-blog) and is one of the most sought-after voices at customer briefings and events. Steve has worked on IBM i and its predecessors since before the creation of the AS/400, and is currently responsible for setting the strategy of the IBM i operating system, as well as deciding which enhancements will be implemented. In his role, he talks to clients and pa... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Meeting Room 102 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Beginner

9:15am CDT

182: Test Analysis and Design Focusing on Planning, Cases, and Conditions

This session is a deep dive into the creation of tests:
• Covering scope, approach, resources, schedule of activities, features, tasks.
• Determine entry and exit criteria and the rational for what is decided upon as well as establishing bi-directional functionality.
• Organize input values, execution preconditions, expected results, and post conditions into test cases.
• Isolate what items or components of the system can be verified by a case.
• Write cases that are repeatable, verifiable, and traceable back to the requirements, quality risk, etc.
• Transform the above into executable tests that scale to all levels of testing infrastructure

Learning Objectives:
1) Take foundational or informal knowledge of testing and improve it procedurally for optimal results.
2) Organize the components of proper testing into a viable plan

Speakers

Yvonne Enselman

Principal Architect for Quality Assurance on IBM i, Yvonne Enselman Professional Services

I am a Quality Assurance, Project Management, and Professional Services expert.Named IBM Champion 2024I have twenty-five years of experience in the IBM i industry starting in application development, transitioning through quality assurance, and into management. My passion has been... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Meeting Room 103A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Program Testing

Session Level All
Audience Anyone who wants to learn about testing and quality assurance

9:15am CDT

233: Moving into Git (for RPGLE, COBOL, and more)

The future of writing ILE languages is with git. Whether you've not heard of git, or you're an expert, we'll cover the basic concepts of git, how to get your ILE source code into git, how to develop and compile code from repositories, and many other concepts.

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn what tools are available to move source code
2. Understand where your source code repository can live
3. Get the gist on general git concepts

Speakers

Liam Allan

Software Advocate, IBM

I am a developer and open-source advocate. Ask me about Node.js, VS Code, app deployment and CICD :)

Tuesday May 21, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Meeting Room 204A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programmer Tools

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Developers

9:15am CDT

384: Intro to Modern Application Integration via API

We no longer live in a world where we have one system of record that is used for all business functions. IT is an everchanging blend of tools, applications, and platforms. Integration is top of mind for most businesses. If there is one common way to link all these systems, it is an API layer. Your IBM i should speak the language of APIs, both consuming and hosting. In this session, let’s look at the big picture with regards to APIs and IBM i.

Learning Objectives:
• Importance of APIs in modern architecture
• Common API integration needs
• Replacing legacy interfaces_
• Elements of a successful API implementation

Speakers

Brian May

Vice President of Product Management, Profound Logic

Professional IT Leader, Speaker and WriterSpecialties:Team Building, Development and RetentionTechnical SalesSolutions ArchitectureSoftware DevelopmentEnterprise Systems Manufacturing ProcessesApparel IndustryAccounting Principles

Tuesday May 21, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Room 202 C-D 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - General

Session Level All
Audience Developers interfacing with partners, customers, or internal applications

9:15am CDT

337: Breaches, Ransomware and Recovery, Oh My!

Your organization has been breached. Ransomware has run rampant throughout your organization. Have you planned for this eventuality? Does your incident response plan include IBM i? During this session will discuss the steps you’ll want to take now to reduce risk to IBM i and to ensure that you can recover should your system be affected. Real-life incidents and scenarios will be discussed so that you can learn from others’ mistakes.

Learning Objectives:
1 Understand the steps you can take to secure your system to reduce the risk of data loss or being infected with ransomware
2. Learn about the backup technologies that will support both disaster recovery as well as recovery from ransomware

Speakers

Richard Dolewski

VP, Enterprise Solutions, Connectria

Richard is a recognized SME and award-winning industry speaker specializing in, Cloud Computing Architecture, Business Resiliency, Disaster Recovery Planning and Backup & Recovery Program Design. He leads organizations through the new era of technology, achieving the desired, successful... Read More →

Carol Woodbury

IBM i Security SME and Senior Advisor, Kisco Systems

With over 30 years' experience in the area of IT security, Carol is known world-wide as an expert in the area of computer security. During her career, Carol has architected security solutions for Fortune 100 companies as well as small and medium-sized organizations. Carol is passionate... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Room 202 A-B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate

9:15am CDT

166: Understand your IBM i Performance Signature

IBM i often runs well with little or no focus on the performance of the system. But what if something unexpected does occur? If you understand the performance signature of your system when it is running well, it becomes much easier to identify problems if something goes wrong. This session will show you how to use the Performance Data Investigator to understand your day-to-day performance signature, as well as Graph History to understand long-term trends over weeks, months, and years.

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn how to interpret performance charts in PDI
2. Understand what wait metrics mean
3. Learn how to review historical performance data

Speakers

Dawn May

Owner, Dawn May Consulting, LLC

Dawn has been involved with COMMON for over 20 years and has been a consistent volunteer since 2008. She's been a member of the strategic education team, a subject matter expert, and a speaker. Now, as President of COMMON, she's focused on leading COMMON as the industry leader of... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Meeting Room 201A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level Intermediate
Audience System administrators

9:15am CDT

397: Power IO Placeholder

Speakers

John Folkerts

Power Systems IO Product Management, IBM

John Folkerts has recently taken on the role of Power Systems IO Product Manager. John is responsible for direct attach storage, network adapters, fibre channel adapters, IO expansion and a variety of other areas. His previous roles within IBM included hardware development of... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Meeting Room 101 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All

9:15am CDT

195: No Limits Modern Excel Reports Using RPG-The Whole Story

Our businesses often want reports delivered in Excel format. While there are several ways to create these spreadsheets using RPG, they all have some drawbacks. Writing to the current XLSX format for Excel spreadsheets may seem a formidable challenge, but we will see that the prospect of success is better than it might seem at first. And we will see how to use tools such as CGIDEV2 to accomplish the task of creating these modern, highly-functional spreadsheets.

The first part of this session looks at what you need to get started with this approach. It also looks at the advantages of using CGIDEV2 to create Excel files.

The second part digs deeper into adding more features of Excel to your spreadsheets, optimization, and troubleshooting - what to do with that "unreadable content" message!

Learning Objectives:
1. Understand the internal structure of modern Excel (XLSX) files
2. Begin to get hold of the workings of CGIDEV2 and XML
3. Understand how to design and implement an Excel (XLSX) application
4. Get some idea of just what CAN be done to make even more useful spreadsheets
5. Learn what to do when...

Speakers

Vern Hamberg

Senior Software Engineer, Ecolab, Pest Elimination

Vern has worked on IBM midrange systems for over 30 years, beginning with the System/38 and AS/400. At present he is a senior software engineer for the Pest Elimination division at Ecolab. He also serves on the COMMON Americas Advisory Council (CAAC) and SET and is one of the SMEs... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 9:15am - 11:30am CDT
Meeting Room 203B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - RPG

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Developers (and their managers) who are asked to create spreadsheets will see a way to get high functionality and good run-time performance.

10:30am CDT

169: Deploy, Administer, and Restrict IBM i ACS: Administer and Restrict IBM i ACS

Deploy, Administer, and Restrict IBM i ACS Use the best practices and tools to be the most effective System Administrator possible. This module will extend your knowledge of IBM i Access Client Solutions (IBM i ACS) to more effectively deploy, administer and restrict the best IBM i access and administration client available.

Learning Objectives:
1) How to use items like AcsConfig.properties, Restrictions, Function Usage to Administer IBM i Access Client Solutions

Speakers

Wayne Bowers

Software Engineer, IBM

Wayne Bowers has been with IBM since 1997, where he works with the IBM i Global Support Center in Rochester MN. He is an Advisory Software Engineer specializing in the support of the IBM i Access (aka Client Access) products, Console, the TCP Telnet communications server, and the... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
Meeting Room 201B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Client Connectivity

Session Level Intermediate
Digital Badge ACS
Audience IBM i IT responsible for Deploying and Administering IBM i ACS.

10:30am CDT

104: Consuming JSON Documents and Web Services with SQL (SQL and JSON - Part 2)

JSON becomes more and more important especially in RESTful web services. The use of XML declines in favor of JSON. With the JSON_TABLE table function JSON documents can be parsed, converted into a relational representation and data picked specifically out. Additional scalar functions allow SQL to directly access JSON documents located within the IFS (Integrated File System) or in source physical file members. Last but not least IBM provides SQL functions for getting access to web services. In composition with the JSON_TABLE function the JSON answers returned by web services can be consumed.

Learning Objectives:
Learn how JSON documents located in either the IFS or a column in a table or JSON answers from web services can be parsed with the JSON_TABLE table function, converted into a relational representation and data specifically selected. You’ll also get an overview over the new http-functions and how to use them for getting access to web services.

Speakers

Birgitta Hauser

Database and Software Architect, IBM Champion, Independent Consultant

Birgitta Hauser worked on the IBM i and its predecessors since 1992. She graduated with a business economics diploma, and started programming on the AS/400 in 1992. She worked and works as traditional RPG Programmer but also as Database and Software Engineer, focusing on IBM i application... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
Meeting Room 201A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Advanced
Award BRONZE
Audience Developers and Users who are experienced in SQL Queries and need to process JSON documents located in either SQL tables or the IFS or JSON answers returned by web services or simply want to enhance their SQL know-how.

10:30am CDT

262: Accelerate Your SQL Queries with SMP

With Symmetric Multiprocessing (SMP) now available as a no-charge feature in IBM i, you've gained access to a powerful feature that can significantly improve the speed of query execution. However, SMP must be approached carefully, as improper usage may produce lackluster results. This session will cover the inner workings of SMP, when to utilize SMP, and tools for controlling system-wide SMP usage.

Learning Objectives:
1.) Understand how the SQL Query Engine utilizes SMP to accelerate query execution
2.) Understand what workloads benefit most from SMP
3.) Understand the controls available to the Database Engineer to control SMP

Speakers

Ryan Moeller

Software Engineer, IBM

Ryan Moeller is a software engineer working on Db2 for i, specifically on the SQL Query Engine (SQE) team. He joined the team in the Rochester, MN development lab in 2020. Ryan specializes in SQL, database development, and query performance analysis.

Tuesday May 21, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
Meeting Room 204A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Database engineers, programmers, application developers

10:30am CDT

264: Partitioned Table Functionality

Did you know that partitioned table functionality is now included in IBM I 7.5? Attend and learn what partitioned tables are and the benefits of using them to organize your data. Q&A will follow a live demo.

Learning Objectives:
participants will be able to use partition tables in their own IBM i shops.

Speakers

Sven Jansson

Senior developer, Apper Systems AB

I have worked on the IBM i platform since 1995. My technical roles include developer, analyst, database specialist, application security, and communications. I also worked on IBMz for a few years, and I serve on the COMMON Sweden board. I'm a curious person who always wants to learn... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
Meeting Room 201C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Audience DBE and developers

10:30am CDT

168: Become a Superhero to your CIO: A Day in the Life of a CIO

In today's hyper-competitive world, we're all striving to be the best employees we can be. We want to impress our boss, finish that big project on time and under budget, and earn that big promotion with a hefty raise. If you work in IT, it's very likely you report - directly or indirectly - to your company's CIO, or perhaps CTO. How can we best enhance and leverage that relationship to support your company's IT initiatives, and advance your career?

The first step is to understand your CIO's role. The role of the CIO or CTO may seem mysterious and overwhelming at first, but it's critical for all IT employees to understand the big picture in order to better support your boss, and become a superhero to your CIO!

Learning Objectives:
We'll cover:
- What is your CIO responsible for? We'll discuss the practical elements as well as the strategic decisions of the job
- What does a day in the life of your CIO look like?
- What are the differences between a CIO and CTO?
- Who does your CIO communicate with? Who is he or she responsible to, and for what?
- What pressures does your CIO deal with every day, and from whom?

Speakers

Steve Wolk

CTO, PC Richard & Son

Steven Wolk is the Chief Technology Officer for PC Richard & Son, a family owned and operated chain of 66 appliance and electronics superstores located throughout NY, NJ, CT, and PA. Founded in 1909, PC Richard has always been known for honesty, integrity, and reliability throughout... Read More →

A Day in the Life of a CIO Steven Wolk pdf

Tuesday May 21, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
Meeting Room 203C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Developing Business Skills

Session Level All
Digital Badge IT Strategy
Audience All IT professionals who aspire to become a superhero to their CIO, or perhaps become a CIO or CTO themselves one day!

10:30am CDT

152: Programming Standards and Guidelines

We have all unfortunately seen really bad code or really bad practices. Have you ever wanted to take that code and throw it against the wall and start over? This session will give you the steps and guidelines that will help you start the discussion so you and your colleagues can implement standards and guidelines and start the process of cleaning up your code or the code you have inherited.

Learning Objectives:
1. We will look over various different recommended programming standards and guidelines.
2. we will look at bad code vs new code and make recommendations that you can take back and implement in your shop.
3. We will learn why its important to have standards and guidelines and how you can start the standards discussions at your shop.

Speakers

Marina Schwenk

Senior Programmer Analyst, Everbrite

Marina started her career in January 2015 at Everbrite LLC in Greenfield WI after graduating from Gateway Technical College in May of 2014 with an Associate’s degree in IT Software Development. Marina works as a Senior Programmer Analyst at Everbrite and her primary development... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
Meeting Room 103A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - General

Session Level Beginner
Audience Developers

10:30am CDT

387: Basics of System Admin for Programmers

Are you a programmer who is now responsible for the administration of your IBM i system? Do you know what you need to successfully manage the system? What commands do I need to know? In this session, we will cover the basics of System Administration that you need to know to manage your IBM i. Learn what you need to know to do the daily care and feeding of your system.

Learning Objectives:
1) Understand how to check your system messages to know that everything is ok.
2) Make sure that you are saving the right stuff.
3) Basics of security
4) What are PTFs, and how to manage PTFs

Speakers

Pete Massiello

IBM i Advisor, Massiello Holding Corp.

Pete Massiello has been working with the AS/400, iSeries, IBM i since 1989, focusing on systems management and technical support. He has held numerous technical positions through out his career. He is the President of iTech Solutions Group, an IBM Premier Business Partner delivering... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
Room 202 C-D 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - General

Session Level Beginner
Audience Programmers who are now responsible for the administration of their systems.

10:30am CDT

350: Maximizing the benefits of embedding SQL in your RPG code

Many people are now integrating SQL into RPG programs & procedures. Simon will give practical examples of how you can optimize the performance of your statements & simply diagnose the feedback returned from Db2. Will include mentions of how using Views enhances this optimization process.

Learning Objectives:
1. SQL I/O methods to get data from the database faster
2. Better method to capture errors, or what happened with your SQL statements

Speakers

Simon Hutchinson

Author, RPGPGM.COM

Simon Hutchinson has been writing his highly acclaimed IBM i blog, RPGPGM.COM, for eleven years sharing his knowledge, experience, and giving many detailed examples of the latest RPG, SQL, and CL. His work has led him to be recognized by IBM as an IBM Champion for Power and IBM i Community Advocate. He is a subject matter expert for COMMON North America and... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
Meeting Room 203A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - RPG

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Any RPG programmer looking to modernize their skills by using embedded SQL within in their work in a manner that will increase the performance of their programs & procedures.

10:30am CDT

324: Best Practices for the IBM i Security Administrator

As an IBM i System Administrator, you know you need to be checking IBM i Security settings but aren’t sure which ones or how often. This session solves that mystery. During this session Carol will provide you with a checklist of the areas of the operating system that you’ll want to be checking on a regular basis as well as explain why it’s important to do these checks. She will also discuss the risks of not maintaining these settings. Sample SQL will be provided for you to use in your workplace!

Learning Objectives:

Speakers

Carol Woodbury

IBM i Security SME and Senior Advisor, Kisco Systems

With over 30 years' experience in the area of IT security, Carol is known world-wide as an expert in the area of computer security. During her career, Carol has architected security solutions for Fortune 100 companies as well as small and medium-sized organizations. Carol is passionate... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
Room 202 A-B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

10:30am CDT

117: Managing IBM i PTFs

What are PTFs? Why do I need them? How do I get them? Which ones do I need? Does my technology really need a refresh? In this session we will describe PTFs, Cumultative PTFs, and other PTF Groups. We'll discuss how to find out what you have, how to get them, and how to put them in place. We'll help you determine what PTF strategy is the one for you and your system.

Learning Objectives:
1. What PTFs, and PTF Groups are and why you need them.
2. How to get PTFs and load them onto IBM i.
3. The use of Virtual Image Catalogs and Virtual DVD drives to save time and problems in the PTF process.
4. How to determine which PTFs you need for your system.

Speakers

Larry Bolhuis

Cloud and Datacenter Engineer, IBM Champion, Service Express Inc.

Larry has grown up with computers since his father became a CE in 1967. He obtained a bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Calvin College in 1982 and soon after began working on IBM midrange equipment with the S/34 and S/36. Larry began working on the As/400 at its introduction In 1988.After spending many years as a developer Larry began working on communications, networking, and systems management tasks. Years of... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
Meeting Room 101 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level Intermediate
Award SILVER
Audience This session is for you if you are the person in charge of administering IBM i.

10:30am CDT

372: Accessing the IBM i with Rest

Why not use Rest for all connections to the IBM i ? With the new Remote System Explorer, you can establish a secure connection with any IBMi, and request and interact with the IBM i using only Rest as the method. The RSE support allows custom request (CL, SQL) as well as some predefined actions leveraging only the Rest protocol. We will leverage Live demos to show this support in action to help you understand the possibilities.

Speakers

Tim Rowe

Business Architect Application Development & Systems Management for IBM i, IBM

Tim Rowe is the Business Architect responsible for Application Development and Systems Management for the IBM i operating system. His responsibilities include helping to make sure that the IBM i has what is needed to be successful both today and into the future. He sends much of his... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
Meeting Room 102 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level All

10:30am CDT

Expo Open

Lunch in Expo from 12PM-1PM

Tuesday May 21, 2024 10:30am - 1:30pm CDT
Ballroom B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

12:00pm CDT

Lunch in Expo

Tuesday May 21, 2024 12:00pm - 1:00pm CDT
Ballroom B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

1:30pm CDT

416: What Does Your Job Look Like in 2030? A Vision of IBM i Work in the Future

Within 60 days of its release, ChatGPT hit 100 million users in 2022, a feat it took TikTok 9 months to achieve. According to Deloitte, “64% of CEOs say they’re facing significant pressure from investors, creditors, and lenders to speed the adoption of generative AI”. This sudden ramp up of genAI, coupled with macro trends such as hybrid work are drastically changing the model of work we all are accustomed to.

What does this mean for IBM® i and for you? In this session, Puneet Kohli – COMMON board member and President of the Application Modernization business unit at Rocket Software, will discuss:

The roles of IBM i admin and IBM i developer and how they change over the next 5 years
What opportunities this will present for you
How you can set yourself up for success in 2030 and beyond

Speakers

Puneet Kohli

President of Application Modernization Business Unit, Rocket Software

Puneet Kohli is the President of Application Modernization BU at Rocket Software. Puneet has two decades of experience managing all facets of engineering for enterprise software. Puneet has deep knowledge of Identity and access management, governance risk & compliance, Devops, hybrid... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CDT
Ballroom B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All

2:45pm CDT

138: Using SQL to Overcome Challenges when Consuming XML (Case Study)

In this new world of mobile data collection by our field specialists, we ran head-on into special characters as well as emojis. This case study tells the tale of overcoming the hurdles we were stumbling over to deal with them.

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn what issues can be raised when using mobile devices to collect information from the field
2. Learn how XML support in Db2 for i was used to resolve these issues

Speakers

Vern Hamberg

Senior Software Engineer, Ecolab, Pest Elimination

Vern has worked on IBM midrange systems for over 30 years, beginning with the System/38 and AS/400. At present he is a senior software engineer for the Pest Elimination division at Ecolab. He also serves on the COMMON Americas Advisory Council (CAAC) and SET and is one of the SMEs... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 204A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All
Audience Developers who need to process XML files and web services and others who need to know what can be done with XML support in SQL for IBM i

2:45pm CDT

140: OLAP (Online Analytical Processing) Functions – Much More Than Running Numbers!

The first OLAP Functions were already introduced with Release 6.1, for building running numbers and ranks, in a specific sequence and even with the ability to restart numbering at a predefined level. At release 7.3 a bunch of additional OLAP functions and enhancements for existing OLAP functions are introduced. With these enhancements it is possible to easily build running totals or averages with or without level breaks. Data cannot only be accumulated over all rows, but also within a specific range. It is easy to access and compare the first, previous, next or last occurrence of the data within a partition. This session will give you an overview over the available OLAP functions and how they can be exploited.

Learning Objectives:
In this session you will learn which OLAP functions are available and how they can be used for and how they can be exploited especially for statistical reports.

Speakers

Birgitta Hauser

Database and Software Architect, IBM Champion, Independent Consultant

Birgitta Hauser worked on the IBM i and its predecessors since 1992. She graduated with a business economics diploma, and started programming on the AS/400 in 1992. She worked and works as traditional RPG Programmer but also as Database and Software Engineer, focusing on IBM i application... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Room 202 A-B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Advanced
Audience Manager, Programmers, Database Administrators and Engineers who need to generate and analyze complex statistics or everybody who is just interested in what is possible with OLAP functions.

2:45pm CDT

304: Run Away Queries Got You Down?

Having negative performance impacts from query tools like Query/400, QMF, Showcase, Tableau and others because of the "query from heck" eating up system resources? Is your system open to security exposures from wide-open ODBC type connections? This session will cover options including using the new-ish Db2 Query Supervisor to control and/or audit long-running queries.

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn about the Db2 Supervisor to control and/or audit long running queries.
2. Gain insight into the tools you can use to monitor, tune, and prune queries.

Speakers

John Westcott

Analytics Consultant, Db2 for i, IBM

John Westcott is a member of the Db2 for i Database and Analytics team in IBM’s Technology Services (formerly Lab Services). A consultant with over 35 years’ experience on IBM i, his skills include Business Intelligence, Business Analytics, Database Modernization, SQL and RPG... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 201C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Anyone concened with managing system performance

2:45pm CDT

279: IBM HA/DR Solutions for IBM i

The IBM i HA/DR portfolio covers the spectrum from storage-based solutions to IP based Geographic Mirroring for both on premise and/or in PowerVS. The solution portfolio enables automated fail-over, provides off-line backups and ransomware protection while greatly reducing both CAPX and OPEX compared to the legacy logical replication tools. We’ll cover the options, how they work and how you should position them as well as the latest enhancements. We’ll also discuss Pools 2.0, the CBU and migrating to PowerHA 7.5 from a previous release, GRS in PowerVS and upcoming roadmap.

Learning Objectives:
1. for current PowerHA/FSR/VM Recovery Manager customers, learn what's new and what's coming, on premise and in PowerVS
2. for IT Admins and business partners relatively new to hardware based based HA/DR, learn the basics, what are the outcomes expected from each approach, how does this solution portfolio compare to legacy software replication tools
3. On premise verses PowerVS or Hybrid
4. Be able to make the case to your management on the how and why you want to do this.

Speakers

Steven Finnes

Product Manager, IBM

Steve has spent several years in IBM with positions spanning basic research to product development, product offering and marketing. He is the product offering manager for IBM Power Systems with responsibility for PowerHA for AIX, PowerHA for IBM i and the CBU.

Tuesday May 21, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 203B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

High Availability Resilience

Session Level Intermediate
Audience IT adminstrators

2:45pm CDT

133: The Ninja Guide to Building Teams and Creating Engagement

Sure, Ninjas are cool, and they're fun to talk about. And more importantly, there's a leadership lesson there... Ninjas are always 100% ENGAGED! They equate their personal success with the success of their team, and of their mission. How productive would your teams be if they were always completely engaged, like Ninjas? Whether you're a leader looking to learn the secrets behind building strong teams and keeping them engaged, or a team member who wants to better understand team dynamics, you'll find this session illuminating.

Learning Objectives:
During this session you'll learn:
* Hiring tips to ensure you get the people you need on your team (and to communicate better with them)
* Learn to interview candidates like a pro (or to ace your next interview)
* Techniques to build your bench by creating a reserve of good will
* How to keep your people motivated (and yourself!)
* Methods to align your team's success (as well as your own) with that of your organization

By the end of this session you'll have the tools you need to build a team of the best and brightest, and keep them as engaged as... Ninjas!

Speakers

Steve Wolk

CTO, PC Richard & Son

Steven Wolk is the Chief Technology Officer for PC Richard & Son, a family owned and operated chain of 66 appliance and electronics superstores located throughout NY, NJ, CT, and PA. Founded in 1909, PC Richard has always been known for honesty, integrity, and reliability throughout... Read More →

The Ninja Guide To Building Teams And Creating Engagement Steven Wolk pdf

Tuesday May 21, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 203C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

IT Leadership and Management

Session Level All
Award SILVER
Audience Everyone who leads other people - or works as part of a team - will benefit from this session!

2:45pm CDT

176: Service Programs and Unit Testing – The Perfect Pair

Do you have monolithic programs that you have to start breaking up into manageable pieces? Have you been tasked to start unit testing and don’t know where to start? This session is meant for you.

Learning Objectives:
We will work through the benefits to modernizing your code and why you want to adopt unit testing.
We will work through breaking apart monolithic programs and how to write their respective unit tests.
We will discuss some best practices in unit testing and how you can take some of those best practices and apply them to your everyday development processes.

Speakers

Marina Schwenk

Senior Programmer Analyst, Everbrite

Marina started her career in January 2015 at Everbrite LLC in Greenfield WI after graduating from Gateway Technical College in May of 2014 with an Associate’s degree in IT Software Development. Marina works as a Senior Programmer Analyst at Everbrite and her primary development... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 103A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Program Testing

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Application Developers, testers

2:45pm CDT

153: Overloading in RPG

One of the coolest new features in ILE RPG is the ability to overload your prototypes! With overloading, you can accept differing parameter types while keeping the same routine name. Overloading can be used with programs, but the biggest value comes when using it with subprocedures.

Learning Objectives:
- What is overloading? Why use it?
- Technical details of parameters, candidates, etc
- Full examples you can use yourself

Speakers

Scott Klement

Development & Solutions Architect, Midrange Dynamics

Scott volunteers as a member of COMMON's Board of Directors, Strategic Education Team, Certification Committee and Innovation Awards. He is the author of around 1000 articles and a dozen open source projects. Scott's efforts to help out the IBM i Community have resulted in dozens... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Room 202 C-D 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - RPG

Session Level Intermediate

2:45pm CDT

368: How to Leverage Existing IBM® i Assets to Adhere to Modern Design Systems

You’ve been asked to create nice web user interfaces for an application. You could do a 1:1 replacement of each screen—a tiresome but doable project. But, if you need to adhere to modern design systems like Google Material Design or IBM Carbon, your efforts, no matter how valiant, won’t cut it for your users. Also, what happens when users start asking for better workflows or customization?

In this session, we will discuss:
o How you can take assets you already have—like display files—and smartly approach your web UX projects
o How you can collect each screen, uniquely identify them, and then build the UI
o How you can keep the green screen application and the new UI in sync to handle changes dynamically

Speakers

Nikesh Zalte

Product Manager, Rocket Software

Tuesday May 21, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 203A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - UI

Session Level All

2:45pm CDT

300: Audit Journaling with Navigator for i

Understand how Navigator for i can make ease the use of audit journaling on the IBM i. Learn how Navigator simplifies configuring auditing to just a few button clicks. See how Navigator can make consuming and analyzing audit entries easier. Learn about what is planned to improve the performance of analyzing audit entries.

Learning Objectives:
1. Understand how to configure an IBM i for auditing
2. Understand how to analyze the generated audit entries
3. Learn how to maximize the performance of analyzing audit entries

Speakers

Ann Wilkerson

Software Developer, IBM

Ann Wilkerson is the technical team lead for Navigator for i and a developer for IBM i Services.

Tuesday May 21, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 102 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Beginner
Audience System administrators responsible for configuring auditing and for reporting on audit entry data

2:45pm CDT

307: Zero Trust Security for IBM i

While Zero Trust is still one of the strongest trends driving the cyber security industry, there remains much buzzword confusion around the topic. No one product or solution can get an enterprise to Zero Trust. It is a security methodology, not a product.

Learning Objectives:
• A basic introduction to Zero Trust for the larger enterprise
• The unique opportunities within the IBM i for implementing the Zero Trust framework
• How to integrate your IBM i strategy with your organization’s larger Zero Trust initiative.
• Best Practices for implementing Zero Trust on the IBM i

Speakers

Gavriel Meir-Levi

Tuesday May 21, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 201B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All
Audience Administrators responsible for IBM i security

2:45pm CDT

162: Where to Start with Open Source Package Management

As more and more development teams embrace Open Source technologies on the IBM i OS it will be important that Systems Administrators know the basics of managing these packages on the IBM i OS. This session will predominantly look at the Open Source Package Management capabilities included with IBM i Access Client Solutions as the go to environment for those who are not themselves using the Open Source packages.

Learning Objectives:
As a Systems Administrator become familiar with Open Source Package Management on the IBM i OS.

Speakers

Wayne Bowers

Software Engineer, IBM

Wayne Bowers has been with IBM since 1997, where he works with the IBM i Global Support Center in Rochester MN. He is an Advisory Software Engineer specializing in the support of the IBM i Access (aka Client Access) products, Console, the TCP Telnet communications server, and the... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 201A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level Intermediate
Audience IBM i System Administrators who need to manage making Open Source technology packages avaialble on the IBM i.

2:45pm CDT

119: Selecting Your Power Virtualization Environment

When virtualizing IBM POWER Systems you have two primary choices for the hosting environment, VIOS and IBM i. Each of these offers strengths and each has weaknesses. In this session we'll go over more than 35 comparison points putting the two hosting choices side by side. Well cover technical capabilities as well as usability and visual items. We'll look at costs and requirements for each host.

Come and select your choice for a hosting partition or confirm that you've gone down the right track.

Learning Objectives:
What requirements would lead you to select VIOS as your hosting environment
What requirements would lead you to select IBM i as your hosting environment
What are the costs or need-to-knows for each of the two hosts.

Speakers

Larry Bolhuis

Cloud and Datacenter Engineer, IBM Champion, Service Express Inc.

Larry has grown up with computers since his father became a CE in 1967. He obtained a bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Calvin College in 1982 and soon after began working on IBM midrange equipment with the S/34 and S/36. Larry began working on the As/400 at its introduction In 1988.After spending many years as a developer Larry began working on communications, networking, and systems management tasks. Years of... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 101 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Any IBM i system administrator, especially those with virtualization in their future.

4:00pm CDT

357: Beyond the Buzz: Practical AI Implementations in IT

AI can be used in many different ways, from creating robots to helping with medical diagnoses. From automating mundane tasks to improving decision making and predictive analytics.

AI can also be used to automate mundane tasks, such as data entry or customer service.

See how AI can help businesses save time and money, as well as improve customer service.

Speakers

Charles Guarino

CEO & IBM Champion, Central Park Data Systems

Charles Guarino believes in the “power” of IBM Power Systems. His career reflects his dedication and interest in bringing the platform and its solutions to others and as a result has been recognized as an IBM Champion.He is a member of COMMON’s Speaker Excellence Hall of Fame... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Room 202 C-D 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Beginner

4:00pm CDT

266: Under the Hood: A Deep Dive into the SQL Query Engine

The SQL Query Engine (SQE) powers (nearly) every query that executes on your system. Since its introduction, SQE has been continually improved to create more efficient access plans, but these inner workings are rarely understood. In this session, Ryan will give audience members a rare peek under the hood of the engine that powers Db2 for i.

Speakers

Ryan Moeller

Software Engineer, IBM

Ryan Moeller is a software engineer working on Db2 for i, specifically on the SQL Query Engine (SQE) team. He joined the team in the Rochester, MN development lab in 2020. Ryan specializes in SQL, database development, and query performance analysis.

Tuesday May 21, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 204A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Database engineers, database administrators, application developers

4:00pm CDT

303: Temporal Tables: Time Travel Is Cool

Learn how to time travel within your data! How many programs are already doing some type of temporal logic? Would moving to a more data-centric approach reduce your development effort delivering faster and better results? This session explains how to temporalize your existing database, how to manage temporal database, and how to perform temporal analysis.

Learning Objectives:
How to temporalize your existing database.
How to manage temporal databases.
How to perform temporal analysis.

Speakers

John Westcott

Analytics Consultant, Db2 for i, IBM

John Westcott is a member of the Db2 for i Database and Analytics team in IBM’s Technology Services (formerly Lab Services). A consultant with over 35 years’ experience on IBM i, his skills include Business Intelligence, Business Analytics, Database Modernization, SQL and RPG... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 201C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Anyone interested in creating a temporal database or performing temporal analysis

4:00pm CDT

330: Automated Build Systems for IBM i Environments

We have been working on open source tools to make managing your IBM source code and building objects easy for when your source code is in git. In this, we will show how objects get built from a git repository (when developing locally and from an automated build), teach how build systems detect dependencies in your code, what build tools are available (GitHub Actions, GitLab CICD, etc) to work with IBM i, and eventually how you can start using these tools.

Learning Objectives:
* Show how objects get built from a git repository
* Teach how build systems detect dependencies in your code
* How you can start using these tools

Speakers

Liam Allan

Software Advocate, IBM

I am a developer and open-source advocate. Ask me about Node.js, VS Code, app deployment and CICD :)

Tuesday May 21, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Room 202 A-B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate

4:00pm CDT

380: IBM i DevOps and Azure DevOps, Making It Work

Managing IBM i native code with Azure Devops has huge opportunities for efficiency when managing business applications that span both platforms. If your company is Azure Devops everywhere but IBM i development this session will detail how you can hook these two platforms together for synchronous development and deployment with Azure pipelines. An added benefit is it makes the database directly available to .Net developers but you can still have a gatekeeper before the DB2 changes are deployed. Hear about how our experience of implementing our solution with Azure Devops at multiple customers.

Learning Objectives:
1. Planning workflow for IBM native code in the context of Azure devops
2. Integrating with Azure Devops pipelines for automation

Speakers

Jeffrey Tickner

ARCAD Software

Jeff Tickner has worked in Change Management on the IBM I for 17 years at different companies. He is certified in Rational Team Concert as well has having experience with other Change Management packages from SourceSafe to Subversion. Jeff currently works for ARCAD Software, an international... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 203A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Developers and managers who are interested in managing their native code with Azure Devops

4:00pm CDT

258: Power10 for the COMMON User

Did you know that the entire IBM Power server family has now been refreshed with Power10 processor technology? Starting in September, 2021, IBM introduced the Power10 E1080 enterprise system and in July, 2022, IBM introduced the rest of the product family which includes the S1014, S1022/S1022s and S1024. IBM i customers need to know the capabilities and positioning of the entire Power server family, so attend this session to hear about the latest and greatest.

Speakers

Daniel Sundt

IBM i Product Manager, IBM

Dan Sundt is an IBM i product manager. He has the responsibility for the IBM i business, including defining and guiding future directions and strategies. He works with the IBM i sales, marketing, and development teams as well as customers and partners to ensure that the IBM i operating... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 201B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Any IBM i customer on older hardware looking to upgrade their infrastructure

4:00pm CDT

298: Disaster Recovery – What Does That Actually Mean for the IBM i?

Most IBM i shops assume their DR plan is as simple as loading the backups and their up and running – well, that isn’t actually the case. In this session we’ll discuss the devil in the details of Disaster Recovery, what information you need to have done and what steps you should anticipate taking should disaster strike.

We’ll address scenarios like:
- I backed up my system last night and then it crashed today. What do I do about the information that didn’t get uploaded since last night’s backup?
- Who do I speak to to get new software license keys for every single application my system is running?
- What’s my organization's RPO and RTO? What do I think it is and what is it in actuality? What should it be?

Learning Objectives:
Attendees will walk away learning about the importance of DR plans, how to execute them, and what needs to be on their DR checklist.

Speakers

Robert Nettgen

Senior Consultant, Briteskies

Robert Nettgen wanted a career in radio broadcasting, but saw that profession declining and found better pay working in IT. A PC developer in the ‘80’s, Rob started administering AS/400s in the early ‘90s for a Radio/TV group owner. In 1999 Rob accepted a job as IT director... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 201A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

High Availability Resilience

Session Level All
Audience CISOs, System admins, Managers and Directors of IT departments, and anyone else responsible for information security and disaster recovery

4:00pm CDT

390: CEF Next Generation on IBM i

This session helps community investigate and understand options on finding the next generation of IBM i resource and learn about CEF (COMMON Education Foundation) efforts.

Learning Objectives:
Attendees completing this session will be better informed on how to connect and find the next generation of IBM i resource, find help to replace retiring resource, better understand CEF (COMMON Education Foundation) efforts. Whether you're a student, educator or community member you're sure to benefit from this session.

Speakers

Laura Ubelhor

Consultech Services, Inc.

Laura Ubelhor is owner and operator of Consultech Services, Inc. and longtime advocate for IBM i education. Consultech, established in 1992, specializes in application development and support on IBM i and other platforms. Laura has a Masters of Science in Management Degree from Walsh... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 103A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

IT Leadership and Management

Session Level All
Audience • STUDENTS wanting to connect with IBM i community organizations for potential internships and job opportunities. • EDUCATORS wanting to connect with IBM i community organizations to make them aware of IBM i curriculum and also to connect for potential internships and job opportunities for students. • IBM i COMMUNITY MEMBERS wanting to connect with schools, educators, students in search of the next generation of resource on IBM i. Also, previous students that are now community members and are willing to share their experience transitioning from school to on the job.

4:00pm CDT

312: Developing With Developers In Mind

In the world of software development, effective developing strategies are a crucial part to any project. Join us in this insightful session to explore the art of developing with developers in mind. Discover strategies, tools, and best practices to improve productivity and streamline updates for a better user experience. If you're not sure if this is the session for you, just ask yourself, "Do I want to receive work emails and calls while I'm on vacation?"

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn about organizing code using procedural programming
2. Learn to Automate tasks and processes (with a hint of open source)
3. Learn about what to include in project documentation

Speakers

Mike Zaringhalam

Developer, PC Richard & Son

Have you ever wanted to meet someone who started Hawaiian Shirt Fridays at their work place? If the answer is 'Yes!', then feel free to reach out with any questions you have regarding Hawaiian shirts... Or IBM i related topics. My main focuses are RDi, DB2, Modernization, and D... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 101 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All
Audience Anyone looking to improve their collaboration skills

4:00pm CDT

201: IBM i Security Cocktail, with an SQL chaser

In round 2 of this award-winning session, be prepared to hear Scott Forstie and Carol Woodbury shake up the world of IBM i Security once again, mixing up new SQL concoctions to bedazzle the otherwise boring world of IBM i Security. This menu includes examples of using SQL to find vulnerabilities in your code (aka penetration testing) as well as new (but practical!) ways to use SQL services. Even the most ardent security skeptic will be surprised at how just a sip of SQL can freshen up old IBM i Security processes. Before you know it, you’ll be sipping on the delightful features of SQL and rushing to pour out your current processes that have reached their ‘consume by’ date. A note of caution, however. You may leave a bit shaken (but not stirred) once again!

Learning Objectives:
1. Foundational knowledge of IBM i security
2. Why and how SQL is useful to the Security Officer and beyond
3. Have an idea of where to start and how

Speakers

Scott Forstie

Db2 for i Architect, IBM

Scott Forstie is a Senior Technical Staff Member within IBM i development and spends most of his time working as the Db2 for i Architect. He has worked on IBM operating system development since joining IBM in 1989.Scott is a frequently published author, speaker at industry events... Read More →

Carol Woodbury

IBM i Security SME and Senior Advisor, Kisco Systems

With over 30 years' experience in the area of IT security, Carol is known world-wide as an expert in the area of computer security. During her career, Carol has architected security solutions for Fortune 100 companies as well as small and medium-sized organizations. Carol is passionate... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 102 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Digital Badge SQL
Audience Anyone tasked with understanding, improving, or auditing security on IBM i.

4:00pm CDT

301: Navigator for i - A Developer's Guide

Do you think that Navigator for i is just for system administrators? Think again! Navigator for i is a powerful tool for all IBM i users, including developers. In this session, you will get an overview of how Navigator for i works and learn about specific functions that developers can use to make their lives easier.

Learning Objectives:
1. Understand how to configure Navigator for i
2. Understand what functions Navigator for i provides to developers
3. Understand how Navigator for i interfaces with other IBM products

Speakers

Ann Wilkerson

Software Developer, IBM

Ann Wilkerson is the technical team lead for Navigator for i and a developer for IBM i Services.

Tuesday May 21, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 203C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level Beginner
Audience IBM i developers with any level of comfort with Navigator for i

4:00pm CDT

412: IBM i Proactive Performance Preparation

No one plans to have a performance problem. When it next happens to you, will you have the information necessary to identify the root cause of the problem? This session will show you how to be prepared in the event of an unplanned performance problem. It will also discuss ways to avoid that problem from happening in the first place, and how to be notified as soon as possible that a problem may be starting.

Learning Objectives:
1. learn how to configure IBM i performance tools to have the data you need when a problem happens
2. learn how to get notified of potential problems

Speakers

Anil Madan

Sr. Managing Consultant, IBM

Anil Madan is a Senior IBM i Performance Consultant with specialization in system, application and Db2 for i performance management. He is an IBM certified Thought Leader Technical Specialist and an IBM certified Executive Project Manager. Working out of the IBM Expert Labs in Rochester... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 203B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level All

5:15pm CDT

193: IBM i ACS Data Transfer Overview

IBM i Access Client Solutions (IBM i ACS) provides a Db2 Data Transfer features and capabilities that you may not be aware of or using most effectively. Join us for a quick, predominantly live demo session to get the most out of your IBM i ACS Data Transfer. 1. Get the most out of IBM i ACS Data Transfer

Speakers

Wayne Bowers

Software Engineer, IBM

Wayne Bowers has been with IBM since 1997, where he works with the IBM i Global Support Center in Rochester MN. He is an Advisory Software Engineer specializing in the support of the IBM i Access (aka Client Access) products, Console, the TCP Telnet communications server, and the... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 5:15pm - 5:35pm CDT
Meeting Room 201A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Client Connectivity

Session Level All
Digital Badge ACS
Audience IBM i ACS Data Transfer Users

5:15pm CDT

251: Performance Tuning, QAQQINI what you care about and how to use it

This session hits the highlights of the file that defines your SQL environment. Did you know that you can have more than one? This session will hit the most important entries of this file. What values you want to use, and how to use it.

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn the most important entries in the file that defines your SQL environment
2. Learn how to use more than the one provided by IBM for your different workloads

Speakers

Tom Davidson

Sr Consultant, Cleindori Consulting

I'm a 40 year veteran of the IBM i (System/38,AS/400, iSeries, IBM i). My background is in Manufacturing and Performance. I specialize is tuning older systems to extend their life.I am also a JDE CNC (18 years), and my second specialty is JDE/IBM i/Weblogic.

Tuesday May 21, 2024 5:15pm - 5:35pm CDT
Meeting Room 203C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Beginner
Audience Programmers and DBAs that are trying to improve performance of their applications.

5:15pm CDT

294: How Many Indexes is Too Many?

The creation of indexes can have a positive impact on query performance. However, an index also has a cost since it has to be maintained every time rows in the associated table are inserted, deleted and updated. This session will the discuss indexing tradeoffs including the review of a benchmark test created to quantify the positive & negative impacts of indexes. In addition, you will learn about tooling that can be used to identify your most valuable and least valuable indexes.

Learning Objectives:

Speakers

Kent Milligan

Senior Db2 for i Consultant, IBM

Kent Milligan is a Senior Db2 for i Consultant in IBM Technology Expert Labs. Kent has over 25 years of experience as a Db2 for IBM i consultant and developer working out of the IBM Rochester lab. Prior to re-joining the Db2 for i Expert Labs practice in 2020, Kent spent 5 years... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 5:15pm - 5:35pm CDT
Meeting Room 203A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All

5:15pm CDT

198: The Secrets to Negotiating and Resolving Workplace Conflict

Do you dread the thought of negotiating on your own behalf? Are you unsure of the best ways to handle conflict in the workplace? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then you need to attend this session! We'll cover time-tested techniques for negotiations and conflict resolution that could change your life!

Learning Objectives:
In just 20 minutes, you'll:
- Learn to consider the value of an argument vs the cost
- Find common ground to smooth the negotiation
- Understand that all new ideas are great, and that we all make mistakes
- Show respect and build a reserve of good will to allow everyone to leave the negotiation with their head held high

Speakers

Steve Wolk

CTO, PC Richard & Son

Steven Wolk is the Chief Technology Officer for PC Richard & Son, a family owned and operated chain of 66 appliance and electronics superstores located throughout NY, NJ, CT, and PA. Founded in 1909, PC Richard has always been known for honesty, integrity, and reliability throughout... Read More →

The Secrets to Negotiating and Resolving Workplace Conflict Steven Wolk pdf

Tuesday May 21, 2024 5:15pm - 5:35pm CDT
Meeting Room 203B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

IT Leadership and Management

Session Level All
Audience We can all benefit from the techniques presented in this session!

5:15pm CDT

203: My Vision For the Future

The world is changing. You can see it if you look around you... computers understand your voice, cars drive themselves, and so much more! What will things look like in 10 or 20 years? How will the world change? And, most importantly, how can we be ready for it?

Learning Objectives:
1. Understand how automation is already changing the world.
2. Think about how it will change things over time.
3. Be inspired to become a part of it!

Speakers

Scott Klement

Development & Solutions Architect, Midrange Dynamics

Scott volunteers as a member of COMMON's Board of Directors, Strategic Education Team, Certification Committee and Innovation Awards. He is the author of around 1000 articles and a dozen open source projects. Scott's efforts to help out the IBM i Community have resulted in dozens... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 5:15pm - 5:35pm CDT
Meeting Room 201C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All

5:15pm CDT

343: Make Your Web Apps Zoom with Nginx!

Nginx is one of the most underused open source packages on IBM i. It can add a layer of security and performance to web apps and APIs. Come see some tips and tricks to making your applications more durable and performant!

Learning Objectives:
Use Nginx to zoom zoom

Speakers

Jesse Gorzinski

Business Architect, IBM

Jesse Gorzinski works for the IBM i development lab in Rochester, MN. He is a Senior Business Architect and Senior Technical Staff Member (STSM) responsible for open source technologies on the platform. Jesse, who was doing RPG programming at the age of 18, is an expert on application... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 5:15pm - 5:35pm CDT
Room 202 A-B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - Frameworks

Session Level Beginner

5:15pm CDT

185: Test Driven Development Using Python

User Acceptance Testing should not be the only testing tool in your arsenal. Building a solid Python application is easy if you automate the boring testing process. In this session we’ll explore how easy testing can be in Python and how to get it done with several examples.

Learning Objectives:
1) Explore benefits of test Driven Development.
2) Work through a basic framework for architecting TDD.
3) Build an example case from scratch using Python and the unittest module.

Speakers

Mike Pavlak

Solution Architect, Perforce Software

Mike Pavlak has been working with IBM midrange solutions since 1992 and IBM Mainframes before that. After years of developing applications using RPG, CL and PHP he managed IT development and IT for power protection manufacturer Tripp Lite. Later Mike was instrumental in developing... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 5:15pm - 5:35pm CDT
Meeting Room 204A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - Python

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Developers and syste architects looking to explore Python or TDD architecture

5:15pm CDT

207: Developing an Weather Application for your IBM i

I know, I know... we don't need another Weather Application. This is a fun session where I can show you how to put the pieces together, using an API, JSON_TABLE function, RPG, PHP into a store procedure. This will give you ideas on things you can do to impress your users and boss!

Learning Objectives:
1. Internalize how API"s can be used in your shop.
2. Understand how easily these pieces fit together.

Speakers

Jim Buck

CEO & Head Instructor, imPower Technologies

Jim Buck’s career in IT has spanned more than 35+ years, primarily in college education, manufacturing, and healthcare industries. Past president (13 years) of the Wisconsin Midrange Computer Professional Association (www.wmcpa.org) and has served on several teams developing IBM... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 5:15pm - 5:35pm CDT
Room 202 C-D 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - RPG

Session Level All
Audience Manager or any type of developer

5:15pm CDT

283: Leveraging Text to Group Objects for Security (20min)

Three object types provide a critical information needed to manage your security project:

User profiles, Libraries, and IFS root-level directories. These “high-level” objects need to be assigned groups for simplified maintenance and security management.

Learning Objectives:
We will review how to simplify your security project by grouping critical object-sets; leveraging a little bit of code; and trusty PDM.
Bonus: O/S upgrade customization management.

Speakers

Tim Hawkins

System Admin, Tanimura & Antle

When GPT3.5 is asked "What could AGI mean for computer security?"-- responseArtificial General Intelligence (AGI) could have significant implications for computer security:Enhanced Threat Detection: AGI systems could be trained to identify even the smallest behaviors of ransomwar... Read More →

Job Schedule Entries sql

Job Schedule Entries xlsx

Sample PDM subsets docx

Tuesday May 21, 2024 5:15pm - 5:35pm CDT
Meeting Room 101 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All
Audience IBM i System Administrators who will be attending the “Using SQL to drive IBM i Security scans” session.

5:15pm CDT

200: 20 Tips in 20 Minutes

In my work with real-world environments, I have found a number of very common configuration settings that are not optimal for today's environment. Whether it be system values, job descriptions, memory pools, many shops have configuration settings at the system default value, or settings that were done years ago.

This session is a fast-paced session covering 20 configuration tips in 20 minutes.

Speakers

Dawn May

Owner, Dawn May Consulting, LLC

Dawn has been involved with COMMON for over 20 years and has been a consistent volunteer since 2008. She's been a member of the strategic education team, a subject matter expert, and a speaker. Now, as President of COMMON, she's focused on leading COMMON as the industry leader of... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 5:15pm - 5:35pm CDT
Meeting Room 103A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level All

5:15pm CDT

247: Best Practices for Collecting Performance Data with Collection Services

IBM i performance data collection using Collection Services is enabled by default, but you may still be using default configuration settings. In this session, you will learn why you may want to adjust the Collection Services configuration settings for your performance analysis or trending needs.

Learning Objectives:
1. How to use Navigator for i to configure Collection Services
2. Recommendations for changing default configuration settings

Speakers

Shauna Rollings

IBM i Performance Tools & High Availability Development, IBM

Shauna joined the IBM i development team in 2008. She has developed and supported IBM i performance data collector tools throughout her entire IBM career. From the very beginning of the Db2 Mirror for i project, she has also been the technical team lead for the Db2 Mirror Configuration... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 5:15pm - 5:35pm CDT
Meeting Room 201B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level All

5:15pm CDT

418: State of Code for IBM i – An Open Discussion

Welcome to our open forum discussion on the latest developments and future plans for Code for IBM i and its extensions. Join us to gain insights into our ongoing projects, current priorities, and upcoming features. This is your chance to engage directly with our development teams, including the core team, database team, and debug team. Whether you're curious about implementing VS Code, enhancing security measures, or contributing (be it code, documentation, videos, &c.), we invite you to bring your questions and ideas to the table. Let's collaborate and shape the future of Code for IBM i together.

Speakers

Jesse Gorzinski

Business Architect, IBM

Jesse Gorzinski works for the IBM i development lab in Rochester, MN. He is a Senior Business Architect and Senior Technical Staff Member (STSM) responsible for open source technologies on the platform. Jesse, who was doing RPG programming at the age of 18, is an expert on application... Read More →

Tim Rowe

Business Architect Application Development & Systems Management for IBM i, IBM

Tim Rowe is the Business Architect responsible for Application Development and Systems Management for the IBM i operating system. His responsibilities include helping to make sure that the IBM i has what is needed to be successful both today and into the future. He sends much of his... Read More →

Scott Forstie

Db2 for i Architect, IBM

Scott Forstie is a Senior Technical Staff Member within IBM i development and spends most of his time working as the Db2 for i Architect. He has worked on IBM operating system development since joining IBM in 1989.Scott is a frequently published author, speaker at industry events... Read More →

Liam Allan

Software Advocate, IBM

I am a developer and open-source advocate. Ask me about Node.js, VS Code, app deployment and CICD :)

Joseph Wright

Owner / Consultant, Wright4i

Adam Shedivy

Software Developer, IBM

Adam is a software Developer working on enhancing client and open source integration on IBM i.

Tuesday May 21, 2024 5:15pm - 6:15pm CDT
Meeting Room 102 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programmer Tools

Session Level Beginner

5:30pm CDT

All Attendee Reception in Expo

Tuesday May 21, 2024 5:30pm - 8:30pm CDT
Ballroom B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

5:50pm CDT

333: IBM i ACS Printer Output Overview

IBM i Access Client Solutions (IBM i ACS) provides an IBM i Printer Output utility with many features and capabilities that you may not be aware of or using most effectively. Join us for a quick, predominantly live demo session to get the most out of your IBM i ACS Printer Output Utility. 1. Get the most out of IBM i ACS Printer Output

Speakers

Wayne Bowers

Software Engineer, IBM

Wayne Bowers has been with IBM since 1997, where he works with the IBM i Global Support Center in Rochester MN. He is an Advisory Software Engineer specializing in the support of the IBM i Access (aka Client Access) products, Console, the TCP Telnet communications server, and the... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 5:50pm - 6:10pm CDT
Meeting Room 201A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Client Connectivity

Session Level All
Digital Badge ACS
Audience IBM i Access Client Solutions users

5:50pm CDT

260: Geospatial Analytics - What About Performance?

Like any new offering, the Geospatial Analytics support features cool technology with lots of bells and whistles. When integrating a new technology like this into your applications, it's easy to focus just on the functional implementation and to overlook the performance considerations.

Learning Objectives:
In this session, learn how to streamline a Geospatial Analytics solution by leveraging the Geohash functionality and other advanced features.

Speakers

Kent Milligan

Senior Db2 for i Consultant, IBM

Kent Milligan is a Senior Db2 for i Consultant in IBM Technology Expert Labs. Kent has over 25 years of experience as a Db2 for IBM i consultant and developer working out of the IBM Rochester lab. Prior to re-joining the Db2 for i Expert Labs practice in 2020, Kent spent 5 years... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 5:50pm - 6:10pm CDT
Meeting Room 203A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Database developer designing applications

5:50pm CDT

217: Use Value Stream Mapping to Improve Business Response

When you are rolling out new applications, new features, tracking tickets, or enhancements how do you view this data? Sure, you can use a spreadsheet, maybe even view progress in each tool, or use a simple database, but why not use a dashboard with value stream mapping to pull 'live' information right into your preferred dashboard. This can pull everything together into an easy to use and comprehend visual reference. Stop by and find out how Value Stream Mapping can work for you.

Learning Objectives:
1) Find the delays in your pipeline.
2) Visualize how to find the hotspots.

Speakers

Alan Ashley

Presales Consultant for DevOps for IBMi, Arcad Software

When it comes to describing someone, even yourself, it can be difficult. This time it's easy. I grew up on the AS400, through iSeries, and into the IBM i world. Started on a model B50 (I know it was a B model) where the disk drive needed two persons to replace and now in the DevSecOps... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 5:50pm - 6:10pm CDT
Meeting Room 203C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Are you an application owner or project manager, then finding the delays is paramount in the DevOps cycle. VSM is the answer.

5:50pm CDT

261: Fostering Positive Relationships

Positive healthy relationships are vital to success in everything you do: whether it is excelling in your career, creating a vibrant and energetic work environment, or having a happy and rewarding personal life. Learning how to interact with others in a way that is respectful and constructive is essential.

Learning Objectives:
Come to this session to learn:
1) How to connect with others in a positive and proactive way
2) The impact of creating respectful and nurturing relationships
3) How to create long-term relationships that will accelerate your career
4) Tools and techniques to foster positive relationships

Speakers

Kim Greene

President, Kim Greene Consulting, Inc.

Kim Greene is president of Kim Greene Consulting, Inc. specializing in providing consulting services for the HCL Collaboration Solutions portfolio for IBM i, Windows, and Linux. Kim has over 20 years of experience with IBM Domino and 25 years of experience with the AS/400, iSeries... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 5:50pm - 6:10pm CDT
Meeting Room 203B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Personal Development

Session Level Beginner
Audience All IT professionals

5:50pm CDT

249: What's up with the RDi Debugger?

For many users getting started with the RDi debugger is intimidating. In this short session, we'll help the attendee understand the power of the debugger and feel comfortable with the features of the tool!

Learning Objectives:
1. Letting go of the 5250 debugger
2. Getting started with RDi debugging
3. Batch and interactive debugging
4. Service Entry Points (SEP)
5. How to debug different type of programs
6. Understand break-points and Monitor Expressions
7. Tips and Tricks!

Speakers

Jim Buck

CEO & Head Instructor, imPower Technologies

Jim Buck’s career in IT has spanned more than 35+ years, primarily in college education, manufacturing, and healthcare industries. Past president (13 years) of the Wisconsin Midrange Computer Professional Association (www.wmcpa.org) and has served on several teams developing IBM... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 5:50pm - 6:10pm CDT
Room 202 C-D 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programmer Tools

Session Level All
Audience Attendees who are new to RDi or those that have had trouble "Quitting" The 5250 debugger

5:50pm CDT

223: Quick Spreadsheets through PHP and Python

Each language supports modules for extending basic features. In this session we'll explore this technique for creating REAL spreadsheets for both Python and PHP.

Learning Objectives:
1. Create REAL Spreadsheets using XLSXWriter in Python.
2. Create REAL Spreadsheets using PHPSpreadsheet in PHP.

Speakers

Mike Pavlak

Solution Architect, Perforce Software

Mike Pavlak has been working with IBM midrange solutions since 1992 and IBM Mainframes before that. After years of developing applications using RPG, CL and PHP he managed IT development and IT for power protection manufacturer Tripp Lite. Later Mike was instrumental in developing... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 5:50pm - 6:10pm CDT
Meeting Room 204A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - General

Session Level Beginner
Audience Programmers and utility folks interested in enabling data through controled mechanisms.

5:50pm CDT

213: Web Services: The Basics of Pulling External Data into Your IBM i Applications

Obtaining information from external systems or data servers has come a long way since the introduction of EDI in the 1980s! Today, publicly available Web Service APIs offer a much more flexible and easier-to-integrate method for pulling pertinent global data into your IBM i applications. Whether it be commodity prices, financial data, current weather information, demographic statistics or whatever else you can think of, there is no shortage of information available on the internet that could complement certain areas of your company's business, thus adding valuable real-time information to your various user applications.

In this session we'll put this concept to work in a hands-on fashion. The presenter will use real-world API examples to demonstrate how developers, using Native IBM i DB2 SQL, can quickly access these valuable web service repositories and pull data into an RPG program or UI tool for their users. Attendees will see two simple 5250-based interactive examples in action, with source code they can try on their own systems.

Learning Objectives:
1> Understand the basic structure of a REST API, and how it differs from SOAP.
2> See how to find a public web service API and understand its inputs and outputs.
3> Learn how to structure and execute an SQL statement to pull data from the web service.

Speakers

Robert Swanson

Senior Partner, CNX Corporation

Rob has worked as an in-the-trenches IBM i developer since 1992, with the past 15 years focused on developing modernization efforts for legacy systems written in RPG. Currently serving as Senior Partner for CNX Corporation in Chicago, Rob is a strong advocate of introducing highly... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 5:50pm - 6:10pm CDT
Room 202 A-B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - UI

Session Level Beginner
Audience Developers who could benefit from pulling external information (i.e., commodity prices) into their user applications on IBM i

5:50pm CDT

284: Object-level Authorities by Application, with Automation

The ownership and authority privileges for all objects on the system are gathered and summarized for review; SQL code is set to identify when objects in the application don’t follow preset authorities; and code to automate the maintenance of ownership and authorities in a fast-paced development environment. Ownership and public authorities are critical elements of a secure environment.

Learning Objectives:
We will review sample application authorities, and the code that drives the creation of an application_authorities table. We review a few of the methods to categorize libraries for ownership and authority maintenance. Finally, a second SQL set of stored procedures are presented to maintain authorities on a schedule basis.

Speakers

Tim Hawkins

System Admin, Tanimura & Antle

When GPT3.5 is asked "What could AGI mean for computer security?"-- responseArtificial General Intelligence (AGI) could have significant implications for computer security:Enhanced Threat Detection: AGI systems could be trained to identify even the smallest behaviors of ransomwar... Read More →

Check application authorities sql

Set application authorities sql

Tuesday May 21, 2024 5:50pm - 6:10pm CDT
Meeting Room 101 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All
Audience System Administrators who will be attending the “Using SQL to drive IBM i Security scans” session; or who need to know about application authorities in-use on their system.

5:50pm CDT

212: Using System Monitors in IBM Navigator for i

Learn how to create and work with System Monitors in IBM Navigator for i. Also learn how to use the Performance Data Investigator (PDI) visualization tool to view System Monitor data.

Learning Objectives:
1. How to create a System Monitor
2. How to view system monitor data

Speakers

Shauna Rollings

IBM i Performance Tools & High Availability Development, IBM

Shauna joined the IBM i development team in 2008. She has developed and supported IBM i performance data collector tools throughout her entire IBM career. From the very beginning of the Db2 Mirror for i project, she has also been the technical team lead for the Db2 Mirror Configuration... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 5:50pm - 6:10pm CDT
Meeting Room 201B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level All
Audience System Administrators looking to take advantage of the performance monitoring capabilities of IBM i.

5:50pm CDT

319: Insights into Database Performance with the Performance Data Investigator

While the SQL Performance Center is the "go to" tool for understanding database performance, you can also gain insights into database performance with the Performance Data Investigator (PDI). PDI has charts that allow you to visualize database performance data in graphical form. In addition, Collection Services collects SQL job-level performance metrics. Attend this short session to learn about how to use PDI to graphically view your database performance metrics and get some tips on what those metrics mean.

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn how to use the IBM i performance tasks to view database-related metrics
2. Learn how IBM i performance data can be helpful in determining if a potential performance problem is related to the database.
3. Learn how to gain insights into the plan cache with PDI

Speakers

Dawn May

Owner, Dawn May Consulting, LLC

Dawn has been involved with COMMON for over 20 years and has been a consistent volunteer since 2008. She's been a member of the strategic education team, a subject matter expert, and a speaker. Now, as President of COMMON, she's focused on leading COMMON as the industry leader of... Read More →

Tuesday May 21, 2024 5:50pm - 6:10pm CDT
Meeting Room 103A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level Beginner
Audience Administrators who want greater insight into Db2 performance by using the Performance Data Investigator.

8:00am CDT

349: Looking at Your Data From a Different View Point

Simon will explain how building SQL Views should become a part of your development strategy. He will give examples of the common ways he builds and uses Views to make his own and that of his team easier and simpler. Why do the hard work yourself when something else can do it for you?

Learning Objectives:
1. Why use Views
2. How to create a View
3. Deformalize your data for easy access
4. Create new derived & calculated data within the View

Speakers

Simon Hutchinson

Author, RPGPGM.COM

Simon Hutchinson has been writing his highly acclaimed IBM i blog, RPGPGM.COM, for eleven years sharing his knowledge, experience, and giving many detailed examples of the latest RPG, SQL, and CL. His work has led him to be recognized by IBM as an IBM Champion for Power and IBM i Community Advocate. He is a subject matter expert for COMMON North America and... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Room 202 A-B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Audience People interested in modernizing their database, people who want to make their programming simpler & easier to understand

8:00am CDT

184: Live Demo: Deploying PowerHA and Independent ASPs

See how to go from a single system, to a fully deployed PowerHA environment using IBM FlashSystems Global Mirror technology. We begin the journey by creating an Independent Auxiliary Storage Pool (IASP) along with techniques for migrating your application into the IASP. We will be doing a live role swap by the end of the hour.

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn how to deploy PowerHA with IBM FlashSystems Global Mirror
2. See how to synchronize security and configuration related objects across the environment
3. Understand how to migrate data and applications to an Independent Auxiliary Storage Pool (IASP)

Speakers

Brian Nordland

Associate Director of Development, Fortra

In addition to his role as Associate Director of Development for Power Development at Fortra, Brian Nordland serves as the technical product manager for PowerHA and Robot HA. Brian has spoken at events, webinars, and user groups—including COMMON—since 2014. He is a co-inventor... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Meeting Room 203A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

High Availability Resilience

Session Level Intermediate
Digital Badge HA/DR
Audience Anyone looking to implement PowerHA

8:00am CDT

344: Open Source Always Wins. Let's Talk about it

Open source wins. It always wins. There's no fighting it. There's no denying it. But, it's important to understand "why" open source is such a disruptor and how you can tailor your IT strategy around its predictable wins.

Learning Objectives:
Understand and Leverage the momentum of open source technologies

Speakers

Jesse Gorzinski

Business Architect, IBM

Jesse Gorzinski works for the IBM i development lab in Rochester, MN. He is a Senior Business Architect and Senior Technical Staff Member (STSM) responsible for open source technologies on the platform. Jesse, who was doing RPG programming at the age of 18, is an expert on application... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Meeting Room 204A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All
Audience IT planners, executives, IT managers, or even developers

8:00am CDT

365: How to Set Up Your IBM i Environment to Weather the Evolution of Work in 2024

The evolution of work is on every IT leader’s mind, whether it’s in the context of hybrid work, generative AI, or automation. For IBM i teams, though, there’s also the challenge of a shrinking workforce that has deep expertise in IBM i administration and development. The good news is IBM I teams can take advantage of this evolution in a way that not only mitigates the skills shortage business impact but also sets up the organization for success.

Learning Objectives:
In this session, we will discuss what you need to do to take advantage of the trends in the evolution of work, including how to:
• Leverage pipelines to visualize and document your DevOps processes
• Enable 3rd party tried and true tools
• Weave hyper-automation into your every day
• Enable teams to experiment with new tech and IT trends like AI
• Simplify a move to the cloud

Speakers

Jeroen van Dun

Product Manager, Rocket Software

Herman Rensink

Distinguished Engineer, Rocket Software

Wednesday May 22, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Meeting Room 203C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All
Digital Badge IT Strategy

8:00am CDT

407: Steve's Yin to Josh's Yang - Maximizing Your Productivity in a Distracted World!

The distractions are EVERYWHERE! Emails, texts, social media, meetings, phone calls - the list is as endless as the demands on our time. We live in a fast paced multi-tasking world of constant change, never having enough time! We NEED to find ways to maximize our productivity, despite the distractions! But there are questions…

Is it possible to use technology more efficiently and effectively to stay organized and communicate better?
Are we using technology too much, not allowing enough time for other aspects of life?
Can both be true? Spoiler alert… Yes, they are! Come join this session to find out how. Enjoy two speakers for the price of one, and learn two different but complementary approaches to the same goal!

Speakers

Steve Wolk

CTO, PC Richard & Son

Steven Wolk is the Chief Technology Officer for PC Richard & Son, a family owned and operated chain of 66 appliance and electronics superstores located throughout NY, NJ, CT, and PA. Founded in 1909, PC Richard has always been known for honesty, integrity, and reliability throughout... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Meeting Room 102 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Personal Development

Session Level All
Audience Everyone who would like to be more focused, less distracted, and more productive!

8:00am CDT

127: Hidden Gems of IBM i

The IBM i team has been delivering new function two times per year since 2010. New releases and technology refreshes deliver a broad range of function and sometimes the smallest line items can be easily missed. The IBM i team has reviewed the past releases/refreshes and have assembled some of their favorite hidden gems; things that you might have missed but should know. Everyone will leave with something new that will help them in their day to day work.

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn about some of the very useful but lesser known functions of IBM i.

Speakers

Tim Rowe

Business Architect Application Development & Systems Management for IBM i, IBM

Tim Rowe is the Business Architect responsible for Application Development and Systems Management for the IBM i operating system. His responsibilities include helping to make sure that the IBM i has what is needed to be successful both today and into the future. He sends much of his... Read More →

Douglas Gibbs

Product Manager, IBM

Douglas Gibbs is the offering manager for IBM Power Systems I/O and works closely with the overall Offering Management, Sales and Development teams regarding all manners of I/O. Douglas has worked in the IT Industry for more than 25 years and has been in a variety of positions at... Read More →

Shauna Rollings

IBM i Performance Tools & High Availability Development, IBM

Shauna joined the IBM i development team in 2008. She has developed and supported IBM i performance data collector tools throughout her entire IBM career. From the very beginning of the Db2 Mirror for i project, she has also been the technical team lead for the Db2 Mirror Configuration... Read More →

Ryan Moeller

Software Engineer, IBM

Ryan Moeller is a software engineer working on Db2 for i, specifically on the SQL Query Engine (SQE) team. He joined the team in the Rochester, MN development lab in 2020. Ryan specializes in SQL, database development, and query performance analysis.

Ann Wilkerson

Software Developer, IBM

Ann Wilkerson is the technical team lead for Navigator for i and a developer for IBM i Services.

Wednesday May 22, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Room 202 C-D 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - General

Session Level All
Award GOLD

8:00am CDT

240: How Do I Improve Software Quality?

Every programmer wants to do the best job. How do you test your program and ensure that you aren't missing anything? From the simplest bug fix to large complex projects, there are key concepts that you can use to ensure that your program is properly tested.

This session is co-presented by expert developer, Scott Klement, and expert tester, Yvonne Enselman so that you can see things from both a developer and tester's perspective.

Learning Objectives:
1. What are the key points in the development process where testing should be considered?
2. How developers can identify the need for support from a tester or project manager.
3. How to minimize risk from software errors.

Speakers

Scott Klement

Development & Solutions Architect, Midrange Dynamics

Scott volunteers as a member of COMMON's Board of Directors, Strategic Education Team, Certification Committee and Innovation Awards. He is the author of around 1000 articles and a dozen open source projects. Scott's efforts to help out the IBM i Community have resulted in dozens... Read More →

Yvonne Enselman

Principal Architect for Quality Assurance on IBM i, Yvonne Enselman Professional Services

I am a Quality Assurance, Project Management, and Professional Services expert.Named IBM Champion 2024I have twenty-five years of experience in the IBM i industry starting in application development, transitioning through quality assurance, and into management. My passion has been... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Meeting Room 101 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - RPG

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Software developers who want to improve their quality.

8:00am CDT

149: Discovering your IBM i Data – For Security Administrators Issues

There’s plenty information on IBM i that is so valuable for the daily tasks. Many commands, APIs, and SQL functions, let you gather information from your IBM i. You can exploit it online, or build your own database tables with it.

I like to dig into this info. There is always something new to discover. Particularly related to security administration activities: analyzing user profiles, object ownership and authorities, authority lists, program adoptions, exit programs implemented, exploiting audit journal entries, analyzing Db2 activities, and the list goes on and on. All this information is as valuable to IT System Managers, as it is enterprise information to Business executives. You need to understand, evaluate, and take advantage of this knowledge.

In this session we will review the different types of system information you can find on IBM i, that are important for Security Administrators. We’ll also analyze different case studies of how to interpret and prepare the info for future exploitation.

Learning Objectives:
Identify different kinds of Information available in your IBM i
Analyze different ways of obtaining and/or finding this information in your systems.
Prepare information for better use with modern tools.

Speakers

Cecilia Howlin

Owner, PYRAMIS S.R.L.

Cecilia Howlin has been working on this platform from the very beginning. On her first job at IBM Argentina, she learned S/38. And never left the platform, since she thinks it never appeared other operating system as good as this one.She usually worked on technical issues, like installing... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Meeting Room 201A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Security Administrators and Security Auditors who need to find and exploit System Information related to Security

8:00am CDT

118: Daily Care and Feeding of IBM i

IBM i and IBM Power Systems combine to deliver a fabulously reliable environment. The operating system has rich work management capability and strong error reporting. Despite that you shouldn't ignore it or you will eventually find yourself dealing with something serious. In this session we'll cover the things you need to watch and understand allowing you to deal with them before they become serious issues.

Learning Objectives:
1) Learn where to look and what to look for to know how your system is running.
2) Learn what to configure for automatic reporting of errors and problem.
3) Learn the points at which you need to begin to apply effort well before issues occur.
4) Be able to tell management: "Yes our IBM i is running well!"

Speakers

Larry Bolhuis

Cloud and Datacenter Engineer, IBM Champion, Service Express Inc.

Larry has grown up with computers since his father became a CE in 1967. He obtained a bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Calvin College in 1982 and soon after began working on IBM midrange equipment with the S/34 and S/36. Larry began working on the As/400 at its introduction In 1988.After spending many years as a developer Larry began working on communications, networking, and systems management tasks. Years of... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Meeting Room 201B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level Intermediate
Award GOLD
Audience This session is focused on the Developer who is suddenly handed the Admin hat and needs to know what the daily tasks of an Admin are.

8:00am CDT

211: Set up a Shared NFS Drive to Deploy PTFs and Upgrades with Image Catalogs

Upgrading and PTFs is easy with Image Catalogs, but doing the same process on multiple LPARs can take a lot of redundant time and space. Learn how to use the mature and established support of NFS to create a single image catalog that multiple LPARs can use.

Learning Objectives:
1. Brief discussion of image catalogs and NFS
2. How to set up NFS with real world examples
3. Networking requirements and guidelines

Speakers

Jeffrey Carey

Sr. System Administrator, Ensono

Jeff Carey is an IBM i professional with over 25 years of experience on the platform, specializing in system administration. He currently is a Senior System Administrator for Ensono, a company providing managed services for Mainframe, IBM i, Cloud, and hybrid IT, headquartered in... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Meeting Room 103A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level Intermediate
Audience System Administrators who need to update and upgrade multiple systems, especially multiple LPARs on singe physical system.

8:00am CDT

271: IMGCLG, IFS, & FTP: Your BFFs for Getting your Data to the Cloud.

Getting your production data to the cloud has many challenges, including method, additional storage, backup time, and transfer recovery time. There are 3rd party packages which will help with these but come at a cost. This session will cover methods using native IBM i functions to accomplish this. In addition, identify ways to significantly reduce the transfer time. Real life example how a 350GB full system backup transfer taking 61 hours was reduced to 9 hours. Tricks to reduce the time even more and minimize additional storage requirements.

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn different tools and methods of getting you data to the cloud, including Image Catalogs and FTP.
2. Using native IBM i tools, understand different ways to reduce the data and time needed to get your data to the cloud.

Speakers

Rob Mineo

IBM i Senior Administrator/SME, (Independent)

I started my IT career in 1984. I started working on an IBM SYSTEM/38 in 1986, and upgraded to the AS/400 in 1989. I worked for STERIS Corporation from 1991 until I semi-retired in 2022. Since then, I have worked as an Independent IBM i Administrator. My career started as a programmer... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Meeting Room 203B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level Intermediate
Audience System Administrators and anyone responsible for getting IBM i data to the cloud or transferring data between systems.

8:00am CDT

325: Can PowerVS help me in accomplishing my DR and Cyber Resiliency goals.

in this session we are going to find out how IBM Power Virtual Server can help you to accomplish your Disaster Recovery and also your Cyber Resilience goals.

Also the reason for PowerVS as a DR environment will be discussed.

Learning Objectives:
-Understand how to set up a secure environment in IBM Power Virtual Server
-Compare on premise security to IBM Power Virtual Server security.
-How can IBM Power Virtual Server help you around Cyber Resiliency.

Speakers

Tonny Bastiaans

offering manager, IBM

Tonny Bastiaans is World Wide Product manager Power System at IBM. Started more than 20 years ago as an engineer on RS6000 systems (the predecessor of Power). He moved via several roles to his current role. With his technical background he is bridging the gap between technic and business... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Meeting Room 201C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All
Audience it administrators, architects, business strategist

9:15am CDT

228: ACS & Db2 for i – Explained

In this new session, you’ll hear the inside scoop about ACS from Ryan & Wayne.

At this session we will explore ACS and have a fun time understanding all the ACS has to offer.

Learning Objectives:
1. Discover the database and SQL feature-rich options within ACS
2. Gain best practices by hearing and seeing two experts discuss and demonstrate ACS

Speakers

Wayne Bowers

Software Engineer, IBM

Wayne Bowers has been with IBM since 1997, where he works with the IBM i Global Support Center in Rochester MN. He is an Advisory Software Engineer specializing in the support of the IBM i Access (aka Client Access) products, Console, the TCP Telnet communications server, and the... Read More →

Ryan Moeller

Software Engineer, IBM

Ryan Moeller is a software engineer working on Db2 for i, specifically on the SQL Query Engine (SQE) team. He joined the team in the Rochester, MN development lab in 2020. Ryan specializes in SQL, database development, and query performance analysis.

Wednesday May 22, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Meeting Room 204A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Beginner
Audience Anyone who needs to interact with Db2 for i

9:15am CDT

328: End-to-End Development: Modern IBM i Development Stack

In this talk, we’ll look at everything from development tools, build systems, to deployment methods. Finally there is a complete open source stack from IBM to use git and easily deploy ILE code (RPG, COBOL, you name it!) and this will cover them. We will look at the end-to-end lifecycle for IBM i applications when stored in git - all the way from the developers, to the end users machine automatically.

Learning Objectives:
* Understanding what a modern development lifecycle looks like
* How modern lifecycles look when running on IBM i
* Seeing the available open-source tools to accomplish automated deployments

Speakers

Liam Allan

Software Advocate, IBM

I am a developer and open-source advocate. Ask me about Node.js, VS Code, app deployment and CICD :)

Wednesday May 22, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Room 202 A-B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Customers who want to use git, automate builds and automate deployments

9:15am CDT

147: The Power of Ready - Lessons Learned from Actual Disasters

Our businesses today demand up-time, and reliability to move product and deliver services. Can your IBM i survive a sudden, unplanned event? Learn from multiple computer room, Cloud, and regional disasters, to know your DR Solution works in an actual Disaster. People, Technology and Geography are common critical points of failure. Lets keep our mistakes Original !

Learning Objectives:

Speakers

Richard Dolewski

VP, Enterprise Solutions, Connectria

Richard is a recognized SME and award-winning industry speaker specializing in, Cloud Computing Architecture, Business Resiliency, Disaster Recovery Planning and Backup & Recovery Program Design. He leads organizations through the new era of technology, achieving the desired, successful... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Meeting Room 203A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

High Availability Resilience

Session Level Intermediate

9:15am CDT

401: Enterprise Design Thinking at Scale

Speakers

Felix Portnoy

Design Principal, IBM

Felix Portnoy is a Design Principal at IBM, where he serves as a key driver in the transformation of IBM Power, with a focus on delivering exceptional customer experiences and elevating design culture and practices across the organization. Felix is a published researcher and the recipient... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Meeting Room 201C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Advanced

9:15am CDT

218: Using RDi to Refactor RPG Code

The best way to protect your investment in the IBM i is by transforming your applications into a "Next Generation" architecture. This session demonstrates how RDi accelerates this process and provides an agile approach to modernizing/refactoring RPG Code

Learning Objectives:
Best Practices and examples for the following will be covered:
1) How to use the refactoring capabilities of RDi
2) Moving from Fixed to Free Format RPG
3) How to extract business logic into procedures using RDi
4) Implementing a Database Abstraction Layer"

Speakers

Ray Everhart

Senior IBM i Analyst and X-Analysis Product Manager, Fresche

For over 30 years, Ray has helped companies understand, develop and manage their RPG, COBOL and CA 2E application environments. He also specializes in helping clients enhance and modernize their systems to meet evolving business demands and take advantage of digital transformation... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Room 202 C-D 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programmer Tools

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Developers

9:15am CDT

106: 30 PHP Tips in 60 Minutes

Inspired by longtime presenters at the Summit, this discussion looks at the most popular tweaks, hacks and just plain good practices the for IBM i PHP community to enjoy. Sometimes you just need a shopping list of things to watch out for and many of the tips that are scattered throughout these presentations are consolidated in a single place. Performance, security and best practices and more will be discussed.

Learning Objectives:
• Common tips useful to all PHP shops
• Common mistakes to overcome with PHP in most shops

Speakers

Mike Pavlak

Solution Architect, Perforce Software

Mike Pavlak has been working with IBM midrange solutions since 1992 and IBM Mainframes before that. After years of developing applications using RPG, CL and PHP he managed IT development and IT for power protection manufacturer Tripp Lite. Later Mike was instrumental in developing... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Meeting Room 103A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - PHP

Session Level All
Award BRONZE
Audience PHP developers and IBM i System Administrators where they are running PHP workload

9:15am CDT

189: How to set up your IBM I system and applications with a layered security defense using MFA

While the IBM i is more securable than distributed systems, it is still vulnerable to potential security risks. This is especially true as you modernize the applications through API creation to engage the data and applications that live on the system. In this session, we’ll discuss how you can build out a layered defense against security threats, including integrating IBM i with your existing enterprise SSO architecture.

Learning Objectives:
*Why IBM i specific security is critical and how to convince the business it should be part of the security policy
*How to set up MFA for IBM i using MFA
*How to integrate MFA into your applications like terminal emulation, and your SSO infrastructure

Speakers

Tim Hill

Distinguished Engineer, Rocket Software

Tim Hill is a Distinguished Engineer and VP of Engineering at Rocket Software. He’s responsible for security, cloud, and AI/ML products on Power and Z. Technology areas of personal focus include model-based reasoning, deep learning, complex event correlation, network management... Read More →

Hrithik Govardhan

Software Lead, Rocket Software

Long time Rocketeer working in the Security/MFA/Cloud spaces on Power and Z.

Wednesday May 22, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Meeting Room 203B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All
Audience Those who want to ensure data and applications on the IBM i are secure by layering on MFA.

9:15am CDT

375: 30 Information and Cyber Security Tips in 60 Minutes

Security is a big topic but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Just like weight lifting, where you can start with smaller weights and work your way up, so to in cyber security you can reduce your risk by doing some basic things as you work toward bigger goals. Examining the most common causes of security failures and a few simple countermeasures can help you take some action now.

Learning Objectives:
You know security is important, you do what you can to keep your IBM I and ERP secure, but is there anything more you could and should be doing? Get your checklist out and start checking the boxes of Robert’s 30 Security Tips in 60 Minutes. From no-brainers like MFA and limited ALLOBJ Authority to more detailed considerations like antivirus software and various security tools, this presentation will tell you what you should be doing, a little about how to do it, and a lot about what you may not be thinking of.

Speakers

Robert Nettgen

Senior Consultant, Briteskies

Robert Nettgen wanted a career in radio broadcasting, but saw that profession declining and found better pay working in IT. A PC developer in the ‘80’s, Rob started administering AS/400s in the early ‘90s for a Radio/TV group owner. In 1999 Rob accepted a job as IT director... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Meeting Room 101 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All
Audience CISOs, System admins, Managers and Directors of IT departments, and anyone else responsible for information security.

9:15am CDT

131: Cool things in Navigator to be a RockStar System Administrator

IBM Navigator for i is a powerful new tool to better manage your i environment. Get expert advice for installation and set up to make sure you get this powerful tool up and running at peak efficiency. Step through the functionality of this product and learn how to leverage the Performance Data Investigator to turn the collection services data into graphs you can use to identify performance issues. Learn ways to protect your system from intrusions, as well as close security holes such as FTP. See how this tool can help you select and install Logical files on your system to improve performance. Learn about the enhancements to this valuable tool in the latest release, while we see how this tool provides tips and techniques for better and more easily managing your IBM i.

Learning Objectives:
1) Learn how to close down various TCP/IP servers like FTP from intruders. 2) How to use the Index Advisor to improve performance. 3) Identify if someone is trying to access your IBM i with Intrusion Detection. 4) Performance Management graphs.

Speakers

Pete Massiello

IBM i Advisor, Massiello Holding Corp.

Pete Massiello has been working with the AS/400, iSeries, IBM i since 1989, focusing on systems management and technical support. He has held numerous technical positions through out his career. He is the President of iTech Solutions Group, an IBM Premier Business Partner delivering... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Meeting Room 203C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level Intermediate
Award SILVER

9:15am CDT

231: iSee with Scott and Tim

In this session Scott and Tim will show, ie live demo how to solve real problems that we get asked, using ACS and the power of SQL.

Learning Objectives:

Speakers

Tim Rowe

Business Architect Application Development & Systems Management for IBM i, IBM

Tim Rowe is the Business Architect responsible for Application Development and Systems Management for the IBM i operating system. His responsibilities include helping to make sure that the IBM i has what is needed to be successful both today and into the future. He sends much of his... Read More →

Scott Forstie

Db2 for i Architect, IBM

Scott Forstie is a Senior Technical Staff Member within IBM i development and spends most of his time working as the Db2 for i Architect. He has worked on IBM operating system development since joining IBM in 1989.Scott is a frequently published author, speaker at industry events... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Meeting Room 102 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level All

9:15am CDT

353: Using SQL to Help Keep Your System Clean

Have you recently taken over responsibility for a LPAR? Or are you concerned there is too much “rubbish” on your systems? Use these techniques to identify the most common wastes of space you have, & plan your cleanup efforts.

Learning Objectives:
1. How to identify the big three “wasters” of space
2. Simple ways to clean this up
3. How to monitor that this does not happen again

Speakers

Simon Hutchinson

Author, RPGPGM.COM

Simon Hutchinson has been writing his highly acclaimed IBM i blog, RPGPGM.COM, for eleven years sharing his knowledge, experience, and giving many detailed examples of the latest RPG, SQL, and CL. His work has led him to be recognized by IBM as an IBM Champion for Power and IBM i Community Advocate. He is a subject matter expert for COMMON North America and... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Meeting Room 201A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level Intermediate
Digital Badge SQL
Audience Any system admin or anyone who is responsible for a LPAR looking to increase the amount of available space, & reduce the amount of old & unneeded “stuff” taking up that space.

9:15am CDT

120: Managing Startup and Shutdown of your IBM i

In days gone by the IBM Supplied program QSTRUP combined with a couple options on CHGIPLA was good enough for most IBM i shops. It started what seemed to be needed and anything else we stumbled through after each IPL. When it was time to shut down a PWRDWNSYS or ENDSBS command took down whatever was running. We were happy.

Today though we often see dozens of subsytems running many web servers, other needed batch jobs and services. We see monitors and queue processing jobs and many writers. For security purposes we should be starting only the TCP servers that we need, not all of them. Likely we should not start IPV6 and start things in sequence as well.

Further considerations may be needed in an HA environment. These include not starting jobs until iASPS are available and starting different IP interfaces and services depending on production or backup mode of the server. We may want to handle special startup modes while doing PTFs, backups or other system maintenance.

In this session we will work with customizing that startup. We'll discuss staring PASE jobs with QSH, web server jobs and more. We'll discuss prestart jobs and autostart jobs. And finally we will also work with sequencing the shutdown of the system. As part of this we'll discuss some simple ways to know what needs to be shut down and smoothly handling that.

Learning Objectives:
1) Learn how to control which startup program will run on your IBM i.
2) Examine the various servers to start and how to control them.
3) Learn options for starting different services.
4) Consider ways to control the startup of your server in different operting modes.
5) Understanding an orderly shutdown of your IBM i server.

Speakers

Larry Bolhuis

Cloud and Datacenter Engineer, IBM Champion, Service Express Inc.

Larry has grown up with computers since his father became a CE in 1967. He obtained a bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Calvin College in 1982 and soon after began working on IBM midrange equipment with the S/34 and S/36. Larry began working on the As/400 at its introduction In 1988.After spending many years as a developer Larry began working on communications, networking, and systems management tasks. Years of... Read More →

Larry Amond

Director of Application Development, Greater Regional Alliance of REALTORS®

Larry began his career working and IBM and NCR mainframes in 1977, and has been working on IBM midrange systems since 1993. He has spent most of his career as an application systems developer and has been developing web site applications on IBM systems since 1999.He is currently Director... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 9:15am - 11:30am CDT
Meeting Room 201B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level Advanced
Award GOLD
Audience IBM i System Administrators

10:30am CDT

392: API Enable Your Database

How important is delivering business data to your users and customers? I’d bet it’s among the top concerns of any development effort. How do you deliver data in the modern world? Rest API are one of the most common methods. We’ll explore, though live demos, how to expose data in a safe and secure manner using Integrated Web Services (IWS). Our focus will be on directly leveraging the database, not using RPG or Service program.

Learning Objectives:
1. How to exose data using Select, Insert, Update, and Delete statements
2. How to expose data using SQL Stored Procedures

Speakers

John Westcott

Analytics Consultant, Db2 for i, IBM

John Westcott is a member of the Db2 for i Database and Analytics team in IBM’s Technology Services (formerly Lab Services). A consultant with over 35 years’ experience on IBM i, his skills include Business Intelligence, Business Analytics, Database Modernization, SQL and RPG... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
Meeting Room 103A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Audience SQL developers delivering data to any part of the business

10:30am CDT

347: How to Begin a Real-life DevOps Journey

A DevOps strategy unites your software development and IT operations teams so you can deliver software faster. In this session, we share tips, advice, and anecdotes from teams just like yours who are implementing DevOps along with CI/CD pipelines to integrate and automate essential processes. Moving forward seems less daunting when we learn from the experiences of others.

Learning Objectives:
1. DevOps fundamentals
2. First steps to take to prepare for implementing DevOps and CI/CD pipelines
3. How DevOps and CI/CD best succeed with an evolutionary approach
4. Tips on where to start, how to make regular progress, and set realistic goals to deliver on time and within budget.

Speakers

Donna Westmoreland

CTO, Midrange Dynamics North America

Experience gained from leading major projects, including application modernization, at 100s of corporations has given Donna a well-rounded view of development needs, audit requirements, and testing principles.

Wednesday May 22, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
Meeting Room 203A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All
Audience Those interested in implementing DevOps methodologies.

10:30am CDT

338: DB2 Mirror - Logistics for 400K trucks - Driving Business Outcomes

Transflo generates over 3.2M downloads to equip over 400,000 truck drivers 7 x 24 with all the features they need for their workday. Near zero downtime was the only way to keep the fleets connected and moving around the clock. This CASE Study will present through the eyes of the customer a roadmap : IBM lab DB2 Assessment, building a reference architecture, implementation, testing failover and day to day management for DB2 Mirror.

Learn how Transflo leveraged an IBM Cloud On Net solution by staying on IBM Power Technology connected to AWS and Azure. The solution enabled Transflo to scale easily, reach best-in-class system availability.

Learning Objectives:
1. Gain insight into the critical step for a successful DB2 Mirror Implementation
2. Explore operational testing with DB2 Mirror
3. Stay-up-to-date with the latest new features available for DB2 Mirror

Speakers

Richard Dolewski

VP, Enterprise Solutions, Connectria

Richard is a recognized SME and award-winning industry speaker specializing in, Cloud Computing Architecture, Business Resiliency, Disaster Recovery Planning and Backup & Recovery Program Design. He leads organizations through the new era of technology, achieving the desired, successful... Read More →

Scott Forstie

Db2 for i Architect, IBM

Scott Forstie is a Senior Technical Staff Member within IBM i development and spends most of his time working as the Db2 for i Architect. He has worked on IBM operating system development since joining IBM in 1989.Scott is a frequently published author, speaker at industry events... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
Meeting Room 102 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

High Availability Resilience

Session Level Intermediate
Digital Badge HA/DR

10:30am CDT

139: Everything They Never Taught You!

Ok, maybe we're setting the bar a little high by saying EVERYTHING, but did you ever feel like all the people around you seem to just KNOW things, things you don't? Sure, you're a wiz with SQL, and no one codes RPG like you do, but when it comes to people skills, to working in teams, to communicating well, to building your career... Well, they never taught you THAT! Come to this session to learn everything you've been missing out on.

Learning Objectives:
Attend this session to learn to:
* Collaborate more effectively with other team members
* Resolve conflict with coworkers
* Improve your relationship with your boss
* Negotiate to get what you want
* Effectively market yourself in your current position
* Communicate better with everyone
* Understand EVERYTHING THEY NEVER TAUGHT YOU!

Speakers

Steve Wolk

CTO, PC Richard & Son

Steven Wolk is the Chief Technology Officer for PC Richard & Son, a family owned and operated chain of 66 appliance and electronics superstores located throughout NY, NJ, CT, and PA. Founded in 1909, PC Richard has always been known for honesty, integrity, and reliability throughout... Read More →

Everything They Never Taught You! Steven Wolk pdf

Wednesday May 22, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
Meeting Room 101 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Personal Development

Session Level All
Award GOLD
Audience Anyone who must work with other people will benefit from this session!

10:30am CDT

382: Intro to Developer Productivity Engineering (DPE)

The tech ecosystem has been changing drastically, and there are some technologies that are disrupting the way developers are expected to operate. For instance, we're seeing the VSCode ecosystem grow, we're seeing AI do amazing things, and we have more open source CI/CD options than ever before.

What does all this mean? In short, it has caused a strategic shift of focus to developer productivity. That is, how do we enable developers to be productive as possible? Developer Productivity Engineering, or DPE, is the study of how to analyze and improve efficiency for programmers. In this session, get an overview of DPE so that you can apply the concepts within your organization. Doing so will increase efficiency and decrease cost.

Learning Objectives:
Learn what DPE is and discuss how it can be applied in a realistic setting

Speakers

Jesse Gorzinski

Business Architect, IBM

Jesse Gorzinski works for the IBM i development lab in Rochester, MN. He is a Senior Business Architect and Senior Technical Staff Member (STSM) responsible for open source technologies on the platform. Jesse, who was doing RPG programming at the age of 18, is an expert on application... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
Room 202 C-D 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programmer Tools

Session Level All
Audience IT planners, executives, IT managers, or even developers

10:30am CDT

356: AI Ethics: Balancing Innovation and Responsibility

As AI technology advances and its use becomes more widespread, the debate of ethical concerns becomes more prominent.

On one side of the debate, some argue that AI should be used to improve the lives of people and make difficult decisions with fewer mistakes.

On the other side, some argue that AI should not be used to make decisions that affect people’s lives, as it could lead to biased results or decisions that are not in the best interest of society.

Either way, as the debate continues, the importance of ethical considerations when creating and using AI will become increasingly important

Speakers

Charles Guarino

CEO & IBM Champion, Central Park Data Systems

Charles Guarino believes in the “power” of IBM Power Systems. His career reflects his dedication and interest in bringing the platform and its solutions to others and as a result has been recognized as an IBM Champion.He is a member of COMMON’s Speaker Excellence Hall of Fame... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
Room 202 A-B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - General

Session Level Beginner

10:30am CDT

314: Navigating Python on IBM i: From Zero to Hero

This session provides a foundational understanding of Python in the context of the IBM i environment. Attendees will be introduced to the basics of Python, including its syntax, usage, and application, particularly focusing on how it integrates with and enhances the capabilities of the IBM i platform. The session will guide through setting up the environment, writing simple Python scripts, and leveraging Python to interact with IBM i-specific resources like DB2 and IFS.

Learning Objectives:
1. Grasp fundamental concepts of Python programming and its integration with IBM i.
2. Learn to set up and navigate the Python environment on IBM i.
3. Understand how to write basic Python scripts and interact with IBM i resources.

Speakers

Joseph Wright

Owner / Consultant, Wright4i

Wednesday May 22, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
Meeting Room 204A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - Python

Session Level Beginner
Audience Ideal for individuals new to Python or those looking to understand its application in an IBM i environment.

10:30am CDT

216: Test Data Management : Are You Compliant?

When it comes to testing, training, or even disaster testing, often real data is used. This may be the entire set of tables of production or a subset, but it's real data. Real private personal information. With the European GDPR or the CCPA out of California, protecting this data is now more than keeping a hacker away. It's about protecting the bottom line and away from fines. This is where you need to use anonymization to mask your data so that it's usable and masked.

Learning Objectives:
1) Are you compliant with PII policies?
2) Is your data exposed in non-production environments.
3) Do you know the difference in anonymization and pseudoanonymization.
4) Data Extraction
5) Using temporary environments

Speakers

Alan Ashley

Presales Consultant for DevOps for IBMi, Arcad Software

When it comes to describing someone, even yourself, it can be difficult. This time it's easy. I grew up on the AS400, through iSeries, and into the IBM i world. Started on a model B50 (I know it was a B model) where the disk drive needed two persons to replace and now in the DevSecOps... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
Meeting Room 201A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Audience If you are an application owner, security admin, or an auditor, then understanding the possible expose in non-production environments is key. This session will cover those questions and answers to protect those environments.

10:30am CDT

389: Fortify and Conquer: Secure Coding Strategies for IBM i Developers

Embark on an exploration of IBM i security challenges as we navigate the dangerous landscape of common vulnerabilities on IBM i. Don't miss the chance to fortify your coding skills and conquer the challenges of secure IBM i development!

In this session tailored for ILE developers (including RPG and CL developers), we'll dissect real-world examples of security pitfalls in our sample software, exploring issues like object authority, adopted authority, and library list vulnerabilities. Discover actionable solutions that empower you to reinforce your IBM i code so it is ready to face threats lurking in the wild.

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn from correcting real-world examples of vulnerabilities in a set of sample applications.
2. Understand the basics of creating more secure software on IBM i.

Speakers

Brian Nordland

Associate Director of Development, Fortra

In addition to his role as Associate Director of Development for Power Development at Fortra, Brian Nordland serves as the technical product manager for PowerHA and Robot HA. Brian has spoken at events, webinars, and user groups—including COMMON—since 2014. He is a co-inventor... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
Meeting Room 203B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Audience IBM i software developers

10:30am CDT

160: A Day in the Life of a Systems Admin

What tasks do you need to complete every day, every week, and on a regular basis to successfully administer your IBM i? This session will take you through the base tasks that every System Admin should be doing to monitor and administer the system to its best efficiency.

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn what to monitor regularly to ensure optimization
2. Learn what tasks to complete regularly to keep the system on track.
3. Learn how to streamline your administration tasks efficiently

Speakers

Sarah Jacob

VP of Customer Experience, Agile Technology Architects

Sarah Jacob is the Vice President of Customer Experience at Agile Technology Architects. She is a Subject Matter Expert in Power Systems Administration and a volunteer for COMMON. Sarah specializes in Backup and Recovery planning and recovery testing. Additionally, she acts as primary... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
Meeting Room 203C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level Beginner
Audience System Admins who are new to the position or to IBM i in general.

10:30am CDT

194: What to know when moving to the Cloud

In this session, we'll discuss what you need to think about when moving to the cloud. It’s not as easy as just moving your workload from one machine to another. Pete will cover: Costs associated with moving to the cloud, what you should be moving, understanding planning, migration, testing and more.

Learning Objectives:
Is the cloud right for you? What to expect from a cloud provider? Migration issues.

Speakers

Pete Massiello

IBM i Advisor, Massiello Holding Corp.

Pete Massiello has been working with the AS/400, iSeries, IBM i since 1989, focusing on systems management and technical support. He has held numerous technical positions through out his career. He is the President of iTech Solutions Group, an IBM Premier Business Partner delivering... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
Meeting Room 201C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level All
Audience Anyone thinking of moving their IBM i to the cloud.

10:30am CDT

Expo Open

Lunch in Expo from 12PM-1PM

Passport to Prizes Drawing in Expo 1PM-1:15PM

Wednesday May 22, 2024 10:30am - 1:30pm CDT
Ballroom B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

12:00pm CDT

Lunch in Expo

Wednesday May 22, 2024 12:00pm - 1:00pm CDT
Ballroom B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

1:30pm CDT

302: Database Modernization An Evolution not a Revolution

Modernizing applications and neglecting the database? Think converting from DDS to DDL is enough database modernization? It may be enough, although there’s more to the database than the way it’s defined. This session explores database modernization techniques from an evolution perspective for continuous change. And, how that type of database modernization compliments application modernization.

Learning Objectives:

Speakers

John Westcott

Analytics Consultant, Db2 for i, IBM

John Westcott is a member of the Db2 for i Database and Analytics team in IBM’s Technology Services (formerly Lab Services). A consultant with over 35 years’ experience on IBM i, his skills include Business Intelligence, Business Analytics, Database Modernization, SQL and RPG... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CDT
Meeting Room 103A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Anyonme intereted in database moderization

1:30pm CDT

310: Elevate your SQL Capabilities with Lateral Joins, Pivots, and Window Functions

Take your SQL skills to the next level with this session on Lateral joins, Window functions, and Pivoting. Discover how LATERAL joins simplify complex queries, learn new insights with Window Functions, and master the art of pivoting data for dynamic reporting. Whether you're an SQL pro or beginner, join us to unlock the full potential of these powerful tools and techniques.

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn how and when to use the Lateral keyword (along with correlation and cross joins).
2. Learn all the available Window Functions and how/when to use them.
3. Learn what pivoting is and how to setup an SQL procedure to do it dynamically.

Speakers

Mike Zaringhalam

Developer, PC Richard & Son

Have you ever wanted to meet someone who started Hawaiian Shirt Fridays at their work place? If the answer is 'Yes!', then feel free to reach out with any questions you have regarding Hawaiian shirts... Or IBM i related topics. My main focuses are RDi, DB2, Modernization, and D... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CDT
Meeting Room 203A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Advanced
Audience Anyone looking to further their SQL skillset would benefit from this

1:30pm CDT

204: The Magic of Rest APIs on IBM i

Rest APIs are a key technology in the world of Modern Applications these days. The IBM i operating system has integrated support for easily creating Rest APIs over existing ILE programs and service programs, as well as being able to wrapper SQL statements. In Addition, you can leverage the integrated support to call Rest APIs from your native RPG / COBOL ILE code. This session will leverage live demos to show both side of the Rest API conversation on IBM i.

Speakers

Tim Rowe

Business Architect Application Development & Systems Management for IBM i, IBM

Tim Rowe is the Business Architect responsible for Application Development and Systems Management for the IBM i operating system. His responsibilities include helping to make sure that the IBM i has what is needed to be successful both today and into the future. He sends much of his... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CDT
Meeting Room 102 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - General

Session Level Beginner

1:30pm CDT

265: Ask Dr. *nix

As Dr. *nix any questions about the PASE/Linux/USS/*nix environment and shell. Dr. *nix will have his laptop open and logged in to various systems to demonstrate solutions. The mysteries of shell scripting explored! If Unix-like environments are as puzzling to you as IBM i is to Linux weenies, this is your session!

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn more about the shell
2. Learn more about scripting
3. Learn more about utilities, pipelines, and shell job control

Speakers

Jack Woehr

Senior Engineer, Absolute Performance, Inc.

Author of Ublu, an open source remote language for IBM i. A Quantum Computing enthusiast, Jack is an IBM Qiskit Advocate, 2021 IBM Champion, 2022 IBM Champion, 2023 IBM Champion, and 2024 IBM Champion.A consulting programmer with over 30 years' experience in open source specializing in open source based IBM i modernization... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CDT
Meeting Room 201C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - General

Session Level All
Audience Anyone with questions about the *nix facet of IBM i can benefit from this session.

1:30pm CDT

315: Expanding Your Python Toolkit on IBM i

Building upon basic Python knowledge, this session delves into more advanced aspects of Python programming on IBM i. Participants will explore python libraries, file handling, and database interaction using Python. The session aims to enhance proficiency in Python for more efficient scripting and automation on IBM i.

Learning Objectives:
1. Increase practical knowledge of Python with common use cases.
2. Enhance skills in database manipulation using Python on IBM i.
3. Understand the application of Python libraries in the IBM i environment.

Speakers

Joseph Wright

Owner / Consultant, Wright4i

Wednesday May 22, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CDT
Meeting Room 204A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - Python

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Suited for those with basic Python skills seeking to deepen their knowledge, particularly in an IBM i context.

1:30pm CDT

163: What's the Fuss? Using Procedures and Service Programs

This session discusses the advantages of using modern techniques in your RPG programs. After a short introduction to modularity in programming; we go step-by-step through the process of replacing called programs with sub-procedure modules and then converting these modules to procedures in a called service program.

Learning Objectives:

Internalize the benefits of using modular coding practices.
Understand the steps in coding modular subprocedures and service programs.
Develop reusable subprocedures and service programs.

Speakers

Jim Buck

CEO & Head Instructor, imPower Technologies

Jim Buck’s career in IT has spanned more than 35+ years, primarily in college education, manufacturing, and healthcare industries. Past president (13 years) of the Wisconsin Midrange Computer Professional Association (www.wmcpa.org) and has served on several teams developing IBM... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CDT
Room 202 C-D 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - RPG

Session Level All
Audience Any developer that wants improve their coding methods and write modern RPG code

1:30pm CDT

290: How to Use SQL in RPG

In this session, I will walk through how to use SQL in your RPG modules/programs. We will talk about static and dynamic concepts, how to write SQL in an RPG module/program, use of host variables, and more.

Learning Objectives:
1. To start using SQL in RPG modules/programs
2. Have examples and then be able to try at home

Speakers

Sven Jansson

Senior developer, Apper Systems AB

I have worked on the IBM i platform since 1995. My technical roles include developer, analyst, database specialist, application security, and communications. I also worked on IBMz for a few years, and I serve on the COMMON Sweden board. I'm a curious person who always wants to learn... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CDT
Room 202 A-B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - RPG

Session Level Beginner
Digital Badge SQL
Audience Developers

1:30pm CDT

308: Best Practices for Preventing and Recovering from Ransomware

You need to implement a ransomware preventions strategy to protect your IBM i. However, what happens if you do get compromised? What if you could restore back to a point before the ransomware attack occurred?

Come learn about how by the combination of external storage, Flash Copy and logical replication can be used to rewind a large database to a point back in time.

Learning Objectives:
* Understanding Ransomware prevention strategies
* Preventing most common ransomware vulnerabilities
* How to get back to a point before the ransomware attack

Speakers

Barry Kirksey

Principal Sales Engineer, Precisely

Bill Peedle

Principal Sales Engineer, Precisely

Gavriel Meir-Levi

Wednesday May 22, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CDT
Meeting Room 203B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All
Audience IBM i administrators and security professionals

1:30pm CDT

107: Why Wait? Discover the Power of IBM i Wait Accounting

IBM i wait accounting is a powerful capability to determine what your jobs are doing when they are not using the CPU. This session will review wait accounting and how Collection Services data can provide insight into your wait times. It will then focus on how to use Job Watcher, the power of the data it provides, and how to leverage Performance Data Investigator (PDI) to analyze the data.

The presentation will work through example scenarios, showing performance graphs and describing what those graphs tell you. These examples will reinforce how you can use Job Watcher data in combination with PDI to analyze your performance data and resolve issues in your own environment

This session will reveal the power of IBM i wait accounting and the insight it can provide so you can optimize the performance of your applications and system environment.

Learning Objectives:
You will learn about IBM i Wait Accounting and how to use wait information and Job Watcher to improve the performance of your system and/or applications.

Speakers

Dawn May

Owner, Dawn May Consulting, LLC

Dawn has been involved with COMMON for over 20 years and has been a consistent volunteer since 2008. She's been a member of the strategic education team, a subject matter expert, and a speaker. Now, as President of COMMON, she's focused on leading COMMON as the industry leader of... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CDT
Meeting Room 201A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Systems administrators responsible for managing their IBM i partitions, and in particular, managing performance. Application developers interested in using wait accounting to optimize the performance of their applications.

1:30pm CDT

116: Clean Up Your IBM i Disk

How much disk storage do you have on your system? The most common answer is 'not enough!' Attend this session and find out where all that space went, what you can clean up, and what should be left alone. Learn about reporting, automating, and managing your disk space in IBM i. Develop a deeper understanding of the tools IBM has built into IBM i and how to leverage them to help keep your system clean. Especially learn how to leverage SQL to find consumers of disk QUICKLY! Walk away with a solid understanding of how to clean up your disk space both QSYS and the IFS.

Learning Objectives:
How to determine where all your disk space has gone.
How to clean up unused space in physical files.
How to search for object filling up the IFS
How to use *nix and PASE tools to work in the iFS.
How to use SQL to find disk users and usage.

Speakers

Larry Bolhuis

Cloud and Datacenter Engineer, IBM Champion, Service Express Inc.

Larry has grown up with computers since his father became a CE in 1967. He obtained a bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Calvin College in 1982 and soon after began working on IBM midrange equipment with the S/34 and S/36. Larry began working on the As/400 at its introduction In 1988.After spending many years as a developer Larry began working on communications, networking, and systems management tasks. Years of... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CDT
Meeting Room 101 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level All
Audience This session is for you if you are the person in charge of administering your IBM i and what's filling up it's disk storage!!

1:30pm CDT

134: Discovering your IBM i Data - For System Administrators issues

There’s plenty information on IBM i that is so valuable for the daily tasks. Many commands, APIs, and SQL functions, let you gather information from your IBM i. You can exploit it online, or build your own database tables with it..

I like to dig into this info. There is always something new to discover. Particularly related to system administration activities: analyzing object sizing, resolving lock conflicts, obtaining job statistics, documenting TCPIP configurations, checking backup activities, investigating PTFs installed, and the list goes on and on.. All this information is as valuable to IT System Managers, as it is enterprise information to Business executives. You need to understand, evaluate, and take advantage of this knowledge.

In this session we will review the different types of system information you can find on IBM i, that are important for System Administrators. We'll see how to interpret and prepare the info for future exploitation.

Learning Objectives:
Identify different kinds of Information available in your IBM i.
Analyze different ways of obtaining and/or finding this information in your systems.
Prepare information for better use with modern tools.

Speakers

Cecilia Howlin

Owner, PYRAMIS S.R.L.

Cecilia Howlin has been working on this platform from the very beginning. On her first job at IBM Argentina, she learned S/38. And never left the platform, since she thinks it never appeared other operating system as good as this one.She usually worked on technical issues, like installing... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CDT
Meeting Room 203C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level Intermediate
Audience System Administrators and Technical Advisors who need to find and exploit System Information

1:30pm CDT

309: PowerVS is the Destination, Understand the Journey!

Join us as we enhance your Journey to the Cloud. PowerVS, is an enterprise solution that will allow you to deploy your Power IBM i Development, Disaster Recovery, High Availability and Production workloads into the IBM Public Cloud. We will discuss topics to take into consideration when creating your Roadmap for a successful migration to a robust and secure PowerVS solution.

Your traveling agents are Tonny Bastiaans WW offering manager PowerVS at IBM and David Contreras, IBMI i Power Specialist at Meridian

Learning Objectives:
1. Introduction/learning about IBM PowerVS.
2. Considerations when migrating to the Cloud.
3. Understanding how to plan to their Journey to the Cloud.
4. Slides will reflect some topics covering analysis and design when migrating.
5. Backup and Restore in the cloud will not have a tape drive, what now? Talk about solutions they will need to consider filling this gap.

Speakers

David Contreras

IBM Power Systems Specialist, Meridian IT

My over 35 years of experience range from Senior System Architect, Systems Analyst, Senior System Engineer, Project Manager, Technical Manager and I.T Specialist. I have the ability to work effectively with different levels of staff from executive to technical. I have traveled extensively... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CDT
Meeting Room 201B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All
Audience Admins, Managers, and others who are thinking or planning to migrate to the Cloud/PowerVS

2:45pm CDT

187: Streamline your SQL Routines

The SQL procedural language makes it easy to create your business logic in stored procedures, triggers, and user-defined functions. Each of these routines have options that performance, but most programmers usually take the default option values without giving any thought to their impact. Learn about these overlooked performance options and other procedural language coding best practices.

Learning Objectives:

Speakers

Kent Milligan

Senior Db2 for i Consultant, IBM

Kent Milligan is a Senior Db2 for i Consultant in IBM Technology Expert Labs. Kent has over 25 years of experience as a Db2 for IBM i consultant and developer working out of the IBM Rochester lab. Prior to re-joining the Db2 for i Expert Labs practice in 2020, Kent spent 5 years... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 203A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Developers, data base engineers, performance analysts

2:45pm CDT

351: Simon’s Top Ten SQL

Simon has written a lot about modern Db2 for i and SQL on his blog for the past ten years. In this fast past session he will take you through his top 10 favorites. You will have to attend to learn what these cool SQL tricks and tips are & how they can help you be a SQL super hero! (this will be updated to include any cool new things added to SQL in the intervening time)

Learning Objectives:
1. Get a quick overview of my favorite SQL table functions & views that allow you to get to information you did know you could do
2. Simple examples shown

Speakers

Simon Hutchinson

Author, RPGPGM.COM

Simon Hutchinson has been writing his highly acclaimed IBM i blog, RPGPGM.COM, for eleven years sharing his knowledge, experience, and giving many detailed examples of the latest RPG, SQL, and CL. His work has led him to be recognized by IBM as an IBM Champion for Power and IBM i Community Advocate. He is a subject matter expert for COMMON North America and... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 102 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All
Audience Examples anyone can use these examples to maximize their use of SQL to make their lives simpler.

2:45pm CDT

102: What IBM i Professionals can learn from NASA

The NASA moonshot initiative in the 1960s and 1970s was groundbreaking in the use of information technology and advanced developments. Correspondingly testing and quality assurance was mandatory, extensive, and equally inventive. Using examples from history we will discuss current issues such as disaster recovery (the Apollo One fire), test coverage (Apollo 13), specifications and prototypes (the development of the LM), user ability and experience (Apollo 14), and further education development (Apollo 17).

Learning Objectives:
Explore disaster recovery, High Availability, testing, and implementation of quality assurance in a unique and informative way.

Speakers

Yvonne Enselman

Principal Architect for Quality Assurance on IBM i, Yvonne Enselman Professional Services

I am a Quality Assurance, Project Management, and Professional Services expert.Named IBM Champion 2024I have twenty-five years of experience in the IBM i industry starting in application development, transitioning through quality assurance, and into management. My passion has been... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 103A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

High Availability Resilience

Session Level All
Digital Badge HA/DR
Audience Testers and Developers interested in furthering QA knowledge. Anyone who was interested in the Mercury/Gemini/Apollo program in the 1960s.

2:45pm CDT

128: Testing your DR Plan - Reality Check - 5 Yearly Must Haves

Exercising the recovery elements that make up your Disaster Recovery Plan is an integral part of any effective business strategy. Business and Technology has evolved. Ensure you test for today’s digital business world and Cloud computing. Testing your plan is essential to see how to do it right.

Learning Objectives:

Speakers

Richard Dolewski

VP, Enterprise Solutions, Connectria

Richard is a recognized SME and award-winning industry speaker specializing in, Cloud Computing Architecture, Business Resiliency, Disaster Recovery Planning and Backup & Recovery Program Design. He leads organizations through the new era of technology, achieving the desired, successful... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 203B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

High Availability Resilience

Session Level All
Digital Badge HA/DR

2:45pm CDT

364: I've Moved Over to Cloud. Now What?

You've successfully migrated to the cloud, but what's next? Join this session as we explore essential strategies to extract maximum value from your cloud presence. Discover next-step initiatives that go beyond migration, ensuring your organization leverages the full potential of the cloud.

Key Points:

Optimizing Cloud Performance: Learn strategies to enhance the performance and efficiency of your applications and resources in the cloud.

Cost Optimization Tactics: Explore initiatives to manage and optimize costs, ensuring your cloud investment remains efficient and cost-effective.

Security and Compliance in the Cloud: Delve into best practices for maintaining robust security and compliance standards in your cloud environment.

Learning Objectives:
Session Highlights:

- Post-Migration Excellence
- Innovative Cloud Initiatives
- Real-world Case Studies

Speakers

Lief Morin

GM, Cloud Services, Fresche Solutions

Wednesday May 22, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 204A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All

2:45pm CDT

267: Open Source WALSTIB

The floodgates of Open Source via PASE on IBM i opened up about a decade ago. Where were we, where have we been, where are we now, where are we going, and how did we find ourselves in this handbasket? Presentation and open discussion of What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been.

Learning Objectives:
1. What has been the impact of open source becoming prevalent on IBM i PASE?
2. What have we learned to do, and what have we learned not to do?
3. What should we do next?

Speakers

Jack Woehr

Senior Engineer, Absolute Performance, Inc.

Author of Ublu, an open source remote language for IBM i. A Quantum Computing enthusiast, Jack is an IBM Qiskit Advocate, 2021 IBM Champion, 2022 IBM Champion, 2023 IBM Champion, and 2024 IBM Champion.A consulting programmer with over 30 years' experience in open source specializing in open source based IBM i modernization... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 201C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programmer Tools

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Open source users who with enough experience to make some judgement calls.

2:45pm CDT

224: Build a Phenomenal Web App on IBM i in Under 10 Minutes — No Coding Required!

Just released! Valence 6.3, the latest incarnation of the popular web and mobile framework for IBM i, includes a browser-based low-code development utility called Nitro App Builder (NAB), through which anyone with a solid understanding of their IBM i database can create dazzling web or mobile apps, including dashboards and data grids with download-to-Excel functionality, all in a matter of minutes! Running entirely on IBM i, the NAB tool can also be used to create intricate file maintenance apps, through which users can adjust content in one or more physical files — you control which fields they can see and/or edit.

All of this can be achieved with no coding, though IBM i developers can easily extend the app's functionality with RPG or SQL code to handle business logic as needed. Advanced programmers comfortable with HTML Living Standard and JavaScript code can take things even further, creating super elaborate data-entry apps that work hand-in-hand with server-side RPG logic through the Valence Portal.
The bottom line: With Valence, whether you're a seasoned RPG developer or a super user with intimate knowledge of your system's physical files, you can crank out highly functional web and mobile apps on IBM i in no time — no prior experience in web or mobile development required. Come to this quick demo session to see the latest release of the Valence framework, and how easy it is to quickly build and deploy such an app on your system.

All of this can be achieved with no coding, though IBM i developers can easily extend the app's functionality with RPG or SQL code to handle business logic as needed. Advanced programmers comfortable with HTML Living Standard and JavaScript code can take things even further, creating super elaborate data-entry apps that work hand-in-hand with server-side RPG logic through the Valence Portal.

The bottom line: With Valence, whether you're a seasoned RPG developer or a super user with intimate knowledge of your system's physical files, you can crank out highly functional web and mobile apps on IBM i in no time — no prior experience in web or mobile development required. Come to this quick demo session to see the latest release of the Valence framework, and how easy it is to quickly build and deploy such an app on your system.

All of this can be achieved with no coding, though IBM i developers can easily extend the app's functionality with RPG or SQL code to handle business logic as needed. Advanced programmers comfortable with HTML Living Standard or JavaScript code can take things even further, creating super elaborate data-entry apps that work hand-in-hand with server-side RPG logic through the Valence Portal.

The bottom line: With Valence, whether you're a seasoned developer or a database-savvy user, you can crank out highly functional web or mobile apps on IBM i in no time — no prior experience in web or mobile development required! Join us in this quick demo session to see this latest release of the Valence framework, and how easy it is to build and deploy such an app on your system.

Speakers

Robert Swanson

Senior Partner, CNX Corporation

Rob has worked as an in-the-trenches IBM i developer since 1992, with the past 15 years focused on developing modernization efforts for legacy systems written in RPG. Currently serving as Senior Partner for CNX Corporation in Chicago, Rob is a strong advocate of introducing highly... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Room 202 C-D 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - Frameworks

Session Level Beginner

2:45pm CDT

395: Building APIs with Jakarta (Java)

Speakers

Adam Shedivy

Software Developer, IBM

Adam is a software Developer working on enhancing client and open source integration on IBM i.

Wednesday May 22, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Room 202 A-B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - General

Session Level Intermediate

2:45pm CDT

423: A Practical Guide to IBM i Authority Collection

This session explores practical applications for Authority Collection, including standard and creative use cases. Authority Collection can be used to reduce the security exposure of privileged user profiles and to lock down objects/libraries/IFS. We will cover these in detail, along with some “outside the box” ways of using this technology to answer questions and solve problems.

Learning Objectives: Learn how to:
1. Enable the different types of Authority Collection
2. Analyze data from the Authority Collection repository
3. Turn the data into actionable information
4. Discover creative ways to harness the power of Authority Collection

Speakers

Steve Riedmueller

Certified IBM i Admin - Speaker, Mentor, and Advocate, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

I am a COMMON Certified IBM i Administrator with over 20 years experience on IBM i, as well as a COMMON speaker, N2i mentor, and IBM i advocate.I've been working on the platform since 2001 as a system admin/engineer. I have experience with OS upgrades and patching, system security... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 201A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All

2:45pm CDT

280: 35 Tricks & Treats

Celebrating 35 years of IBM I, this presentation will cover 35+ tricks and treats discovered over the year, including Operating System, Built in commands, licensed packages, 3rd party packages, IBM and 3rd party hardware and appliances. Many of these tricks and treats were learned at COMMON over the years and many have helped justify the cost of a COMMON conference with the value of the knowledge gained.

Learning Objectives:
1. Remember some older concepts and technologies.
2. Learn a few legacy tips still relevant today.
3. Learn new technologies and tips to help move forward with IBM i.

Speakers

Rob Mineo

IBM i Senior Administrator/SME, (Independent)

I started my IT career in 1984. I started working on an IBM SYSTEM/38 in 1986, and upgraded to the AS/400 in 1989. I worked for STERIS Corporation from 1991 until I semi-retired in 2022. Since then, I have worked as an Independent IBM i Administrator. My career started as a programmer... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 101 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level Beginner
Audience IBM i Administrators

2:45pm CDT

348: Architecture to Optimize IBM Backup with FalconStor StorSafe Virtual Tape Library

FalconStor® StorSafe® Virtual Tape Library is software that works with any leading backup software, emulating physical tape drives and libraries while shrinking backup images with advanced compression and deduplication. This technical session will present how StorSafe Virtual Tape Library can modernize and optimize AIX and IBM i environments both on-premises and in the cloud. Five use cases will be explored, including on-premises backups, migrating workloads and legacy tapes from on-premises to IBM Power Virtual Server, hybrid cloud backup between on-premises and the cloud, backup and restore for Power Virtual Server-resident workloads, including use of IBM Cloud Object Storage with immutability for Ransomware protection, and replication in Power Virtual Server to another cloud for disaster recovery. Architectural diagrams for technical understanding will be presented and explained.

Learning Objectives:
1. How to optimize IBM i and AIX backup and recovery both on-premises and in the cloud for improved performance and reduced backend storage needs.
2. How to migrate IBM i and AIX workloads to IBM Power Virtual Server.
3. How to help protect against Ransomware with immutability in IBM COS.

Speakers

Niel Balsino

Regional Pre Sales Consultant, Falconstor

Niel is FalconStor’s Regional Pre Sales Consultant and is a systems engineer with 30 years of data center infrastructure experience. Niel began his professional career at UPS, where he first worked on the IBM i platform as an AS/400 Systems Programmer. While at IBM, Niel was a development... Read More →

Paul Cinquegrane

Regional Sales Director, Falconstor

Paul is FalconStor’s Regional Sales Director for the Americas, and his team works with customers and partners on their pressing storage, backup, and infrastructure challenges. Paul started his professional career as a business consultant for PwC Consulting and IBM, and takes a consultative... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 203C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level All
Audience Both sellers and technical audience offering solutions to IBM customers

2:45pm CDT

142: Take Control of Your IBM i Prestart Server Jobs

Prestart jobs are used to service requests from clients in the network. There are many uses of prestart jobs on IBM i, the most common is the database server. Prestart jobs present many challenges for how to understand what is happening on the system, what work requests these jobs are handling, and generally how to manage them. This session will review all the key characteristics of prestart jobs, provide many tips to better understand what is happening on your system, and review how you can use subsystem configuration to better manage your prestart jobs.

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will learn how to better manage prestart server jobs. The topics are many, but will include managing job logs and output, using Watches to debug intermittent problems, determining what the job is doing, including the SQL statement the job is running, how to determine the rate at which prestart jobs are being used and reused, subsystem configuration for prestart jobs, and much more.

Speakers

Dawn May

Owner, Dawn May Consulting, LLC

Dawn has been involved with COMMON for over 20 years and has been a consistent volunteer since 2008. She's been a member of the strategic education team, a subject matter expert, and a speaker. Now, as President of COMMON, she's focused on leading COMMON as the industry leader of... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 2:45pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 201B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level Intermediate
Audience System Administrators in environments with a lot of remote database access that uses either the QZDASOINIT or QSQSRVR jobs.

4:00pm CDT

393: Visual Explain - IBM's SQL Performance Show-&-Tell

For many years now IBM have positioned SQL as the primary interface to the database on IBM i. At the same time, new capabilities are being added only to SQL, not to the native database interface.

We need a different tool to understand and analyze query implementation plans and feedback from the optimizer – the SQL component that determines the most effective way to deliver the data we ask for in SQL statements. Visual Explain is just such a tool, and it both shows us graphically what plan the optimizer has chosen, as well as tells us details about each step along the way. It can also give us suggestions on ways to improve performance of our queries.

Learning Objectives:
1. A brief description of optimization with SQL
2. The several ways of invoking Visual Explain
3. The various panes of the Visual Explain window
4. Some features of Visual Explain for managing how it behaves
5. Examples of improved performance after using suggested changes

Speakers

Vern Hamberg

Senior Software Engineer, Ecolab, Pest Elimination

Vern has worked on IBM midrange systems for over 30 years, beginning with the System/38 and AS/400. At present he is a senior software engineer for the Pest Elimination division at Ecolab. He also serves on the COMMON Americas Advisory Council (CAAC) and SET and is one of the SMEs... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 102 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Digital Badge SQL

4:00pm CDT

115: Accelerate Your Excel!

Are you intimidated by spreadsheets? Do you use Excel for the basics, but know you could be so much more productive with it if only you knew how? Do you cringe when other business people within your company ask for data in spreadsheet form? Excel is a wonderful tool, especially when paired with the IBM i! It's incredibly powerful, and can save you lots of time.

This session will begin with the basics and then progress through more advanced Excel topics such as functions, pivot tables, and array formulas. Using real life examples, you'll see how these new skills will help you in your career. Finally, we'll review powerful methods of pulling data from your IBM i directly into Excel spreadsheets! You'll even leave with sample code you can leverage within Excel to give you one click access to run an SQL statement from your desktop and have the results returned in a spreadsheet.

Learning Objectives:
After participating in this session, attendees should have the skills and techniques to:
- Understand the benefits of using Excel
- Use spreadsheets to improve your own productivity as well as that of your company
- Pull data from your IBM i directly into a spreadsheet in a variety of ways

Speakers

Steve Wolk

CTO, PC Richard & Son

Steven Wolk is the Chief Technology Officer for PC Richard & Son, a family owned and operated chain of 66 appliance and electronics superstores located throughout NY, NJ, CT, and PA. Founded in 1909, PC Richard has always been known for honesty, integrity, and reliability throughout... Read More →

Accelerate your Excel Steven Wolk pdf

Wednesday May 22, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 201A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Developing Business Skills

Session Level All
Award BRONZE
Audience Anyone who has ever had to work with a spreadsheet will benefit from the skills gained during this session. We will start with the basics, but even experienced Excel users will find useful information in this session.

4:00pm CDT

414: We’re Going to the Cloud, but How Do We Get There?

Your leadership has decided your IBM i system is going to the cloud or you know that day is coming. Then reality sets in and the first question is, how do I move business critical apps on IBM i to the cloud and still keep the business running while I migrate? What choices should I make to reduce the risk? Are some clouds better for me than others?

This session will help you answer all these questions and give you the tools to plan a successful migration. We will also share some ideas on how to get the most from your cloud experience once you get there.

Speakers

Keith Zblewski

Product Manager - IBM Hybrid Cloud, First National Technology Solutions

As a Product Manager at FNTS, Keith develops and grows cloud services to help clients modernize their IBM environment by leveraging hybrid cloud technologies. Keith uses 25+ years of experience on IBM Power Systems to help clients on their journey to cloud for applications running... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 204A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All

4:00pm CDT

376: So You Want to Be a Contractor or Consultant

Whether you're looking to retire from full-time work but still do a little work on the side, move to part-time work, or explore a new career path, consulting and contracting work for IBM i developers has become extremely popular. Learn from Bill Onion a consultant turned consulting shop owner and Robert Nettgen, a Director of IT turned consultant about their experiences in the field. Gain valuable insight into the pros and cons of contract work, what companies are looking for, and how to make yourself more marketable as a consultant.

Learning Objectives:
1. Insight into the world of contracting and consulting and tips on how to succeed
2. The pros and cons of consulting vs in-house developer
3. Learn the biggest challenges we see in the industry as consultants for a variety of IBM i run shops

Speakers

Robert Nettgen

Senior Consultant, Briteskies

Robert Nettgen wanted a career in radio broadcasting, but saw that profession declining and found better pay working in IT. A PC developer in the ‘80’s, Rob started administering AS/400s in the early ‘90s for a Radio/TV group owner. In 1999 Rob accepted a job as IT director... Read More →

Bill Onion

Managing Director, Briteskies

I'm a life-long IBM i Fan! Basically born and raised on this awesome platform. Now, I'm leading the Briteskies team as we help companies to: 1) Leverage their investment in IBM i by extending the life of their RPG-based applications, 2) Integrate their IBM i systems with 3rd party... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 203A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Personal Development

Session Level All
Audience Anyone who is interested in becoming or hiring RPG consultants including RPG Developers, IT Directors, and IT Managers.

4:00pm CDT

408: Unleash the Power of RDi and VS Code for IBM I

This session is designed for both seasoned developers and newcomers eager to enhance their productivity and coding experience on the IBM i platform. We will discuss practical tips, live demonstrations, and insights into how these tools can transform your IBM i development process, making it more efficient, enjoyable, and aligned with the evolving demands of the tech world.

Speakers

Charles Guarino

CEO & IBM Champion, Central Park Data Systems

Charles Guarino believes in the “power” of IBM Power Systems. His career reflects his dedication and interest in bringing the platform and its solutions to others and as a result has been recognized as an IBM Champion.He is a member of COMMON’s Speaker Excellence Hall of Fame... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Room 202 A-B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programmer Tools

4:00pm CDT

241: How Refactoring Helps Bulletproof Your Application

Do you (or does your manager) doubt the value of refactoring your code into a modular design? This session goes in-depth about how you save time and create higher quality programs by refactoring into small, independent routines. We will discuss how this improves your ability to test and maintain your application over time, saving you tons of time in the long run.

This session is co-presented by expert developer, Scott Klement, and expert tester, Yvonne Enselman to help you see it from both perspectives.

Scott and Yvonne are the coolest people you'll ever meet. If you don't come to this session, you'll be very very sad.

Learning Objectives:
1. How refactoring into a modular design saves you time in maintenance.
2. How refactoring into a modular designed simplifies and expedites the testing process.
3. How much better your life will be.

Speakers

Scott Klement

Development & Solutions Architect, Midrange Dynamics

Scott volunteers as a member of COMMON's Board of Directors, Strategic Education Team, Certification Committee and Innovation Awards. He is the author of around 1000 articles and a dozen open source projects. Scott's efforts to help out the IBM i Community have resulted in dozens... Read More →

Yvonne Enselman

Principal Architect for Quality Assurance on IBM i, Yvonne Enselman Professional Services

I am a Quality Assurance, Project Management, and Professional Services expert.Named IBM Champion 2024I have twenty-five years of experience in the IBM i industry starting in application development, transitioning through quality assurance, and into management. My passion has been... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 203C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - General

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Programmers who want fewer headaches.

4:00pm CDT

221: PHP Today and Tomorrow

PHP has come a LONG way since it's inception as a quick and dirty web scripting solution. PHP also stands the test of time more than many other technologies given is wide adoption and adaptable roadmap. In this session we'll catch you to current PHP features and standard and get a glimpse into the future of the web scripting language that runs more than 75% of the known web.

Learning Objectives:
1. Review some the latest features of PHP.
2. Explore where PHP is headed

Speakers

Mike Pavlak

Solution Architect, Perforce Software

Mike Pavlak has been working with IBM midrange solutions since 1992 and IBM Mainframes before that. After years of developing applications using RPG, CL and PHP he managed IT development and IT for power protection manufacturer Tripp Lite. Later Mike was instrumental in developing... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 103A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - PHP

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Experienced PHP developers and those looking to compare other languages to PHP

4:00pm CDT

409: Modernization and 21st Century Skills - How to Move your Business into the 21st Century on IBM i

Faced with pressure from upper management, learn how different companies moved their company's software into the 21st century. Why 21st century technologies, require systematic training. We will discuss the steps these companies have followed to modernize their business and IT staff spending significantly less money and time than moving off the platform.

Topics Covered
1. Modernization requirements
2. Modernization and Staff training
3. Where to find IBM i Developers for your company
4. What about me… where do seasoned developers fit in?
5. Basics of training developers in 21st Century skills
6. Myths and truth
7. A sad alternative
Spoiler alert - abandoning the IBM i platform was not the answer!

Speakers

Jim Buck

CEO & Head Instructor, imPower Technologies

Jim Buck’s career in IT has spanned more than 35+ years, primarily in college education, manufacturing, and healthcare industries. Past president (13 years) of the Wisconsin Midrange Computer Professional Association (www.wmcpa.org) and has served on several teams developing IBM... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Room 202 C-D 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - RPG

Session Level All
Audience Managers and developers will benefit from this presention

4:00pm CDT

369: Why Should You Use HTML Living Standard and Not Static HTML to Build New UIs

Users don’t accept two-dimensional experiences. They want rich media. They want real-time information. They want an interactive experience. And they want it all at their fingertips. Long gone are the days when users were okay with going to five different sources to get the information they needed. To build the modern user experiences users want, you need to use HTML Living Standard.

In this session, we’ll discuss:
o The value of HTML Living Standard, including bi-directional communication and responsive error handling
o How to integrate with third-party solutions to build an interactive, rich experience
o What are other ways to use HTML Living Standard, such as local storage, database queries, and leveraging local technology such as device cameras and location data.

Speakers

Jeroen van Dun

Product Manager, Rocket Software

Wednesday May 22, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 101 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - UI

Session Level All

4:00pm CDT

332: The Expert’s Guide to Power Systems Cloud Security

Many IBM i organizations are considering a move to the cloud or have already done so, but what does this mean for cybersecurity? Unfortunately, migrating your IBM i workload to the cloud will not eliminate cybersecurity concerns. No matter where your data resides, staying ahead of emerging threats requires a well-planned strategy and the cloud presents unique challenges.

This session will give you valuable insight from IT experts who’ve seen it all—Tom Horan, Vice President of mPower at Meridian IT, and Tom Huntington, Executive Vice President of Technical Solutions at Fortra.

Learning Objectives:
1) The division of security responsibility between customer and cloud provider
2) Cybersecurity best practices specifically for Power systems in the cloud
3) How to best configure your system to optimize performance and security

Speakers

Tom Huntington

EVP of Technical Solutions, Fortra

Tom Huntington is Executive Vice President of Technical Solutions at Fortra, and has been with the company for nearly 35 years. He helps manage the worldwide Fortra software engineer team that works to integrate and promote our automation and security solutions to partners and customers... Read More →

Tom Horan

Vice President, Cloud & Managed Services, Meridian IT

Thank you Wynne for your partnership. I consult with clients regarding Cloud and Managed Services.

Wednesday May 22, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 203B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All
Audience System Administrators, IT Managers, CIOs, IT Directors

4:00pm CDT

122: Tales from the Datacenter: Worst Practices in Systems Management

We've all heard stories of things gone wrong, some were just bad, some were horrible, and some were just plain hilarious! The more you know of these gruesome Tales from the Datacenter the more likely you can avoid them.

This session will also allow for user feedback where the horrible terrible and very bad experiences of audience members will be added to the speakers experiences and used as educational tools to prevent those problems from killing us. You have been warned!

System admins, facility managers, developers - everyone has an opportunity to be the "hero" or the "zero" in their company. This session will help you learn from the mistakes of others and lessen the cases of you being the "zero".

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn how the "Titanic effect" of cascading failures and mistakes often compounds a problem.
2. Learn simple tips and tricks for avoiding being the cause of an outage or disaster

Speakers

Larry Bolhuis

Cloud and Datacenter Engineer, IBM Champion, Service Express Inc.

Larry has grown up with computers since his father became a CE in 1967. He obtained a bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Calvin College in 1982 and soon after began working on IBM midrange equipment with the S/34 and S/36. Larry began working on the As/400 at its introduction In 1988.After spending many years as a developer Larry began working on communications, networking, and systems management tasks. Years of... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 201C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level All
Audience System admins, facility managers, anyone interested to learn how others got things wrong, and learn how NOT to do those things themselves.

5:15pm CDT

346: Database Features in VSCode

Come explore the new Db2 capabilities in VSCode! These features, geared toward the database developer, enable full-stack development on IBM i. Come to this session for a demo and discussion of how to use these new features and why they may be beneficial to your workflows

Learning Objectives:
Understand the new Db2 features in VSCode.

Speakers

Scott Forstie

Db2 for i Architect, IBM

Scott Forstie is a Senior Technical Staff Member within IBM i development and spends most of his time working as the Db2 for i Architect. He has worked on IBM operating system development since joining IBM in 1989.Scott is a frequently published author, speaker at industry events... Read More →

Adam Shedivy

Software Developer, IBM

Adam is a software Developer working on enhancing client and open source integration on IBM i.

Wednesday May 22, 2024 5:15pm - 6:15pm CDT
Room 202 A-B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Beginner
Digital Badge VS Code
Audience Application Developers or IT Planners

5:15pm CDT

209: Back Up to the Cloud with IBM Cloud Storage Solutions for i

You can use Cloud Storage Solutions to store IBM i files securely in the cloud, eliminating the need for tape drives, tape cartridges, and courier services for off-site storage. ICC should also be a core part of your Hybrid Strategy. When your IBM i LPAR is already on the cloud, the only backup medium available is cloud storage! You can use Backup, Recovery, and Media Services (BRMS) for i with Cloud Storage Solutions to transfer virtual save media to and from the cloud. This session will cover backups of Cloud LPARs, and also the use of ICC to simplify your on-prem to Cloud hybrid strategy.

Learning Objectives:
1- How to set up and configure an IBM i environment in the cloud with ICC
2- Setting up Cloud Storage for ICC, with Proxies
3- Configuring BRMS for ICC
4- Using the above to simplify your on-prem to cloud migration

Speakers

Hrithik Govardhan

Software Lead, Rocket Software

Long time Rocketeer working in the Security/MFA/Cloud spaces on Power and Z.

Wednesday May 22, 2024 5:15pm - 6:15pm CDT
Meeting Room 201B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

High Availability Resilience

Session Level All
Digital Badge HA/DR
Audience Users interested in DR solutions in a Hybrid Cloud environment

5:15pm CDT

215: Benefits of Continuous Availability with Db2 Mirror for i

Discover how Db2 Mirror for i is a continuous availability solution that can improve your business continuity. Also learn about some of the new and unique features of Db2 Mirror.

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn about how Db2 Mirror can be used to eliminate outages or load balance workloads
2. Learn about the newest features of Db2 Mirror

Speakers

Shauna Rollings

IBM i Performance Tools & High Availability Development, IBM

Shauna joined the IBM i development team in 2008. She has developed and supported IBM i performance data collector tools throughout her entire IBM career. From the very beginning of the Db2 Mirror for i project, she has also been the technical team lead for the Db2 Mirror Configuration... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 5:15pm - 6:15pm CDT
Meeting Room 101 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

High Availability Resilience

Session Level All
Digital Badge HA/DR
Audience System Administrators or Business Executives looking for an RTO and RPO of zero.

5:15pm CDT

417: Data Corruption? Cyber Attack? Recover Your IBM i Data in Some Minutes Instead of Many Hours

The creation of several daily recovery copies of your PROD partition is a must-have in today’s world of cyberattacks.
Without ‘Flash for i’, in the event of a successful ransomware or hacker attack, you have to proceed a long time-consuming restoration from tape.
With ‘Flash for i’ you can very quickly and automatically recover your IBM i data!
On top, it's extremely easy to create many consistent and immutable instant-copies, using few disk space!

Speakers

Pascal Ruckebuch

Founder and CTO, M81

Pascal Ruckebusch adopted IBM i at the exact beginning of AS/400, three decades ago, and never left it … Pascal's experience on IBM i covers system and application development, training and operations. Twice CTO of 2 major IBM business partners in France, his technical skills and... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 5:15pm - 6:15pm CDT
Meeting Room 203C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

High Availability Resilience

Session Level All

5:15pm CDT

396: IBM Client Innovation Stories

IBM i clients around the world are transforming their businesses with the integrated technology available in the IBM i portfolio. In this session, Steve Will, Distinguished Engineer and CTO of IBM i; Brandon Pederson, IBM i and Power Product Marketing Manager; and Douglas Gibbs, IBM i Product Manager, will highlight the business value clients are getting in application modernization, cloud, availability and more. Come hear what others are doing, and get inspired to innovate with IBM i!

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn about what peers are doing on the platform through real-life examples.
2. Get inspiration for new ideas and applications.
3. Acquire new knowledge about what is possible on the platform and ask questions.”

Speakers

Steve Will

IBM i CTO & Chief Architect, IBM

Steve is the CTO and Chief Architect for the IBM i Operating System. Spending the past fourteen years of his IBM career in this position, he has become an award-winning speaker, author of the influential blog "You and i," (https://bit.ly/You-and-i-blog) and is one of the most sought-after voices at customer briefings and events. Steve has worked on IBM i and its predecessors since before the creation of the AS/400, and is currently responsible for setting the strategy of the IBM i operating system, as well as deciding which enhancements will be implemented. In his role, he talks to clients and pa... Read More →

Douglas Gibbs

Product Manager, IBM

Douglas Gibbs is the offering manager for IBM Power Systems I/O and works closely with the overall Offering Management, Sales and Development teams regarding all manners of I/O. Douglas has worked in the IT Industry for more than 25 years and has been in a variety of positions at... Read More →

Brandon Pederson

IBM i and Power Product Marketing Manager, IBM

Brandon Pederson is the Product Marketing Manager for IBM i and Modernization within the IBM Power business. Prior to this role, Brandon was Content Marketing Manager for IBM WebSphere and Content and Community Manager for IBM Power. He has a degree in Marketing from Concordia University... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 5:15pm - 6:15pm CDT
Meeting Room 201A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

IT Leadership and Management

Session Level All

5:15pm CDT

297: IBM i Integration - What's the Best Option For You?

Looking to connect your IBM i to more outside applications and tools? What’s the best way to make those pathways? In this talk we’ll review the various industry options and when each should be used. We’ll discuss traditional integration paths, APIs, FTP, SFTP, Webservices, Middleware platforms, utilizing node, etc. in a clear pros and cons format. We will also discuss the security of each option and what needs to be taken into consideration for keeping your system secure when opening it up to the “outside world”. Attendees will leave the session armed with options and knowledge to make the choice that best fits their need, timeline, and budget.

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn about the various integration pathways and tools
2. Analyze integration tools in a pros and cons format from an unbiased source (we aren’t a tool provider and have no skin in this game!)
3. Identify key security concerns to keep in mind when making integration plans for the future

Speakers

Bill Onion

Managing Director, Briteskies

I'm a life-long IBM i Fan! Basically born and raised on this awesome platform. Now, I'm leading the Briteskies team as we help companies to: 1) Leverage their investment in IBM i by extending the life of their RPG-based applications, 2) Integrate their IBM i systems with 3rd party... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 5:15pm - 6:15pm CDT
Meeting Room 203A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Middleware (other)

Session Level All
Audience Modern language developers, System Admins, RPG developers

5:15pm CDT

287: Troubleshooting Tips and Tricks

Have you ever tried to figure out a problem and you don’t know where to begin? Have you ever received a level 1 or level 2 help desk call and want to scream? How many times have you looked at your code and wanted to figure out how to troubleshoot the problem? This session is for you. We are going to give you some tips and tricks to help you overcome most common developer and user issues.

Learning Objectives:
1. How to troubleshoot user problems
2. How to add error handling to your programs.
3. How to overcome program issues.

Speakers

Marina Schwenk

Senior Programmer Analyst, Everbrite

Marina started her career in January 2015 at Everbrite LLC in Greenfield WI after graduating from Gateway Technical College in May of 2014 with an Associate’s degree in IT Software Development. Marina works as a Senior Programmer Analyst at Everbrite and her primary development... Read More →

Shelly Petty

Application Support, Everbrite LLC

I am a Junior Full Stack Developer at Everbrite LLC. We run our production applications on the IBMi Power Server. Primary languages are CL, RPG, DB2 SQL and Java, and the UI: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Drupple, React, and Sencha.My position is a fast paced job and it includes Help Desk... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 5:15pm - 6:15pm CDT
Meeting Room 103A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programmer Tools

Session Level All
Audience Developers, Help desk support, n2i

5:15pm CDT

288: Build a Web Application on IBM i

There are plenty of options when it comes to building and hosting an web application on IBM i so we'll take a look at a simple approach using current technologies. In this session we'll walk through building a CRUD application using open source tools. We'll create the solution, deploy the solution, secure it and then access it from the Internet. You'll be able to see all the pieces together to help you architect your next killer web app.

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn the common components of modern web applications
2. Put that knowledge to work building a CRUD web app.
3. Learn how to configure the HTTP Server for IBM i or Apache to serve your app.
4. Learn how to secure that application in your IBM i environment.

Speakers

Pete Helgren

Technical Program Manager, Bible Study Fellowship

Currently Technical Program Manager at Bible Study Fellowship. Pete is a developer with broad experience across multiple languages and platforms, including over 29 years of system 3X/AS400/iSeries/IBM i experience. He holds certifications as a GIAC Cloud Penetration Tester, GIAC Secure... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 5:15pm - 6:15pm CDT
Meeting Room 204A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - General

Session Level Beginner
Audience Folks who want to get started with web application development in a simple and direct way

5:15pm CDT

178: Handling JSON With DATA-INTO and DATA-GEN in ILE RPG

Two of the most significant features added to ILE RPG recently are the DATA-INTO and DATA-GEN opcodes. The most common use case is to read and/or create JSON files.

Since JSON has become crucial to IBM i businesses, these are must-know features!

Learning Objectives:
1, Learn the basics of the JSON format.
2. Learn about DATA-INTO and how to use it.
3. Learn about DATA-GEN and how to use it.

Speakers

Scott Klement

Development & Solutions Architect, Midrange Dynamics

Scott volunteers as a member of COMMON's Board of Directors, Strategic Education Team, Certification Committee and Innovation Awards. He is the author of around 1000 articles and a dozen open source projects. Scott's efforts to help out the IBM i Community have resulted in dozens... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 5:15pm - 6:15pm CDT
Room 202 C-D 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - RPG

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Real programmers.

5:15pm CDT

305: The Cyber Security News Report - A Fun Look At Current Information Security News Stories

You know that cyber security is a real issue - even if your boss doesn’t get it. Time to stress less about it and enjoy a fun look at real, Information and Cyber Security stories in the news. These are a sampling of current security news stories from the last 3 months.

Robert Nettgen will read a sampling of these stories in a dramatic, over the top, radio announcer style. While usually not mentioned by name, it’s a safe bet that some of these companies in the news have an IBM i server hiding in the data center. ?A list of the stories will be shared, so if your boss thinks this stuff is overblown and not a real risk, feel free to share some of these stories - or even the whole list.

Learning Objectives:
1. Gain a deeper understanding about the seriousness of cybersecurity
2. Learn from others' cybersecurity mistakes and how to avoid them in your own systems

Speakers

Robert Nettgen

Senior Consultant, Briteskies

Robert Nettgen wanted a career in radio broadcasting, but saw that profession declining and found better pay working in IT. A PC developer in the ‘80’s, Rob started administering AS/400s in the early ‘90s for a Radio/TV group owner. In 1999 Rob accepted a job as IT director... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 5:15pm - 6:15pm CDT
Meeting Room 102 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All
Audience CISOs, System admins, Managers and Directors of IT departments, and anyone else responsible for information security.

5:15pm CDT

403: SQL for System and Storage Management

Speakers

Ryan Moeller

Software Engineer, IBM

Ryan Moeller is a software engineer working on Db2 for i, specifically on the SQL Query Engine (SQE) team. He joined the team in the Rochester, MN development lab in 2020. Ryan specializes in SQL, database development, and query performance analysis.

Ann Wilkerson

Software Developer, IBM

Ann Wilkerson is the technical team lead for Navigator for i and a developer for IBM i Services.

Wednesday May 22, 2024 5:15pm - 6:15pm CDT
Meeting Room 201C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level Intermediate

5:15pm CDT

411: Leveraging IBM i (SQL) Services for Performance Management

For system administrators figuring out how to call system management or performance related APIs on IBM i can be a challenge. Luckily, many of those APIs have equivalent IBM i Services that can easily be invoked using simple SQL statements. Learn how to take advantage of these services for everyday performance management tasks.

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn which IBM i Services are most useful for performance
2. See examples of how Services can be combined to do more advanced tasks quickly and easily

Speakers

Anil Madan

Sr. Managing Consultant, IBM

Anil Madan is a Senior IBM i Performance Consultant with specialization in system, application and Db2 for i performance management. He is an IBM certified Thought Leader Technical Specialist and an IBM certified Executive Project Manager. Working out of the IBM Expert Labs in Rochester... Read More →

Wednesday May 22, 2024 5:15pm - 6:15pm CDT
Meeting Room 203B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level All

8:00am CDT

366: How AI Trailblazes a New Path for Automated Testing

CI/CD is empowering teams to release code faster. But what does testing mean in the world of AI? Intelligent testing is the introduction of AI to the continuous testing process and could transform how IBM® i organizations approach development and testing for IBM i+ environments.

Learning Objectives:
Join us in this session, where we will cover:
o The next stages in the evolutionary journey of testing and how AI will make an impact
o What is happening today as a precursor to AI
o How you can set up your organization to take advantage of AI in your test cycles if and when you’re ready.

Speakers

Herman Rensink

Distinguished Engineer, Rocket Software

Thursday May 23, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Meeting Room 203C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All

8:00am CDT

269: SQL Error Logging Facility (SELF)

Have you ever been faced with “strange” SQL Errors or SQL Errors that were not trapped but simply ignored? How to find those problems?

SQL Performance Monitors can help, at least if you know where to start, i.e. which job, which program caused the problems. But SQL Performance Monitors come with significant overheads, just by gathering everything.

SELF is an additional tool for finding understanding and fixing SQL Errors and Warnings. SELF can be started without modifying any programs and can safely run in production.

This session will show what are the components of SELF and how to use them.

Learning Objectives:
In this session you’ll get detailed information about SELF, i.e. which Global Variables can be set, which views and functions are available and where the information is logged.

Speakers

Birgitta Hauser

Database and Software Architect, IBM Champion, Independent Consultant

Birgitta Hauser worked on the IBM i and its predecessors since 1992. She graduated with a business economics diploma, and started programming on the AS/400 in 1992. She worked and works as traditional RPG Programmer but also as Database and Software Engineer, focusing on IBM i application... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Room 202 A-B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Programmers and Analysts who have to detect where and which (SQL) problems occur or simply want to have an overview about how often a specific SQLCODE occurs.

8:00am CDT

248: I'm Interested in Deploying IBM Db2 Mirror for i - Now What?

The IBM Db2 Mirror for i product provides synchronous replication of Db2 for i, which makes your database highly available between two nodes. Having a highly available database allows you to deploy applications in such a way that there is zero downtown required to do system maintenance that has traditionally been disruptive. In this session, you will learn about some of the considerations and planning that must be done before deploying Db2 Mirror.

Learning Objectives:
- You will learn about the types of objects that can be replicated by Db2 Mirror and about tools available to you to begin analyzing the object types used by your existing applications.
- You will learn about active-active and active-passive application topologies that work well in a Db2 Mirror environment.
- You will learn about the hardware and software required for deploying Db2 Mirror.

Speakers

Shauna Rollings

IBM i Performance Tools & High Availability Development, IBM

Shauna joined the IBM i development team in 2008. She has developed and supported IBM i performance data collector tools throughout her entire IBM career. From the very beginning of the Db2 Mirror for i project, she has also been the technical team lead for the Db2 Mirror Configuration... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Meeting Room 204A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

High Availability Resilience

Session Level All
Audience System Administrators, Application Developers, or Business Executives looking for an RTO and RPO of zero.

8:00am CDT

114: Management by the Movies

Do you aspire to be a more effective leader? Are you tired of dull books about abstract leadership and management concepts? Perfect! Then come join this lively session!

Using clips from well known movies and TV shows, we will demonstrate key leadership traits and techniques you can develop within yourself. Seeing these approaches to leadership come to life on the big screen may just make you look at leadership in a whole new way. We will discuss each of the clips shown, to understand what they can teach us about leadership.

Learning Objectives:
Learning Objectives: After participating in this session, attendees should have the skills and vision to:
- Understand the difference between management and leadership
- Lead people more effectively
- Motivate your team to improve results
- Better recognize good leadership qualities in others

Speakers

Steve Wolk

CTO, PC Richard & Son

Steven Wolk is the Chief Technology Officer for PC Richard & Son, a family owned and operated chain of 66 appliance and electronics superstores located throughout NY, NJ, CT, and PA. Founded in 1909, PC Richard has always been known for honesty, integrity, and reliability throughout... Read More →

Management by the Movies Steven Wolk pdf

Thursday May 23, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Meeting Room 201B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

IT Leadership and Management

Session Level All
Award SILVER
Audience Anyone who works with other people will benefit from the skills gained during this session.

8:00am CDT

136: IBM i Network Monitoring, Diagnostics and Troubleshooting

The IBM i OS network communications has changed a lot since the AS/400 primarily communicated to workstations and printers using Twinax and to other computer systems using specialized communications lines. In some ways things are more complex because our IBM i OS systems communicate to a lot of other devices in many different ways, but in other ways things are simpler today because nearly all network communications are built on top of the foundation of Ethernet and TCP/IP. Your IBM i OS Networking health is very important and is it how most of your data and applications are accessed. This session will take a look at approaches to monitoring this IBM i OS Networking health and it's interaction with the network, how to collection diagnostic data and how to troubleshoot problems.

Learning Objectives:

Speakers

Wayne Bowers

Software Engineer, IBM

Wayne Bowers has been with IBM since 1997, where he works with the IBM i Global Support Center in Rochester MN. He is an Advisory Software Engineer specializing in the support of the IBM i Access (aka Client Access) products, Console, the TCP Telnet communications server, and the... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Meeting Room 203A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Award GOLD
Audience IBM i OS and Network Engineers looking to better address networking questions from and IBM i OS perspective.

8:00am CDT

135: Optimizing Batch Processing with SQL

Native file processing has been used for years, showing to be a very strong yet simple way of accessing, analyzing, and maintaining data in IBM i. Time has passed since the appearance of SQL in the platform, and it is still looked by many traditional developers as “too modern, complex, not that easy”. I’ve been working on batch processing optimization, and found that the replacement of traditional file processing with SQL processing has many performance advantages. Also permits the use of many features that can replace part of program logic.

In this session we’ll walk thru some case studies, and show you how SQL can help in optimization issues.

Learning Objectives:
1- Identify potential programs that need to be optimized
2- Learn the basics of replacing native file processing with SQL

Speakers

Cecilia Howlin

Owner, PYRAMIS S.R.L.

Cecilia Howlin has been working on this platform from the very beginning. On her first job at IBM Argentina, she learned S/38. And never left the platform, since she thinks it never appeared other operating system as good as this one.She usually worked on technical issues, like installing... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Meeting Room 103A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - General

Session Level Intermediate
Digital Badge SQL
Audience Development people who have performance issues in native long running programs

8:00am CDT

371: Secure Rest APIs

Rest is a key technology in todays world. Security has to be at the for front of any conversation. In this session we will look at best practices in creating a secure Rest API experience. Leverage TLS to encrypt all communication, JWT as an authentication mechanism. Like many session, not only we will review the best practices, we will show the possibilities with live demos.

Speakers

Tim Rowe

Business Architect Application Development & Systems Management for IBM i, IBM

Tim Rowe is the Business Architect responsible for Application Development and Systems Management for the IBM i operating system. His responsibilities include helping to make sure that the IBM i has what is needed to be successful both today and into the future. He sends much of his... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Meeting Room 101 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - General

Session Level All

8:00am CDT

202: IoT: Open My Garage Door with RPG

IoT is a big deal in IT today. Since RPG can call and host REST APIs, you can integrate it with IoT devices. For my first project, I decided to see if I could use RPG's "open" and "close" opcodes to open and close my garage door -- and it worked!

In this session I will show you how I integrated my RPG program with the Raspberry Pi, and talk about how the Raspberry Pi and similar devices can play a big part in the future of business applications.

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn the basic concept of Raspberry Pi (and other single-board computers)
2. Learn why physical computing and IoT are important.
3. Learn about integrating IoT with RPG programs.

Speakers

Scott Klement

Development & Solutions Architect, Midrange Dynamics

Scott volunteers as a member of COMMON's Board of Directors, Strategic Education Team, Certification Committee and Innovation Awards. He is the author of around 1000 articles and a dozen open source projects. Scott's efforts to help out the IBM i Community have resulted in dozens... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Room 202 C-D 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - RPG

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Experienced RPG developers who are interested in physical computing, IoT, automation, etc.

8:00am CDT

252: What Does a Full-Featured Security Strategy Look Like?

In this session, you will learn about the many aspects that an IBM i Security suite product will cover. This includes multi factor authentication (MFA), auditing and SEIM features, access control, authority elevation, and more.

Learning Objectives:
1. You will know what to look for when you consider adding a security product to your IBM I IT infrastructure.
2. You will learn how to take a holistic approach to IBM i Security
3. You will understand all the components to be considered for a comprehensive, effective security strategy for IBM i

Thursday May 23, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Meeting Room 203B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Audience IBM i professionals who must address Security requirements for their IBM i systems will benefit from this session.

8:00am CDT

175: Everything You Need to Know About the IBM i Administration Runtime Expert

Business-critical applications must be up and running reliably without failure. When something unexpected occurs, you must identify the cause and correct it quickly. The relentless push to do more with less is only going to intensify while the tolerance for failure keeps dropping. Yet identifying points of failure can be tricky as complexities scale.

IBM i offers a product at no additional charge that helps ascertain application and infrastructure health. The IBM Administration Runtime Expert for i (ARE) can be used to define attributes of a healthy environment and use those defined attributes to validate that the environment is as expected.

This session will everything you need to know to get started with ARE:
- Overview of what ARE is and example use cases
- Prerequisites, installation, and logging into the ARE console
- Creating and editing templates
- Setting up system groups, verification options, and verifying systems
- Understanding the reports

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn how to acquire the IBM ARE product, where it needs to be installed, and how to log in and get started
2. Learn how to create templates that define the attributes to verify
3. Learn how to set up system groups for verification
4. Learn how to review the reports from a validation

Speakers

Dawn May

Owner, Dawn May Consulting, LLC

Dawn has been involved with COMMON for over 20 years and has been a consistent volunteer since 2008. She's been a member of the strategic education team, a subject matter expert, and a speaker. Now, as President of COMMON, she's focused on leading COMMON as the industry leader of... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Meeting Room 102 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level All
Audience This session is geared for any system administrator that wants an easy way to ensure attributes are not changed on a single partition, or across a set of partitions.

8:00am CDT

245: Don't Lock Yourself Out! Securing Admin Servers

Securing web based tools is increasingly important, even on your own network. Is your network team wanting to close all non-secure ports? IBM continues to provide function via the ADMIN servers, but by default they are not secure. Knowing what these servers do and setting them up securely is important, but care must be taken as some of them control your ability to secure them, so it is possible to lock yourself out!

Learning Objectives:
What are the Admin servers and why do I need them?
How to secure them and why it is important.
Avoiding pitfalls.

Speakers

Jeffrey Carey

Sr. System Administrator, Ensono

Jeff Carey is an IBM i professional with over 25 years of experience on the platform, specializing in system administration. He currently is a Senior System Administrator for Ensono, a company providing managed services for Mainframe, IBM i, Cloud, and hybrid IT, headquartered in... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Meeting Room 201A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level Beginner
Audience System administrators of IBM i

9:15am CDT

373: Ai-Ops – Automation, AI for managing your IBM i

Ai, its all the buzz, but what if you really could start to leverage AI in the automated management of your IBM i systems ? With the latest support from IBM and the Instana product, combined with tools like Prometheus and Ansible, you now have options for monitoring virtual any metric you can dream up, combined with powerful alerting capabilities and AI to help determine the best corrective action via Ansible. In this session we will review these technologies, as well as show demos of this in action.

Speakers

Tim Rowe

Business Architect Application Development & Systems Management for IBM i, IBM

Tim Rowe is the Business Architect responsible for Application Development and Systems Management for the IBM i operating system. His responsibilities include helping to make sure that the IBM i has what is needed to be successful both today and into the future. He sends much of his... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Meeting Room 102 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All

9:15am CDT

242: Fun with JSON Publishing: Letting SQL Do the Dirty Work

If you've ever been tasked as a developer with creating complex responses for an internal or external web service, you've likely explored multiple avenues for generating JSON from your IBM i programs. From constructing responses manually in your RPG code, to using various publicly available toolkits like YAJL, RPG NextGen, etc., there are a myriad of ways to create JSON strings with all the requisite curlies, commas, colons, quotes and hard brackets.

If you're on IBM i OS 7.2 or higher, there's yet another avenue you can explore in which you let SQL do the JSON construction work for you. The biggest benefit of this approach becomes most apparent when your JSON response requires arrays, and especially nested subarrays. Coding such responses can be a bit tedious when done on a record-by-record basis in your program, whereas by using some nifty functions you can can let SQL assemble your JSON response automatically.

In this session we'll review the basics of JSON publishing functions such as JSON_Object, JSON_Array, JSON_ObjectAgg and JSON_ArrayAgg. We'll explore some practical use examples for publishing your business data in JSON, letting SQL do all the dirty work.

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn the syntax of the most commonly used SQL JSON publishing functions
2. Understand the differences between a standard SQL select statement and an SQL statement constructing a JSON response
3. See how to integrate these SQL functions into an RPG program

Speakers

Robert Swanson

Senior Partner, CNX Corporation

Rob has worked as an in-the-trenches IBM i developer since 1992, with the past 15 years focused on developing modernization efforts for legacy systems written in RPG. Currently serving as Senior Partner for CNX Corporation in Chicago, Rob is a strong advocate of introducing highly... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Meeting Room 201C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Digital Badge SQL
Audience Developers looking to create intricate JSON responses for web services or various JavaScript frameworks.

9:15am CDT

110: Live Demo: Managing PowerHA Solutions

PowerHA provides complete high availability (HA) solutions for IBM i customers with both internal storage and external storage environments. This interactive demo session will explain the concepts required to manage PowerHA environments, as well as give live demonstrations of the key management tasks used in a PowerHA environment.

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn the basic concepts required to configure a PowerHA environment.
2. Understand how to manage a PowerHA environment and see it in action
3. See tools within PowerHA that help your environment stay secure

Speakers

Brian Nordland

Associate Director of Development, Fortra

In addition to his role as Associate Director of Development for Power Development at Fortra, Brian Nordland serves as the technical product manager for PowerHA and Robot HA. Brian has spoken at events, webinars, and user groups—including COMMON—since 2014. He is a co-inventor... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Meeting Room 203B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

High Availability Resilience

Session Level Intermediate
Digital Badge HA/DR
Audience Those wanting to see PowerHA in action from a day to day management perspective to see just how easy it can be.

9:15am CDT

111: Integrated File System: Real Life

The integrated file system has become more integrated into every day processing for many customers over the years. The other integrated file system sessions discuss technical details of what it is and the different functional support provided. This session will discuss real life scenarios of file system usage and some common problems experienced by customers.

Learning Objectives:
Understand some of the common problems experienced with the file systems and solutions to those problems

Speakers

Margaret Fenlon

Software Engineer, IBM

Margaret started working for IBM in 1983 on the S/36. From 1986-1994 she worked in various areas of what is now the IBM i including Authorization Management support of POSIX and the integrated file system. She worked on the port of SAP R/3 from 1994-1997. In 1998 Margaret joined the... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Room 202 C-D 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Audience System administrators and application developers that have experience with the integrated file system or have attended the other integrated file system sessions.

9:15am CDT

199: Strategic IT - The Art of Advancing your Career Beyond the Technical

What are your career goals? Sure, we're all great with technology, but to continue growing in our careers requires that we do the unthinkable... we actually have to TALK to each other. And even worse... we have to TALK to the business people in our companies! Why? WHY? Why would we possibly want to TALK to PEOPLE? The answer to that question is that today more than ever, technology IS the business. So it makes sense that IT can help or hurt a business more than ever. It's critical that we align our IT efforts, goals, and strategies with those of the business - and all of that requires good communication. Would you like to have a seat at the table, to be taken seriously as a businessperson, and to have a voice in the decisions our companies make? Then attend this session to partner with your business and communicate for success.

Learning Objectives:
During this session, you'll learn the business and communications skills needed to truly partner with the business and elevate your career. These will include:
1. Speaking the language of the business
2. Thinking like a businessman
3. Demonstrating strong leadership
4. Selling fellow business leaders on the value proposition of IT investments
5. Always being prepared
6. Earning influence
7. Preparing for and navigating board meetings
8. Difficult conversations
9. Always keeping your cool
10. Aligning IT with business goals

Speakers

Steve Wolk

CTO, PC Richard & Son

Steven Wolk is the Chief Technology Officer for PC Richard & Son, a family owned and operated chain of 66 appliance and electronics superstores located throughout NY, NJ, CT, and PA. Founded in 1909, PC Richard has always been known for honesty, integrity, and reliability throughout... Read More →

Strategic IT The Art of Advancing your Career Beyond the Technical Steven Wolk pdf

Thursday May 23, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Meeting Room 201B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Personal Development

Session Level All
Digital Badge IT Strategy
Audience All IT professionals who aspire to grow, become better communicators, and enhance their career!

9:15am CDT

Creating New Tests for Existing Applications

If you’ve ever been asked to create tests for an application that has been in production for years, but has few to no documented requirements, this session will give you a methodology for approaching the challenge.

Learning Objectives:

What needs to be in your test environment
What data drives the application logic
How to leverage Tribal Knowledge for requirements
Measuring your test coverage
What resources are available to provide application understanding

Speakers

Ray Everhart

Senior IBM i Analyst and X-Analysis Product Manager, Fresche

For over 30 years, Ray has helped companies understand, develop and manage their RPG, COBOL and CA 2E application environments. He also specializes in helping clients enhance and modernize their systems to meet evolving business demands and take advantage of digital transformation... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Meeting Room 201A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Program Testing

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Developers and Quality Assurance Professionals

9:15am CDT

374: Web Application Implementation Patterns for IBM i

Modernization entails user applications which are web applications, but "webify the greenscreen" is only a worn and peeling bandaid. What are the choices of implementation patterns when planning a genuine IBM i-backed web application? Can we design so that integrating other internet applications and workflows is natural? What are the benefits and risks of various strategies? These are no longer new questions to IBM i development and there are solid answers!

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn options for implementing IBM i-backed web applications.
2. Learn strategies for enabling integrations.
3. Learn team and enterprise tactics to improve the experience for developers, administrators, end-users, and managers.

Speakers

Jack Woehr

Senior Engineer, Absolute Performance, Inc.

Author of Ublu, an open source remote language for IBM i. A Quantum Computing enthusiast, Jack is an IBM Qiskit Advocate, 2021 IBM Champion, 2022 IBM Champion, 2023 IBM Champion, and 2024 IBM Champion.A consulting programmer with over 30 years' experience in open source specializing in open source based IBM i modernization... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Room 202 A-B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - Frameworks

Session Level All
Audience Developers, administrators, planners, and managers who want to clarify the options for IBM i modernization and integration

9:15am CDT

125: Expand and Simplify RPG Using MI Functions

There are many MI functions that can safely be used in RPG programs. These functions give us the ability to do things we could not do easily or at all in what RPG gives us.

Learning Objectives:
1. How to read the MI documentation
2. How to prototype MI functions
3. Some useful examples of MI functions for everyday development

Speakers

Vern Hamberg

Senior Software Engineer, Ecolab, Pest Elimination

Vern has worked on IBM midrange systems for over 30 years, beginning with the System/38 and AS/400. At present he is a senior software engineer for the Pest Elimination division at Ecolab. He also serves on the COMMON Americas Advisory Council (CAAC) and SET and is one of the SMEs... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Meeting Room 204A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - RPG

Session Level Intermediate
Audience RPG developers

9:15am CDT

381: Breaking Up a Monolith

Every RPG shop has them. Most developers avoid them like the plague. Large monolithic programs are a significant source of technical debt in all RPG shops. They limit your agility which in turn is detrimental to your business. So, once you are ready to deal with the issue, where do you start? There is no one answer, but there are steps you can take to begin dismantling and repurposing the code within these behemoths.

Learning Objectives:
1. Discuss steps to refactoring monolithic RPG programs
2. Learn common pitfalls to avoid
3. Learn how to organize extracted procedures for ease of use

Speakers

Brian May

Vice President of Product Management, Profound Logic

Professional IT Leader, Speaker and WriterSpecialties:Team Building, Development and RetentionTechnical SalesSolutions ArchitectureSoftware DevelopmentEnterprise Systems Manufacturing ProcessesApparel IndustryAccounting Principles

Thursday May 23, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Meeting Room 203A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - RPG

Session Level Intermediate
Audience RPG developers and managers wanting to eliminate monolithic code from their applications.

9:15am CDT

141: Configuring Single Sign-on for IBM i

IBM i has the capability to participate in a single sign on environment. What is single sign on? Single sign on is an authentication process where a user can access various applications in the network using one set of login credentials. This presentation will describe the Kerberos protocol and how to map a domain user ID to an IBM i user profile to safely authenticate the user to an enabled network application without passwords being sent across the network.

Learning Objectives:
Learn about the Kerberos protocol and how to configure IBM i to take advantage of the protocol and enable single sign-on.

Speakers

Robert Andrews

Principal Security Consultant, IBM

Robert Andrews is a Principal Security Consultant, Senior Technical Staff Member (STSM), and the Team Lead for the IBM i Security and Authentication Technology Expert Labs team in Rochester, MN. He is an IBM certified Thought Leader and The Open Group certified Distinguished Technical... Read More →

Single Sign On Overview for IBM i pdf

Thursday May 23, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Meeting Room 101 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Audience IBM i System Administrators, Windows Administrators, and Network Administrators

9:15am CDT

362: Still Making These IBM i Security Faux Pas? STOP.

Are you still relying on outdated security practices without understanding the risks they pose? Join this session where we unravel the mysteries behind persisting security practices and shed light on the imperative need for evolution. Dive into data-backed insights, discover the motivations behind clinging to the past, and explore strategies to usher in a new era of security resilience.?_

Key Highlights:_
- Legacy Security Pitfalls
- Motivations for Continuity
- Strategies for Modernization

Risk Assessment of Legacy Practices: Understand the risks posed by continuing with outdated security practices and their implications on overall security posture.

Motivational Factors Analysis: Gain insights into the motivations behind the persistence of outdated security practices and how these factors can be addressed.

Modernization Roadmap: Explore practical strategies and real-world examples for transitioning from legacy security practices to modern, resilient solutions.

Join us in this session as we challenge the status quo and pave the way for a more secure and resilient future of IBM i cybersecurity.

Speakers

Alan Hamm

Senior Security Services Engineer, Fresche Solutions

With over 25 years of experience in the IT industry, Alan is a seasoned professional specializing in IBM i services, particularly in IBM i security. His expertise extends to leveraging his development background for automation and configuration purposes. Previously, he served as a... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Meeting Room 203C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All

10:30am CDT

316: ChatGPT as your Co-Developer: Use AI Intelligently

This session focuses on the innovative use of AI, specifically ChatGPT, in the development of RPG code. Attendees will learn how to effectively utilize AI as a tool for coding, including crafting prompts, evaluating the generated code, and understanding the capabilities and limitations of AI in software development. The session will provide insights into the practical applications of AI in coding and how to integrate AI-generated code into existing projects.

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn to craft effective prompts for AI to generate useful code.
2. Develop skills to evaluate and integrate AI-generated code in RPG development.
3. Understand the limitations and ethical considerations of using AI in coding.

Speakers

Joseph Wright

Owner / Consultant, Wright4i

Thursday May 23, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
Room 202 A-B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All
Audience Beneficial for RPG developers and those interested in the intersection of AI and coding, regardless of skill level.

10:30am CDT

144: Turn up the Power: External Disk and Hardware Replication on i... A Case Study!

Your IBM i does a great job of managing internal disk, so why upgrade to external storage using a SAN? Your replication software may require some extra time and attention, but it gets the job done - so why change? Turns out there are lots of reasons to change both! This won't be a nuts and bolts how-to session. Rather it will be a case study of the decisions made by one large appliance and electronics retailer to implement these technologies, including the considerations, decisions, trade-offs, and benefits. You may not leave this session knowing how to do it, but you'll understand why you might want to, and you'll be ready to ask many of the right questions to get you there.

Some of the topics we'll discuss will include:
- HA vs DR
- RPO (Recovery Point Objective) and RTO (Recovery Time Objective)
- iASP's
- Tool-kits
- Backups
- Flash Copy
- Recovery Scenarios

Learning Objectives:
You'll leave this session better prepared to:
1. Determine if external storage is right for your environment
2. Understand the trade-offs involved with external storage and hardware replication
3. Know what questions to ask along the way!

Speakers

Steve Wolk

CTO, PC Richard & Son

Steven Wolk is the Chief Technology Officer for PC Richard & Son, a family owned and operated chain of 66 appliance and electronics superstores located throughout NY, NJ, CT, and PA. Founded in 1909, PC Richard has always been known for honesty, integrity, and reliability throughout... Read More →

Turn up the Power External Disk and Hardware Replication on i... A Case Study! Steven Wolk pdf

Thursday May 23, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
Meeting Room 203B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

High Availability Resilience

Session Level All
Audience Anyone who is curious about using external storage and hardware replication with their IBM i is encouraged to attend!

10:30am CDT

253: API examples using RPG, Node.js, PHP, and Python

APIs allow IBM i to connect with other systems safely and securely, using the languages you already know. You will feel empowered to provide and consume APIs with the many examples given here, in RPG, PHP, Python, and Node.js (javascript), along with secure techniques and free tools that make API development easier.

Learning Objectives:
1. Understand basics of APIs and why they are helpful and secure
2. Learn several RPG techniques to create and call APIs
3. Learn several open source language ways to create and call APIs, using PHP, Python, and Node.js

Speakers

Alan Seiden

Principal, IBM Champion, Seiden Group

How to modernize and create something new while leveraging your valuable business logic.APIs, IBM i, open source, web, PHP, Node.js, Python, RPG, ERPs

Thursday May 23, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
Room 202 C-D 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - General

Session Level Beginner
Audience Developers or managers who wish to build or call APIs

10:30am CDT

255: 30 Python Tips in 60 Minutes

Python on IBM i has been around for a while now. In this session we explore many of the various tips I’ve run across over the last few years. These tips apply to both Python and/or the IBM i environment running the Python scripts. Tips include best practices, IFS features, pathing and MUCH more.

Learning Objectives:
1) Little bit of everything to help the Python developer
2) Standards based code development and linting.
3) Features that improve Python performance

Speakers

Mike Pavlak

Solution Architect, Perforce Software

Mike Pavlak has been working with IBM midrange solutions since 1992 and IBM Mainframes before that. After years of developing applications using RPG, CL and PHP he managed IT development and IT for power protection manufacturer Tripp Lite. Later Mike was instrumental in developing... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
Meeting Room 103A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - Python

Session Level Beginner
Audience Early players in the Python space

10:30am CDT

219: Modernization Case Study – Creating a Database Abstraction Layer

By providing a layer of separation between your applications and your database, you have much more agility to respond to changing business requirements and you can reduce your maintenance burden at the same time. This case study will review three approaches that can be used to provide database abstraction and the strengths and weaknesses of each approach.

Learning Objectives:
1. Evaluate three different approaches to database abstraction and their benefits.
2. Walk step by step through the implementation of a Logical File database abstraction layer.
3. Review the reference architecture for a database I/O service program.
4. Best Practice design recommendations for new tables.

Speakers

Ray Everhart

Senior IBM i Analyst and X-Analysis Product Manager, Fresche

For over 30 years, Ray has helped companies understand, develop and manage their RPG, COBOL and CA 2E application environments. He also specializes in helping clients enhance and modernize their systems to meet evolving business demands and take advantage of digital transformation... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
Meeting Room 101 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - RPG

Session Level All
Audience Developers

10:30am CDT

422: From Quick Wins to Full Transformation Success: Navigating Application Modernization and UI Enhancement

Application modernization, customization and enhancement includes two main components: Presto and code transformation. The transformation process involves identifying programs to be updated, using a product to convert the existing code. However, this initial transformation is not the final step; additional refinement and "massaging" of the code, referred to as "delivery," is needed.

The backend development ensures the application's functionality, but there is also a focus on the frontend design, such as button colors, fonts, and dealing with constraints from the transformed code, particularly from an RPG or COBOL background. We will cover what is achievable with the user interface (UI), highlighting the possibilities and constraints.

This conversation will highlight the importance of long-term planning from quick wins to full transformation, ensuring that the transition is smooth for end users.

Speakers

Chris Koppe

SVP Strategy Services, Fresche Solutions

Chris Koppe is responsible for developing client transformation strategies at Fresche Solutions. He has led the development of legacy management strategies for hundreds of companies, across a variety of platforms, languages, databases, and technologies. This insight has allowed Chris... Read More →

Scott Gingerysty

Team Lead, Web Application Services, Fresche Solutions

I am a Senior Web Developer/Team Lead and Application Modernization expert at Fresche. I am passionate about IBM i application modernization. Since 2013, I have added new life into business-critical RPG applications using web technology. Whether it is a new development, augmenting... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
Meeting Room 204B 1201 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - UI

Session Level Intermediate

10:30am CDT

306: Disk-level encryption isn’t enough

As companies look to leverage encryption as part of their security landscape, it can be tempting to just implement disk-level encryption. As security requirements continue to grow and compliance regulations are taken into account for the IBM i environment, administrators are finding they need to implement encryption at the field level versus disk level encryption.

Learning Objectives:
• What are the use cases for disk level and field level encryption?
• How do I satisfy PCI compliance auditors requirements for encryption?
• What types of fields should be encrypted?
• What is an IBM I Field Procedures?

Speakers

Barry Kirksey

Principal Sales Engineer, Precisely

Bill Peedle

Principal Sales Engineer, Precisely

Thursday May 23, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
Meeting Room 201C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All
Audience Administrators and security professional responsible for IBM i security

10:30am CDT

406: Cross-Platform Compliance, Security and EDR

This session will cover current and planned compliance, security and EDR capabilities across IBM i, AIX and Linux on Power. It will also include a PowerSC product update.

Learning Objectives:

Learn about automated compliance advancements on IBM i
Learn how Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) capabilities can enhance real-time security across the Power platform
Get an update on recent enhancement with the PowerSC product

Speakers

Tim Hill

Distinguished Engineer, Rocket Software

Tim Hill is a Distinguished Engineer and VP of Engineering at Rocket Software. He’s responsible for security, cloud, and AI/ML products on Power and Z. Technology areas of personal focus include model-based reasoning, deep learning, complex event correlation, network management... Read More →

Debbie Quick

Power Security Product Manager, IBM

Debbie Quick is a Power Security Product Manager at IBM. She began her career 21 years ago as an Administrative Assistant, moved into z/OS Content Development three years later, and has been in Product Management for two years. She is the Product Manager for IBM PowerSC and leads... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
Meeting Room 201A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All

10:30am CDT

236: Advanced IBM i Services (SQL) for Admins

In this followup session to "Intro to IBM i Services (SQL) for Admins" we dig deeper into the capabilities of IBM i Services. This session will cover more complex and powerful use cases for monitoring, automation, and system administration.

Learning Objectives:
1. Join data from multiple IBM i Services to create ""SuperTools""
2. Use QCMDEXC() scalar function (what's that??)
3. Create your own User Defined Function (UDF)"

Speakers

Steve Riedmueller

Certified IBM i Admin - Speaker, Mentor, and Advocate, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

I am a COMMON Certified IBM i Administrator with over 20 years experience on IBM i, as well as a COMMON speaker, N2i mentor, and IBM i advocate.I've been working on the platform since 2001 as a system admin/engineer. I have experience with OS upgrades and patching, system security... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
Meeting Room 203C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Administrators with some SQL experience who want to take their knowledge and skills to the next level.

10:30am CDT

398: PowerVS Placeholder

Speakers

Daniel Sundt

IBM i Product Manager, IBM

Dan Sundt is an IBM i product manager. He has the responsibility for the IBM i business, including defining and guiding future directions and strategies. He works with the IBM i sales, marketing, and development teams as well as customers and partners to ensure that the IBM i operating... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
Meeting Room 102 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All

10:30am CDT

405: Power Virtualization & HMC

Speakers

Bob Kovacs

IBM Power Product Manager - Virtualization, IBM

Thursday May 23, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
Meeting Room 204A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate

12:00pm CDT

Meeting of the Members

Thursday May 23, 2024 12:00pm - 1:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 204B 1201 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

1:30pm CDT

263: What is Open AI and Why Should You Care?

Open AI and specifically Online GPT has captured the latest in IT headlines. In this session we will discuss the history of Open AI, how it has matured and the goals of the team behind the technology. We'll also explore (speculate) on its impact to education, finance and most assuredly, Information Technology. We'll wrap up with a live demo of the Copilot application and how it might add productivity to the typical IBm i shop, but at what cost?

Learning Objectives:

Speakers

Mike Pavlak

Solution Architect, Perforce Software

Mike Pavlak has been working with IBM midrange solutions since 1992 and IBM Mainframes before that. After years of developing applications using RPG, CL and PHP he managed IT development and IT for power protection manufacturer Tripp Lite. Later Mike was instrumental in developing... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CDT
Meeting Room 102 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Beginner

1:30pm CDT

334: Configuring ACS (Access Client Solutions) to Use TLS

"The use of encrypted sessions is both an effective way to prevent credential theft, as well as a requirement for numerous laws and regulations.

In this session, you will see how to configure the replacement for Client Access—Access Client Solutions—to use an encrypted (TLS) session.

This session will include an example of using your IBM i as a CA (Certificate Authority). You’ll also see an example of creating a request to send to a well-known CA to create the digital certificate you’ll need to assign to the servers to enable encrypted communications."

"1. What is TLS.
2. How to create a Certificate Authority and a Certificate.
3. How to configure the IBM i servers to use TLS."

Speakers

Amy Williams

Sr Security Services Consultant, Fortra LLC

Amy Williams is a Senior Security Services Consultant who joined Fortra in 2015. She holds CISSP, CISA, and PCI-P certifications.Amy has worked on the IBM i platform for nearly 30 years and her experience includes application testing, system installation, system administration, and... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CDT
Meeting Room 103A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Client Connectivity

Session Level All
Digital Badge ACS
Audience System administrators needing to harden their IBM i system and prevent unauthorized access.

1:30pm CDT

259: Simple Steps to Improving Data Security on IBM i

Db2 for i offers a wide range of built in security capabilities allowing you to better secure your data. Learn how to quickly utilize these capabilities to not only understand how to secure your data, but to better secure your data. And, to ensure compliance via auditing.

Learning Objectives:
During this session we will cover a wide range of security and compliance methods including row permissions and column masks used to control access to data and enforce separation of duties, authority collection used to determine the lowest level of security needed by a user, audit journals used to audit the effectiveness of your security solutions, and IBM i services which can be used to quickly accomplish security tasks, including automating security policies. This session will include many examples that you will be able to take home and use right away.

Speakers

John Westcott

Analytics Consultant, Db2 for i, IBM

John Westcott is a member of the Db2 for i Database and Analytics team in IBM’s Technology Services (formerly Lab Services). A consultant with over 35 years’ experience on IBM i, his skills include Business Intelligence, Business Analytics, Database Modernization, SQL and RPG... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CDT
Meeting Room 203C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Audience The database engineer looking for security and compliance options.

1:30pm CDT

227: Tame the IFS with SQL Services

In this session, you will discover how SQL and IBM i (SQL) Services can be used to bring order to the IFS. Whether you aim to further secure, manage, or utilize the IFS, SQL can help get the job done. The Db2 for i team has made consistent and noteworthy investments to bring SQL capabilities that can be used with the IFS. Come to this session to see, understand, and be ready to use SQL with the IFS.

Learning Objectives:
Learning Objectives:
1. Understand what's possible with SQL and the IFS
2. Learn how to use SQL with the IFS
3. Gain awareness of the pitfalls and gotchas when using SQL

Speakers

Scott Forstie

Db2 for i Architect, IBM

Scott Forstie is a Senior Technical Staff Member within IBM i development and spends most of his time working as the Db2 for i Architect. He has worked on IBM operating system development since joining IBM in 1989.Scott is a frequently published author, speaker at industry events... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CDT
Meeting Room 203B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Beginner
Audience Anyone using or managing the IFS on the IBM i

1:30pm CDT

270: You're Fired! ... Now What?

Some of us are lucky enough to have a single job for our entire career, but for most, we will at some point change jobs - either by our choice or our employer's choice. It just makes sense to be prepared for that reality, in case it happens. The irony is that many of the things you can do today to make yourself more employable in the event you ever do find yourself fired also may just make it far less likely that you ever will be fired!

Learning Objectives:
During this session we'll discuss:
- How to maximize your value and your employability to make it far less likely you'll ever be let go from a job
- Building your networking skills to widen your professional circles
- Practical considerations you should do today to be prepared in case you ever do find yourself let go
- How to handle yourself in the situation of being fired
- Best ways to conduct your job search
- Interviewing tips to maximize your chances of finding your new dream job as quickly as possible

Speakers

Steve Wolk

CTO, PC Richard & Son

Steven Wolk is the Chief Technology Officer for PC Richard & Son, a family owned and operated chain of 66 appliance and electronics superstores located throughout NY, NJ, CT, and PA. Founded in 1909, PC Richard has always been known for honesty, integrity, and reliability throughout... Read More →

You're Fired Now What Steven Wolk pdf

Thursday May 23, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CDT
Meeting Room 201B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Personal Development

Session Level All
Audience Everyone who wants to make the most of their career and be prepared for all possibilities would benefit from attending! Join us for this very practical session on what you can do now to protect and prepare yourself!

1:30pm CDT

154: Discovering your IBM i Data – For Development Issues

There’s plenty information on IBM i that is so valuable for the daily tasks. Many commands, APIs, and SQL functions, let you gather information from your IBM i. You can exploit it online or build your own database tables with it.

I like to dig into this info. There is always something new to discover. Particularly related to developer activities: analyzing program definitions and relationships, file and field definitions, object and source cross references, SQL definitions, triggers and constrains implemented, and the list goes on and on. All this information is as valuable to IT System Managers, as it is enterprise information to Business executives. You need to understand, evaluate, and take advantage of this knowledge.

In this session we will review the different types of system information you can find on IBM i, that are important for Developers. We’ll also analyze different case studies of how to interpret and prepare the info for future exploitation.

Learning Objectives:
1. Identify different kinds of Information available in your IBM i.
2. Analyze different ways of obtaining and/or finding this information in your systems.
3. Prepare information for better use with modern tools.

Speakers

Cecilia Howlin

Owner, PYRAMIS S.R.L.

Cecilia Howlin has been working on this platform from the very beginning. On her first job at IBM Argentina, she learned S/38. And never left the platform, since she thinks it never appeared other operating system as good as this one.She usually worked on technical issues, like installing... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CDT
Meeting Room 204A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programmer Tools

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Especially valuable for IT Developers. It may also be of interest to Security Auditors, and Technical Advisors

1:30pm CDT

159: One Order of Code Factoring With a Side of RDi

Sloppy code, beautiful code. They both produce the same results, so who cares how it looks? If you have heard this before, or are living with this scenario, this is a MUST ATTEND session. Learn about code refactoring (aka "modernization") and see how to rejuvenate old code into maintainable, flexible and scalable components.

Learning Objectives:

Speakers

Charles Guarino

CEO & IBM Champion, Central Park Data Systems

Charles Guarino believes in the “power” of IBM Power Systems. His career reflects his dedication and interest in bringing the platform and its solutions to others and as a result has been recognized as an IBM Champion.He is a member of COMMON’s Speaker Excellence Hall of Fame... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CDT
Room 202 A-B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programmer Tools

Session Level Intermediate

1:30pm CDT

367: How to Choose the Best API Management Deployment Options: On-Site/On-Premises, Cloud, or Hybrid

Selecting the ideal deployment of your API Management tools will significantly impact your company’s bottom line. Should you deploy on-site, cloud, or hybrid? How do you go about choosing the best option for your company? Do you have the resources, data, and tools to determine the best action? Do you have enough data to back your decisions?

Learning Objectives:
During this session, we will discuss:
o Best practices for selecting the right deployment that will help you drive greater ROI
o New tools available to you to better understand use case workflows
o How to create a development plan that quickly delivers what businesses are looking for

Speakers

Herman Rensink

Distinguished Engineer, Rocket Software

Thursday May 23, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CDT
Meeting Room 201C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programmer Tools

Session Level All

1:30pm CDT

254: Alan's Favorite Tips for Open Source on IBM i

Open source delivers new interfaces and functionality for your IBM i applications—and broadens the talent pool for your development team. Python, PHP, and Node.js are among the most popular open source tools on IBM i, for good reason. Combined with today’s ODBC database connectivity, API standards, and RPG/ COBOL integration, they are a powerful way to extend traditional applications to the web, mobile devices, and APIs.

Join Alan Seiden to learn his favorite tips for making your open source stack as reliable as your traditional IBM i applications. He’ll share ways to ensure smooth operation of
1. Python, PHP, Node.js
2. ODBC
3. Apache
4. Connections to RPG and COBOL
5. And how to manage the rapid pace of updates!

Learning Objectives:
1. Tips from the trenches and managing and using open source
2. Best practices for the various languages
3. How to use them in practice and get speed and security

Speakers

Alan Seiden

Principal, IBM Champion, Seiden Group

How to modernize and create something new while leveraging your valuable business logic.APIs, IBM i, open source, web, PHP, Node.js, Python, RPG, ERPs

Thursday May 23, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CDT
Room 202 C-D 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - General

Session Level All
Audience Developers

1:30pm CDT

238: Ransomware and IBM i

Today, there are no known ransomware viruses that run directly on IBM i. However, that does not mean that the IBM i is not at risk. In this practical session, you will learn how to keep your IBM i system safe from Ransomware attacks. Don't miss this critical session!

Learning Objectives:
1. Understanding ransomware and how it can effect the IBM i
2. Know how to secure the IBM i from ransomware attacks
3. Link to resources for further details

Speakers

Robert Andrews

Principal Security Consultant, IBM

Robert Andrews is a Principal Security Consultant, Senior Technical Staff Member (STSM), and the Team Lead for the IBM i Security and Authentication Technology Expert Labs team in Rochester, MN. He is an IBM certified Thought Leader and The Open Group certified Distinguished Technical... Read More →

Ransomware and IBM i pdf

Thursday May 23, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CDT
Meeting Room 201A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate
Audience IBM i Admins or Security team members

1:30pm CDT

286: Using SQL to Drive Security scans

There are at least 78 security-related resources accessible by SQL; covering 156 security-checks; with another 20 not accessible; for a total of 176. Deliverables are: 10,200+ lines of SQL, with a partition-based implementation worksheet, and a Security Audit spreadsheet; showing each of the individual items, with a “Pass” flag and counters -- pretty enough for your future security audit.

Learning Objectives:
We will start by looking at the results (a single TXT file), and then we will dive into the SQL, and each of the spreadsheets to see how we got here. We won’t review every SP…

Speakers

Tim Hawkins

System Admin, Tanimura & Antle

When GPT3.5 is asked "What could AGI mean for computer security?"-- responseArtificial General Intelligence (AGI) could have significant implications for computer security:Enhanced Threat Detection: AGI systems could be trained to identify even the smallest behaviors of ransomwar... Read More →

Utilities commands sql

Utilities condition handling copybook sql

Utilities email sql

Utilities NETSERVER ATTRIBUTE INFO rpgle

Utilities NETSERVER ATTRIBUTE INFO sql

SampleOutput Monthly (full) txt

SampleOutput Monthly (known) txt

SampleOutput Weekly (full) txt

IBM i security implementation xlsx

IBM i security audit xlsx

Thursday May 23, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CDT
Meeting Room 101 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Advanced
Digital Badge SQL
Audience System Administrators who are into protecting their systems; needing to understand the w-h-o-l-e scope, based on the specifics. Lots of them….

2:45pm CDT

421: Modernize & Improve Development Practices Using AI

In this technical session, we will explore the various ways in which artificial intelligence (AI) can be leveraged to modernize and enhance development practices. We will delve into real-world examples of how AI can be integrated into day-to-day development tasks, enabling developers to achieve higher coding velocity, improve code hygiene, generate test data, and automate documentation generation.

Key Points Covered:
• Examples of AI in Day-to-Day Development Practices: We will showcase practical use cases where AI can be applied to streamline and optimize development processes. These examples will highlight the tangible benefits that AI brings to software development.

• Using AI to Improve Coding Velocity: Learn how AI-powered tools can accelerate the coding process, automate repetitive tasks, and provide intelligent code suggestions. Discover techniques to boost productivity and efficiency through AI-driven development environments.

• Enhancing Code Hygiene with AI: Explore how AI can assist in maintaining clean and high-quality code. Discover tools and techniques that leverage AI algorithms to analyze code for potential bugs, vulnerabilities, and best practices, enabling developers to improve code quality and minimize technical debt.

• Test Data Generation using AI: Understand how AI techniques can be utilized to generate realistic and diverse test data, enhancing the effectiveness of software

Speakers

Scott Gingerysty

Team Lead, Web Application Services, Fresche Solutions

I am a Senior Web Developer/Team Lead and Application Modernization expert at Fresche. I am passionate about IBM i application modernization. Since 2013, I have added new life into business-critical RPG applications using web technology. Whether it is a new development, augmenting... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 201B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All

2:45pm CDT

155: IBM i Services for the Developer

IBM i services provided by Db2 for i can be used to access system information that is useful for developers. In the past you may have considered using CL or coding to system APIs to access and work with some system information. Today there is a better option: SQL. In this session you will learn how to use SQL to work with data areas and data queues, discover how easy it is to review your program and service program attributes, and more.

http://ibm.biz/Db2foriServices

Learning Objectives:

Speakers

Ann Wilkerson

Software Developer, IBM

Ann Wilkerson is the technical team lead for Navigator for i and a developer for IBM i Services.

Thursday May 23, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Room 202 A-B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All

2:45pm CDT

230: Merlin, DevOps, Git, and Modern Development for IBM i

Application Modernization on IBM i has been a topic of discussion for years. Moving forward into the modern world can be a daunting task. Merlin was created to help. Leveraging Git, a Modern secure browser based IDE, Pipelines, Merlin is a ecosystem provided by IBM to help our IBM i application developers move toward a modern development world. This session will review what is 'Modern', how Merlin helps, we will include some live demos to help you understand the value and benefits.

Learning Objectives:

Speakers

Tim Rowe

Business Architect Application Development & Systems Management for IBM i, IBM

Tim Rowe is the Business Architect responsible for Application Development and Systems Management for the IBM i operating system. His responsibilities include helping to make sure that the IBM i has what is needed to be successful both today and into the future. He sends much of his... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Room 202 C-D 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All

2:45pm CDT

158: How to Remain Relevant In a Changing IT Environment

Education in today’s IT and Business Environment challenges both the Company and the employee. What skills are needed to provide for today’s (and tomorrow’s) business needs? How does the company and the employee deal with these challenges? How to decide; what to learn, how to learn and when to learn, when planning for future needs. These challenges differ depending on where a person is in their careers path. Jim discusses these challenges and more in this presentation. Great presentation for managers and employees!

• The question of being relevant?
• How to know… your relevancy
• Uh Oh… I’m not relevant (what to do)
• Business vs IT Skills – the Balance
• The Specialist vs the generalist – Let’s hire a consultant

Learning Objectives:
1. Internalize the need to continue learning in Information Technology
2. Understand how your current skills can be leveraged into new skills
3. Have a better understanding of how to approach today's educational opportunities

Speakers

Jim Buck

CEO & Head Instructor, imPower Technologies

Jim Buck’s career in IT has spanned more than 35+ years, primarily in college education, manufacturing, and healthcare industries. Past president (13 years) of the Wisconsin Midrange Computer Professional Association (www.wmcpa.org) and has served on several teams developing IBM... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 201C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Personal Development

Session Level All
Audience Explains to IBM i Professionals why education is important to them and how to efficiently gain needed education

2:45pm CDT

317: VS Code Power-User: Elevating RPG, Python, and Node on IBM i

This session is dedicated to leveraging the capabilities of Visual Studio Code (VS Code) to boost productivity in RPG, Python, and Node.js development on IBM i. Attendees will explore how to maximize the potential of VS Code through its extensions, focusing on tools like Code for IBM i and DB2 for i as well as other nice-to-have extensions. The session aims to transform attendees into VS Code power-users, enhancing their development efficiency and skills.

Learning Objectives:
1. Understand the use of key VS Code extensions to enhance coding efficiency.
2. Learn to manage and integrate multiple programming languages in VS Code.
3. Gain insights into advanced development techniques using VS Code on IBM i.

Speakers

Joseph Wright

Owner / Consultant, Wright4i

Thursday May 23, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 203A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programmer Tools

Session Level All
Digital Badge VS Code
Audience Ideal for developers looking to optimize their use of VS Code in RPG, Python, and Node.js development on IBM i.

2:45pm CDT

174: SQL for the RPG Programmer “How To”: SQL Access to Data and ACS Tools

SQL is THE recommended interface from applications into your data. It is imperative to understand how to embed SQL or otherwise interface to SQL from RPG. We also need tools to enhance our use of SQL in our applications.

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn the basics of embedding SQL in RPG
2. Discover how RDi and ACS cooperate to enhance using SQL in our applications
3. Examine features in ACS that can have an impact on RPG development

Speakers

Vern Hamberg

Senior Software Engineer, Ecolab, Pest Elimination

Vern has worked on IBM midrange systems for over 30 years, beginning with the System/38 and AS/400. At present he is a senior software engineer for the Pest Elimination division at Ecolab. He also serves on the COMMON Americas Advisory Council (CAAC) and SET and is one of the SMEs... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 204A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - RPG

Session Level Intermediate
Audience RPG developers who want to see the ever-expanding opportunities SQL offers in their applications

2:45pm CDT

378: Building a Successful IFS Security Strategy

Ask any security professional which area of IBM i security is most often ignored and chances are the unanimous response is a chorus of “the Integrated File System.

Many organizations are either unaware of the risks that an unsecured IFS poses or are simply unsure of how to secure it. Regardless of the reason, this is a problem. The system interface doesn’t differentiate how a user profile accesses data – which leaves sensitive data exposed and vulnerable to manipulation, malware, and even theft.

Learning Objectives:
1 What the IFS is and where it is vulnerable
2 The risks of ignoring IFS security
3 How to secure the IFS and what you need in order to do so

Speakers

Sandi Moore

Sr. Solutions Engineer, Fortra LLC

Sandi has been working with Fortra customers for over 20 years supporting systems monitoring and security software. With experience on IBM i, AIX, and Linux, she has been involved in product demonstrations, implementation, support, training, research, and product testing. Sandi is... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 201A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All
Audience Anyone tasked with addressing security on the IBM i will benefit from this session.

2:45pm CDT

172: Keep Your System up to Date: Image Catalogs - How They Changed my Life!

Keep Your System up to Date

Business Case:
Take advantage of the latest technologies and prevent yourself from experiencing problems IBM has already fixed

Part I: Moving to 7.4
Part II: Image Catalogs - How they Changed my Life!
Part III: LIVE Q&A and Panel Discussion

Learning Objectives:

Speakers

Jeffrey Carey

Sr. System Administrator, Ensono

Jeff Carey is an IBM i professional with over 25 years of experience on the platform, specializing in system administration. He currently is a Senior System Administrator for Ensono, a company providing managed services for Mainframe, IBM i, Cloud, and hybrid IT, headquartered in... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 203C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level All

2:45pm CDT

296: Work Management Optimization

This session will introduce IBM i Work Management to the developer and other new system administrators. We will explore how the system is configured and managed using IBM i Navigator for i, with examples from ACS, SQL Services, and the traditional character based interface as well. As delivered your IBM i installation work, but it is not optimized for your environment. All too often the performance of your system is impacted by poor work management practices. Learn how to take the first steps to optimizing your IBM i Work Management.

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn what objects are used in most work management configurations and how to modify them using the tool of your choice
2. Learn how to optimize your environment, your applications
3. Learn how to monitor your system to keep it in tip top shape

Speakers

Sarah Jacob

VP of Customer Experience, Agile Technology Architects

Sarah Jacob is the Vice President of Customer Experience at Agile Technology Architects. She is a Subject Matter Expert in Power Systems Administration and a volunteer for COMMON. Sarah specializes in Backup and Recovery planning and recovery testing. Additionally, she acts as primary... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 101 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level All
Audience Developers or new system administrators

2:45pm CDT

413: "Peeling the Onion” using iDoctor for IBM i

In this session you'll learn how to use IBM iDoctor for IBM i (iDoctor) to analyze a performance problem from top to bottom. This session will demonstrate the capabilities of IBM i's built-in performance instrumentation combined with iDoctor's ability to visually analyze that data to identify and resolve a performance problem that is commonly experienced by clients. After this session you will have the skills to analyze this specific type of problem while having a basis for analyzing other types of problems.

Speakers

Anil Madan

Sr. Managing Consultant, IBM

Anil Madan is a Senior IBM i Performance Consultant with specialization in system, application and Db2 for i performance management. He is an IBM certified Thought Leader Technical Specialist and an IBM certified Executive Project Manager. Working out of the IBM Expert Labs in Rochester... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Meeting Room 203B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level All

4:00pm CDT

232: Using SQL Services in Everyday Life

There has been a significant strategic shift in how IBM i exposes data and how you can access and leverage that data. No longer are CL command and APIs the best way. Today, its all about SQL. You may go, great… I know nothing about SQL… no worries, neither do I! This sessions is about equipping you with some useful activities, and resources so that even if you are a novice, you can be successful with SQL Services to manage your IBM i today.

Speakers

Tim Rowe

Business Architect Application Development & Systems Management for IBM i, IBM

Tim Rowe is the Business Architect responsible for Application Development and Systems Management for the IBM i operating system. His responsibilities include helping to make sure that the IBM i has what is needed to be successful both today and into the future. He sends much of his... Read More →

Scott Forstie

Db2 for i Architect, IBM

Scott Forstie is a Senior Technical Staff Member within IBM i development and spends most of his time working as the Db2 for i Architect. He has worked on IBM operating system development since joining IBM in 1989.Scott is a frequently published author, speaker at industry events... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 201B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All

4:00pm CDT

331: Deploy, Administer, and Restrict IBM i ACS: Ask Me Anything

Deploy, Administer, and Restrict IBM i ACS

Use the best practices and tools to be the most effective System Administrator possible. This module will extend your knowledge of IBM i Access Client Solutions (IBM i ACS) to more effectively deploy, administer and restrict the best IBM i access and administration client available.

Part I: Get and Deploy IBM i ACS
Part II: Administer and Restrict IBM i
Part III: Ask Me Anything

Learning Objectives:

Speakers

Wayne Bowers

Software Engineer, IBM

Wayne Bowers has been with IBM since 1997, where he works with the IBM i Global Support Center in Rochester MN. He is an Advisory Software Engineer specializing in the support of the IBM i Access (aka Client Access) products, Console, the TCP Telnet communications server, and the... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 203A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Client Connectivity

Session Level All
Digital Badge ACS
Audience IBM i IT responsible for Deploying and Administering IBM i ACS.

4:00pm CDT

311: Honey, I Looped the Data: Recursive CTEs

Discover SQL’s incredible capabilities of Common Table Expressions (CTEs) and Recursive CTEs in this enlightening session. Join us as we dive into the world of recursion and learn how Recursive CTEs can help solve complex problems efficiently and elegantly.

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn what Common Table Expressions are and how they are setup.
2. Learn how and when to utilize Recursive CTEs (repeated functionality and cyclical data)

Speakers

Mike Zaringhalam

Developer, PC Richard & Son

Have you ever wanted to meet someone who started Hawaiian Shirt Fridays at their work place? If the answer is 'Yes!', then feel free to reach out with any questions you have regarding Hawaiian shirts... Or IBM i related topics. My main focuses are RDi, DB2, Modernization, and D... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 103A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Advanced
Audience Anyone looking to further their SQL skillset would benefit from this

4:00pm CDT

225: Geographic Mirroring: HA with Any Storage Including Cloud and Hybrid-Cloud

Geographic mirroring is a PowerHA hardware replication technology that provides a complete high availability solution for IBM i working with any type of storage, enabling the simplicity of hardware replication with the flexibility of cloud and hybrid-cloud environments. In addition, if simple real-time disaster recovery meets your needs, Geographic mirroring can also be used in an IBM i-hosted environment for a very easy-to-implement DR solution.

This session will explain the concepts of geographic mirroring, as well as best practices and sizing considerations. We will walk through a complete configuration of a geographic mirroring environment.

Learning Objectives:
1. Learn the basics of IBM i Geographic Mirroring
2. Learn best practices and sizing considerations when considering geographic mirroring
3. See geographic mirroring in action

Speakers

Brian Nordland

Associate Director of Development, Fortra

In addition to his role as Associate Director of Development for Power Development at Fortra, Brian Nordland serves as the technical product manager for PowerHA and Robot HA. Brian has spoken at events, webinars, and user groups—including COMMON—since 2014. He is a co-inventor... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 101 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

High Availability Resilience

Session Level All
Digital Badge HA/DR
Audience HA and DR planners looking for solutions that provide availability in their environment

4:00pm CDT

360: Mastering Technical Debt Challenges in the IBM i Ecosystem

A comprehensive session on strategies for addressing the challenges associated with tackling technical debt in the IBM i ecosystem. This session explores the impact of technical debt on your system's performance and longevity and provides actionable insights to effectively manage and reduce it.

Key Highlights:

- Understanding Technical Debt
- Identifying Hotspots and Common Areas
- Impact on Performance and Scalability
- Strategies for Debt Reduction
- Building a Future-Ready IBM i

Learning Objectives:
Join this session to
- Gain practical insights into proactively addressing technical debt in your IBM i environment.
- Learn how strategically managing technical debt not only mitigates risks and reduces long-term maintenance costs but also optimizes system performance and ensures the long-term scalability of your IBM i infrastructure.
- Walk away with actionable strategies and implementation tips tailored to your specific IBM i context, contributing to the future-proofing of your system and its adaptability to evolving technological landscapes.

Speakers

Chris Koppe

SVP Strategy Services, Fresche Solutions

Chris Koppe is responsible for developing client transformation strategies at Fresche Solutions. He has led the development of legacy management strategies for hundreds of companies, across a variety of platforms, languages, databases, and technologies. This insight has allowed Chris... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 201C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All
Digital Badge IT Strategy

4:00pm CDT

400: Licensing on IBM i Placeholder

Speakers

Douglas Gibbs

Product Manager, IBM

Douglas Gibbs is the offering manager for IBM Power Systems I/O and works closely with the overall Offering Management, Sales and Development teams regarding all manners of I/O. Douglas has worked in the IT Industry for more than 25 years and has been in a variety of positions at... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 203C 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level Intermediate

4:00pm CDT

246: Upgrade Your TODAY!

We all want to upgrade our computer, car, house, phone... The list goes on and on. But how about upgrading our TODAY, so we get the most out of each new day? How much more productive would TODAY be if we could focus on the right things? How would you like to give your TODAY a processor upgrade, and get more done TODAY? How about a memory upgrade, so forgotten tasks don't fall through the cracks TODAY, and all the information you need will be at your fingertips TODAY? What does each new TODAY mean to you, and how do you make the most of it? Attend this session to upgrade your TODAY, and make TODAY matter!

Learning Objectives:
In this session you'll learn:
- The value of each day and how to live TODAY to the fullest with no regrets
- How to spend each TODAY wisely by focusing on the right things, supercharging our productivity
- Ways to use tools and develop systems to be organized TODAY, supplementing our limited memories

Speakers

Steve Wolk

CTO, PC Richard & Son

Steven Wolk is the Chief Technology Officer for PC Richard & Son, a family owned and operated chain of 66 appliance and electronics superstores located throughout NY, NJ, CT, and PA. Founded in 1909, PC Richard has always been known for honesty, integrity, and reliability throughout... Read More →

Upgrade your TODAY! Steven Wolk pdf

Thursday May 23, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 204A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Personal Development

Session Level All
Audience Everyone who wants to make the most of all their TODAY's should attend this session!

4:00pm CDT

291: Simplify Your Life with SQL Services

There are so many services in SQL on our platform. They can make your life a bit simpler. I will show a few services and show how they are done within SQL.

Learning Objectives:
will leave with new ideas about how they can try new services when they get home.

Speakers

Sven Jansson

Senior developer, Apper Systems AB

I have worked on the IBM i platform since 1995. My technical roles include developer, analyst, database specialist, application security, and communications. I also worked on IBMz for a few years, and I serve on the COMMON Sweden board. I'm a curious person who always wants to learn... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 102 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - RPG

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Developer

4:00pm CDT

281: Surviving a Ransomware Attack

A few years ago the company was hit with a ransomware attack. This is the tale of how it happened and how we continue to recover.

Learning Objectives:
1. How 1 particular attack happened to a company with an IBM i.
2. What happened in the immediate aftermath?
3. How we continue to improve our systems to prevent future attacks?
4. How we continue to educate our users about threats?

Speakers

Michael McClure

ICT ERP Team Lead, Mueller, Inc.

Thursday May 23, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 203B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Session Level All
Audience Anyone interested in a real life story of surviving a ransomware attack.

4:00pm CDT

165: What You Need to Know to Successfully Upgrade to IBM i 7.5 or 7.4

When doing an upgrade to IBM i, there is more work involved in the planning of the upgrade than in the actual upgrade itself. When you have done the planning, the actual upgrade is simple. We will cover planning tips, pre-requisites, and then post-installation requirements. Your upgrade isn’t complete until this last step is done.

Learning Objectives:
What you need to check for when preparing your system for an upgrade. What PTFs that are required before the upgrade to avoid problems, and the steps you need to complete a successful upgrade.

Speakers

Pete Massiello

IBM i Advisor, Massiello Holding Corp.

Pete Massiello has been working with the AS/400, iSeries, IBM i since 1989, focusing on systems management and technical support. He has held numerous technical positions through out his career. He is the President of iTech Solutions Group, an IBM Premier Business Partner delivering... Read More →

Thursday May 23, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Meeting Room 201A 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Systems Management

Session Level All
Audience Anyone wanting to upgrade to IBM i 7.4 or 7.5

6:30pm CDT

Closing Reception

Thursday May 23, 2024 6:30pm - 10:00pm CDT
Billy Bob's Honky Tonk 2520 Rodeo Plaza, Fort Worth, TX 76164