COMMON POWERUp 2024: Full Schedule

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

Exhibitor Hall Map Here

4:00pm CDT

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

EVALUATION

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

Charlie 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

EVALUATION

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

5:15pm CDT

257: Lets Learn The Acronyms

EVALUATION

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

Innovative Software Solutions

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 worked for over nine years as a Senior Programmer Analyst/IBM i admin at Everbrite... 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 A-B 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.

9:15am CDT

384: Intro to Modern Application Integration via API

EVALUATION

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

Modern Application Integration via API pdf

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

10:30am CDT

152: Programming Standards and Guidelines

EVALUATION

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

Innovative Software Solutions

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

EVALUATION

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 →

Basics of System Admin for Programmers pdf

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.

5:50pm CDT

223: Quick Spreadsheets through PHP and Python

EVALUATION

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 →

SpreadsheetPHP Python1.2 pdf

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

Programming - General

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

8:00am CDT

127: Hidden Gems of IBM i

EVALUATION

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

IBM i Product Manager, Program Director, 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 A-B 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - General

Session Level All
Award GOLD

10:30am CDT

356: AI Ethics: Balancing Innovation and Responsibility

EVALUATION

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

Charlie Guarino

CEO & IBM Champion, Central Park Data Systems

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

1:30pm CDT

265: Ask Dr. *nix

EVALUATION

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 →

AskDrStarNix pdf

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

371: Secure Rest APIs

EVALUATION

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

Secure Rest interactions on IBM i pdf

Wednesday May 22, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CDT
Meeting Room 102 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - General

Session Level All

2:45pm CDT

395: Building APIs with Jakarta (Java)

EVALUATION

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
Meeting Room 101 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - General

Session Level Intermediate

4:00pm CDT

241: How Refactoring Helps Bulletproof Your Application

EVALUATION

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 102 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - General

Session Level Intermediate
Audience Programmers who want fewer headaches.

5:15pm CDT

288: Build a Web Application on IBM i

EVALUATION

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 →

Build a web app iCrudApp pdf

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

8:00am CDT

135: Optimizing Batch Processing with SQL

EVALUATION

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 201C 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

204: The Magic of Rest APIs on IBM i

EVALUATION

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

John Westcott

Db2 for i Consultant and Team Lead, IBM

John Westcott is the Db2 for i Team Lead in IBM Technology Expert Labs. John is highyly skilled in SQL, RPG, Data Analytics, Rest API, and both database and application modernization. John has over 35 years of experience on IBM i and it's past family of names. John has a storied career... Read More →

1 Magic of Rest APIs on IBM i pdf

Thursday May 23, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Meeting Room 102 1508 Houston St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Programming - General

Session Level Beginner

10:30am CDT

253: API examples using RPG, Node.js, PHP, and Python

EVALUATION

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

1:30pm CDT

254: Alan's Favorite Tips for Open Source on IBM i

EVALUATION

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