A question IBM POWER users rarely ask—unless they work on other platforms—is what an intermittent error is? It’s a kind of bug that occurs without rhyme or reason. Your system may lock up, or worse, it may come to a complete halt. Windows users are very familiar with it—as well as users of non-IBM hardware—and it has been a major nuisance for years. But when it happens to mainframe-class systems it can be much more than a nuisance. It can be very costly. Several years ago, eBay … [Read more...]
Cloud400 Costs 45% Less Than A New IBM POWER i (iSeries/AS400) Server – 4 Reasons Rex-Hide Moved To Cloud400
In this post Rex-Hide Industries' Brian Cook, IT Manager, explains why he chose to move to Cloud400. He shares the 4 reasons why he made the change and the 4 benefits he discovered after he was live on Cloud400. Background Incorporated in 1917, Rex-Hide is a manufacturer of rubber products with sales over $100 million. Located in Tyler, Texas, corporate IT supports 7 autonomous divisions with over 100 users. Their products are marketed to other manufacturers who make hoses and bumpers to be … [Read more...]
7 Myths About IBM i (iSeries,AS400) Cloud Hosting
This blog briefly covers debunking 7 myths about Cloud Hosting IBM i (iSeries, AS400) application. With all the buzz about Cloud Hosting, there are several misconceptions. I have been helping clients migrate to Cloud400 IBM i (iSeries, AS400) application Cloud Hosting for years. Many have shared with me their reasons to make the move, as well as their doubts and concerns. Let me highlight the most common reservations I hear and debunk some of the myths about IBM i Cloud Hosting. … [Read more...]
IBM i Object-Base Architecture = Secure, Virus-Resistant Operation…We Take For Granted
In Case You’re Wondering Why You Haven’t Been Bothered by Viruses and Other Security Problems, Here’s the Answer Our business is upgrading and servicing IBM i (iSeries/AS400) systems, so we get to speak with the CEOs, CFOs and other senior executives of our corporate customers. Every one of them acknowledges that their company has never suffered from virus attacks, hacking or related security issues. When they think about these issues (which is not often), they appreciate how lucky they have … [Read more...]
We Make Secure, Expert IBM i Cloud Hosting EASY
Discover how to get affordable, safe, secure, expert IBM i cloud hosting...and how EASY it is to implement. IBM i application hosting is way more straight-forward than hosting other platform applications. Plain and simple. If you are familiar with IBM i architecture, the reasons will be especially clear once you understand what is needed to support applications that run on such platforms as Windows, UNIX, and Linux. Cloud hosting options for platforms other than IBM i require more … [Read more...]
R2D2 Is Alive And Well—Inside Your IBM i (iSeries, AS400) Server
R2D2? That little dome-headed “droid” that always kept the Star Wars heroes one step ahead of big trouble? Well, not exactly. The one we’re talking about doesn’t roll around, nor does he chirp. But unlike the movie version, ours is real. He lives inside your IBM i server and he spends his life keeping you out of trouble…with never so much as a thank you from his owner. It’s time he got a little respect, because he works day and night—not only “off the books” but entirely off your payroll. … [Read more...]
Lowest IBM POWER i Price Minus Unneeded Software Saves Enough To Get Super-Fast SSDs
How To Boosts Server Performance Up To 300% And Get Smoothest Migration Source Data Products has many clients that prefer a low profile, so they ask that we do not reveal their identity in print. One such client recently upgraded from their POWER 6 8203-E4A to a new IBM POWER 8286. IT Programmer Analyst Bobbi S. was so pleased with the experience she agreed to share her story. Background A 120 year old Midwestern manufacturer had supported their business with an IBM POWER6 8203-E4A on … [Read more...]
Cloud Hosting 101
6 Essential Concepts To Cut IT Spending Every week I read articles and blogs about cloud computing. Clearly, the topic of cloud computing is broad and deep. My sense is that as authors define and explain key terms and concepts about cloud computing, it becomes more difficult to understand what you need to know if you are interested in hosting your IBM i applications instead of using an on-premise server. Further, alarming headlines make the process seem scarier than it really … [Read more...]
What Is A RAID Cache Battery, Anyway?
As you probably know, a RAID disk controller is a system failsafe feature that allows for a disk in a disk array to fail without bringing the system down. Built into the RAID controller is a buffer. The buffer “tells” the processor that the “data write-to-disk” is complete, so the system “knows” to go back to the processor to fetch more data to send to the disks. Quite simply, the cache buffer speeds up data from the processor to the disk. And this cache buffer has a battery to keep … [Read more...]
6 Unexpected Things You Need To Know About Our 4 Hour IBM i (OS400) Version Upgrade
Our approach to IBM i version upgrades is different. Our Clients know it to be WAY BETTER 1. Way Less Time: This approach does not require 1 or more weekends of downtime to upgrade OS400 to the latest release. Restricted downtime is dramatically limited – in most cases, it’s about 2x – 3x your save time depending on the amount of data, or about 2 to 4 hours for most of our clients. 2. No Surprises The unexpected surprises are discovered before anyone comes onsite to go live. If … [Read more...]