October, 2008

RedPapers - Going Green with IBM Systems Director Active Energy Manager

Energy efficiency of data centers is a critical priority for IT managers. As energy and power costs become a significant portion of IT costs, understanding and investing in energy management has never been more important. IBM Systems Director Active Energy Manager, an extension of IBM Systems Director, helps you to monitor and manage the power usage of systems. Originally designed to support IBM BladeCenter and System x, Active Energy Manager now supports the power management of additional IBM systems, including POWER6 processor-based systems, as well as storage devices through the intelligent Power Distribution Unit (PDU+).

LINK :: RedPapers - Going Green with IBM Systems Director Active Energy Manager

Redbook - Hardware Management Console V7 Handbook

The IBM Hardware Management Console provides systems administrators a tool for planning, deploying, and managing IBM System p and IBM System i servers. This IBM Redbooks publication is designed for system administrators to use as a desk-side reference when managing partition-capable System i and System p servers using the HMC.

LINK ::  Redbook - Hardware Management Console V7 Handbook

Deploying Lotus 8 Yet - IBM has a Redbook that can help

IBM has offered a Redbook that can help your deployment of Lotus 8.

LINK :: Redbook -  IBM Lotus Notes and Domino 8 Deployment Guide

The Little Extras in IBM Director - System i Network - Greg Hintermeister

Greg Hintermeister over at the System i Network points out all the littel extra fun stuff in what s going to be a great product for managing your POWER platform. IBM Director Site.

LINK  :: The Little Extras in IBM Director - System i Network - Greg Hintermeister

Blackberry BOLD the new iPhone Killer?

Here is a link to an in depth article about the Blackberry BOLD and how is fairs against the iPhone.

Link :: BlackBerry Bold: the DEFINITIVE hands-on review

This really all depends on “What you do” but the iPhone is a hard candle to hold a light to. Blackberry is working hard to step up  and the next phone, the STORM, is going to be thr true test.

Has Windows Vista been the WindowsME of this centry

With Windows 7 right around the corner and in my 27K PC company with no plans to move to VISTA. I have tried to use Vista and I have not been very happy with it to date. It’s not the best OS out there right now. Sadly XP is still a better choice for a desktop. Vista tries to WOW you with pretty icons and little in the area of work flow.

Full disclosure, I am a Windows user at work and a MacOSX and Linux user at home. I prefer not to use Windows, but do use it the majority of my day in the office. This is not a choice in the office; I am required to use Windows.

I for one and looking forward to Windows 7 and would love to see a new OS from Microsoft.

LINK :: Windows 7 Beta almost public

So what does this have to do with the IBM i? Well nothing other than IBM decided a while ago they were going to support Windows as the desktop of choice to work from. So all the tools, plug-ins and integration is for Windows. They have tried to look at Linux, but have completely failed with anything Mac based. I hope the struggles of Windows will help IBM look around and realize that this is clearly not a Windows world and other desktops are out there and that Microsoft does not always deploy a usable product. Plus OpenOffice just dropped 3.0 and it’s decent and ready for Linux and Mac from day one.

My other blog - I have turned it off - SystemiAddict.com

If you have come here looking for me and my current situation then I am here to tell you to fear not. I am still around. I have turned off my other blog, SystemiAddict.com, and am going to focus my attention on this blog and working on another project I have brewing called Addict Army. In the next few days and weeks I am going to see if I can pull my hits from my old site to this site and keep up the content. Thanks for stopping by.  - David Vasta

20 Years of the “AS/400″ Road Map from IBM

So it’s been 20 years of the old AS/400, iSeries, System i, and now the IBM i. Over the last 20 years lots has changed along with the name.

LINK :: IBM PDF about the last 20 Years of AS/400

What is the tempurature outside in IBM i Land?

I was answering an email the other day, someone emailed me about helping them find an IBM i job. I have some questions if you guys will answer them:

1. Is your comapny moving off of or not improving the IBM i they have?
2. Is your job “stable” as an IBM i Person, Dev or Admin?
3. If not are you looking for work?
4. What tools are you using to find them?
5. Are you willing to move to stay in the IBM i Community

Thanks! Just curious again

I could do that better, I really could! Can you?

I have my days, where I am reading or thinking,  I see something that looks nice, and you think for just a second . . . I could do that better!

In most cases you probably could fine something that needs improving, and while my wife would tell me, no, my brain and maybe some ego tell me, go for it. I see lots of stuff that inspire me to do it better. I see software that is good, but it could be better. I see an OS, Linux, that is good and remarkable in its own right, but it could be better. Now this not a post for me to complain that the world is not perfect, and I am well aware that it may seem like I am picking on Linux and I am not. I love Linux, and was just using it as an example. The same example could be used for anything, Windows, MacOSX, UNIX, IBM i, AIX, BeOS, and the list keeps going. They all have things that need work or a bit of polish.

There are other things other than computers that I think can be improved, I was reading an article last night. Quentin Haines (I wished I had a link to his article or his site, but I don’t) or the National Karting New Magazine, wrote a piece about someone building a $500 Racing Kart. Wow what a concept and for you out there thinking that is expensive then let me blow you away. Your average full on racing Kart will run you from $3000 - $10,000. So a $500 kart would be a nice thing to have, and it all got me to thinking again….what else is out there that you want to make better?

IBM while a large company has many things we all would like to change. I would love to hear things that you all out there see in your day to day life, be it tech related or non-tech, that you would like to improve.

-David