August 5, 2020
August 5, 2020 | Volume 16 Issue 49
- LEAD ARTICLE: Practical SQL: SQL Monitor Part 1, Using Identities to Store Big Data
- FEATURED ARTICLE: RPG Academy: UI Modernization, Part 1 - Laying the Foundations
- FEATURED WEBCAST: IBM i in 2020: It’s Not Just AS/400
- WEBCAST: IBM i Resources Retiring?
- FEATURED VIDEO: Design an Invoice in 10 Minutes
- EVENT: POWERUp 2020 Rescheduled for August 31, 2020

Practical SQL: SQL Monitor Part 1, Using Identities to Store Big Data
Sometimes you need to store large pieces of repetitive data that have no natural key, and identities make that easy.
By Joe Pluta
I recently needed to analyze ODBC access to company data. Several techniques exist to track this sort of activity. Perhaps the most thorough is to use exit points; Carol Woodbury wrote an excellent introductory article on the topic. However, for this purpose I considered exit points to be a little too intrusive; installing an exit point, while straightforward, still requires a bit of forethought. Instead, I thought I'd take advantage of a simpler concept: I spin through the active jobs to see which jobs are currently executing SQL statements and then log those statements.
Seiden Group Offers Free Application Profiling Tool for PHP on IBM i

RPG Academy: UI Modernization, Part 1 - Laying the Foundations
Time to turn a new page and start a new subseries in which I will discuss a few ideas about UI. Let’s start by contextualizing the topic and explaining some important aspects.
By Rafael Victoria-Pereira
This subseries will cover two main topics:
- How to restructure your code to facilitate a UI (user interface) modernization initiative
- How the MVC (model-view-controller) design pattern can help achieve that goal
What to Do When Your AS/400 Talent Retires
IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small.
This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business?
This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn:
- Why IBM i skills depletion is a top concern
- How leading organizations are coping
- Where automation will make the biggest impact
Enjoy!
Download your copy today!
2019 State of IBM i Modernization
The annual Profound Logic ‘State of IBM i Modernization Survey” takes a look at the trends and attitudes that shape the IBM i modernization market. We reached out to the IBM i community, and the response was outstanding: close to 800 people, nearly 300 more than last year, took the survey. This enthusiasm resulted in very interesting findings for how businesses plan to use and modernize the platform in the coming year.
As you read through each section of the survey, you will see our summary of the results and suggestions for the future. We hope the survey will help your business better understand what is possible for your IBM i platform in the coming year.
Node Webinar Series Pt. 1: The World of Node.js on IBM i
Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.
Part 1 will teach you what Node.js is, why it's a great option for IBM i shops, and how to take advantage of the ecosystem surrounding Node.
In addition to background information, our Director of Product Development Scott Klement will demonstrate applications that take advantage of the Node Package Manager (npm).
watch now!
What Most IBM i Shops Get Wrong About the IFS
Can you trust all of your users all of the time?
A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six month later.
A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:
- How phishing attacks are becoming more sophisticated
- Three little-known ways malicious programs can reach your IFS
- Why the IFS is IBM i’s “Typhoid Mary”
You’ll also learn why some of the most common malware solutions still leave IBM i systems vulnerable—and what you can do to protect your organization.
Easiest Way to Save Money? Stop Printing IBM i Reports
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IBM i in 2020: It’s Not Just AS/400
IBM’s Steve Will talks AS/400, POWER9, IBM i 7.4, cloud, and everything in between
By HelpSystems
Editor's note: This article introduces the July 2020 Webinar: IBM i in 2020: It’s Not Just AS/400, which is On-Demand and available to download and view from the MC Webcast Center.
True or False: The IBM i operating system is just the AS/400 all over again. False! The AS/400 provided a solid foundation, but it has evolved over the years into the entirely new technology that we call IBM i.
The 2020 chapter in our journey from AS/400 to IBM i includes new cloud offerings, new Technology Refreshes, new customers, and a strong roadmap. How do these additions make the platform more powerful?