Infrastructure


Big Blue’s SOA Blitz

Are the ESB visions touted by IBM, BEA, and others a new spin on an old idea: vendor lock-in?

A Mainframe First: J2EE Performance Testing for Big Iron Web Apps

Big Blue’s Rational Performance Tester for z/OS isn’t a technology in search of a market—it’s a reflection of market demand, IBM officials say

IBM Revamps Flagship Storage Resource Management Suite

Support for z/OS is still gestating, however, and extending TotalStorage Productivity Center to OS/400 will be difficult, too.

Seven Habits of Highly Successful Business/IT Aligners

There are seven ground rules for aligning business strategy with IT. Flub any one of them and you can kiss your alignment aspirations goodbye.

The Mainframe Loses One: IBM Ends Development, Resale of OLAP Engine

IBM’s decision to eighty-six its DB2 OLAP Server has ramifications for mainframe and iSeries shops

Utility Computing: Implementation Approaches

Instead of making big-bang investments, customers can reap the benefits of utility computing in more affordable ways.

Why ERP Does Matter

Companies that consolidate their ERP stacks and implement consistent data definitions can reduce operating costs by nearly 25 percent



An Rx for Cost Savings: Keep IT Simple, Study Shows

Companies that reduce the complexity of their IT systems can generate significant savings

Careers: Big Iron Pros Sticking Around

Mainframe brain drain doesn't worry many old mainframe hands, who don’t see themselves going anywhere anytime soon

Mainframe Sales Slump Trigger Workforce Cuts

Last week, CA joined BMC and even IBM itself in announcing cuts to its mainframe workforce

With z9, IBM Touts More Than Performance and Scalability

With its new generation of zSeries systems, IBM is shifting its focus beyond best-in-class performance and scalability

Sticking It Out on MVS

In spite of IBM’s best efforts, a lot of customers continue to run mission-critical applications on older MVS mainframes

Microsoft's Virtualization Moves Still Lag

Two years on, Microsoft’s flagship offering still can’t hold a candle to VMWare. The question is when, if ever, will the software giant close the gap?

Eclipse: One IDE to Rule Them All

Some enthusiasts tout Eclipse as an Rx for programming anarchy

CA Brings Sub-Capacity Pricing to Low-MIPS, Emulated Mainframes

Mainframe emulation systems are often used in production settings, too—depending on the needs of customers

Reader Feedback: Management's Web-Services Push Meets IT Resistance

Many IT pros remain skeptical about service-enablement, but—as a growing number are finding out—they don’t have a choice in the matter

Does AON Pit Cisco Against IBM, SAP, and TIBCO?

AON takes Cisco further afield from its roots—and deeper into an EAI segment dominated by IBM, SAP, and TIBCO

CA Takes Measured Workload Pricing into VSE Territory

CA last week announced a sub-capacity pricing initiative for VSE that helps bring that platform up to speed with its flashier sibling z/OS

IBM’s Data-Integration Strategy Takes Shape

With canned ETL already on tap from Microsoft and Oracle, what—if anything—does IBM have planned for DB2?

SOA: A Reality Check from IT Pros

Up to now, service enablement has largely been the baby of C-level executives and line-of-business managers. Many IT professionals see the promise of the technology, but warn that the reality is several years away.