Upcoming events, webcasts and live virtual classes

It's almost the end of the year but here are still some upcoming events that might be of interest to you

(GSE) Meetings in Belgium

Tuesday December 13, 2016 - DB2 zOS working group meeting
At De Voorzorg  Antwerpen - Kiel
Information and registration
This time the main focus is on Backup&Recovery with three customer testimonials.
Agenda :
13:00 – 13:30 : Registration
13:30 - 14:30 : “Recent Changes in DB2 for z/OS Logging” by Steve Thomas – CA
14:30 - 15:30 : “Recovery Tales from Experience” by Ken McDonald – BMC
15:30 – 16:00 : coffee break
16:00 - 16:20 : “Backup & Recovery@Colruyt”  by Steven Goedertier - Colruyt Group
16:20 – 16:40 : “Backup & Recovery@Euroclear” by Mattia Michelazzo - Euroclear
16:40 – 17:00 : “Backup & Recovery@NVSM”  by Stijn Vanden Bosch - NVSM
17:00 – 17:30 : Panel discussion on Backup & Recovery
17:30 - 19:00 : Networking & Drinks sponsored by CA Technologies

Thursday , December 15, CICS GSE Event : Are you ready for the future
At the IBM Forum Diegem
Information and registration
Agenda :
12:30-13:20Hr      Welcome and Coffee
13:20-13:30Hr      Introduction by Chairman Dirk De Schutter
13.30-14:15Hr      Session 1  : New CICS functionalities in CICS TS 5.4 (Michael Jones)
14:15-15:00Hr      Session 2 : New Direction in Session Management (Paul Carruthers)
15:00-15:15Hr      Coffee Break
15:15-16:30Hr      Session 3 : Application Discovery - aka EZSource (Agnes Ten Brink)
16:30-17:15Hr      Session 4 : Java & Liberty (Michaël Jones - IBM Hursley Labs)
17:15-18:00Hr      Networking and drinks.

I'm not sure about the GSE z/OS Working Group meeting. It should take place at our own Realdolmen HQ in Huizingen on Wednesday December 14, 2016, but so far I haven't seen any invitation or agenda. 

Accelerate with Storage : Webcast on DS8000
Accelerate with IBM Storage: DS8000 Technical Update, December 13th 2016 at 5P.M. Brussels time
Information and registration
"Join this webinar to hear the technical details of the latest updates to the DS8000 family. A new generation of High Performance Flash provides better performance and lower operating costs. Greater synergies between DS8000 and z Systems as well as enhancements to Encryption, Copy Services management, and the user interfaces will be covered as well as a performance update."

z/VSE Live Virtual Class
CSI TCP/IP for VSE Update 
Tuesday January 17, 2017 at 5 P.M. Brussels Time
Information and registration
This session will review recent changes, maintenance, and new features in the CSI TCP/IP for VSE product..

Just one quick addition that might be interesting for planning your agenda in 2017. For Europe the IBM z Systems Technical University seems to be planned in October instead of the usual time frame in May or June. Have a look over here. Just go to the end of the list and click on 'Show More'.

30/9/2015 : Real Solutions IBM Mainframe - LinuxOne event in Luxembourg

Those who know the Benelux market a bit, know that Luxembourg has always been a fairly closed market. Though I originally included 'Belgium' in the name of my blog, we're also active in Luxembourg through our partner company Real Solutions. Now, they are organising an interesting event around LinuxOne on September 30, 2015. I'm including the invitation (in French) here. If you want to subscribe, just click here.

SPEED EVENT IBM MAINFRAME

REAL Solutions est heureuse de vous annoncer son partenariat sur Luxembourg avec IBM pour la plateforme Mainframe (natif et Linux). Afin d'officialiser cette représentation locale, nous souhaitons vous inviter à notre “SPEED EVENT” autour du thème IBM zSystems.
C’est un rendez-vous important qui s'inscrit dans notre politique de promotion et de valorisation de l’infrastructure informatique. IBM profitera de l'occasion pour vous présenter les nouveautés IBM Mainframe.

Agenda

10:30 Accueil

10:45 Roadmap IBM zSystem
Alain POQUILLON - zSystems CAMSS Sales Leader - IBM Systems Europe

11:20 Quels nouveaux workloads pour z series (LinuxOne)?
Alain POQUILLON - zSystems CAMSS Sales Leader - IBM Systems Europe

11:55 IBM Security zSecure
Marc MASQUELIER - IBM zSystems Software Sales Representative

12:25 Conclusion

Rejoignez-nous dans notre session d'information suivie d'un déjeuner convivial.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
QUAND
 Mercredi 30 Septembre 2015 de 10:30 à 14:00
suivi d’un lunch.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LIEU 
 Schéiss aux Arquebusiers Sarl
142, Val Sainte Croix
L-1370 Luxembourg
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You'll receive some more information about the location and parking in the area once you're registered.

Upcoming events

Here's a selection of upcoming events that might be of interest to you

(GSE) Meetings in Belgium

June 4, 2015 - DB2 zOS and DB2 LUW Joined user group meeting
IBM Client Center in Brussels
On June 4th 2015, the Belux GSE DB2 working group in cooperation with the DB2 LUW working group present their 6th Joint DB2 for z/OS and DB2 for LUW Event. You can find the agenda and you can also register over here.
A short overview : "This 155th day of the year 2015 will start with a lighthearted story from Marcel Den Hartog about “Mainframe in the Digital Economy”. Besides Marcel to put everybody in the right mood, we have a number of other renowned speakers on this event. John Campbell will entertain us with stories about the joys of migration to DB2 11 for z/OS. For the more DB2 for LUW oriented people we managed to bring over Les King to talk about where DB2 fits into the Big Data Analytics picture, and Alain De Wilde to talk about Cloud Data Services.
After the lunch offered by IBM, we have more technical deep dive topics for you by John Campbell and Klaas Brant talking about locking, and more system oriented topics like large buffer pools and compression. We also have a user presentation from Dirk Beauson. He will describe how KBC does DB2 for z/OS application performance tuning".

June 8, 2015 - GSE LUG Working Group meeting on 'IT Security in Practice'
RealDolmen Huizingen
"We will give a global view of the security landscape. What are the actual threads and what are the expectations for the future ? For what must we be prepared ? Previously, perimeter security was sufficient. Today we have to accept that someone can still break in into our system. How can we efficiently detect /monitor that ? How to react on such an attack ? How must you be organized ? Which professional roles / responsibilities must be defined in your company to be capable to react in a sufficient way ?" For registration, send an e-mail to geert.maes@realdolmen.com.


EMEA : May 18-22, 2015 - System z Technical University

The System z Technical University is taking place in Dublin for EMEA. You can find all information about attending, agenda, registration etc. over here.This is already next week, so hurry up if you still want to attend it. For the Belgian customer, there's an Irish company (I won't give any names of course) that flies you to Dublin and back for under 100€. So that's already one obstacle out of the way . . .

BeNeLux : June 9-11 2015 - DB2 Symposium 2015 Netherlands
"On 9-11 June we organize our 17th DB2 Symposium in Veldhoven / The Netherlands with nine DB2 z/OS and LUW sessions presented by DB2 Gold Consultants and IBM DB2 Experts. The DB2 Symposium is a three day training event with one day seminars which fills the gap between a conference and a multi-day training. The DB2 Symposium is unique because you can join us for 1, 2 or 3 days, depending on your needs and budget."
Some names of speakers : Susan Lawson, Ember Crooks, Cristian Molar, Gareth Jones, Martin Hubel, Dan Luksetich, Klaas Brant
More information and registration over here.


Online events

May 19, 2015 - IBM Systems Magazine Webcast at 6:00PM Brussels Time
3590 Tape Drive End of Support - What's The Best Alternative? for Mainframe
This appears to be a sponsored webcast from Luminex but I guess the content could be interesting :
"Better understand the key considerations and available options for addressing the 3590 EOS, to protect your mainframe investment and ease the transition to new technologies.
Protect your mainframe investment and gain insight from Luminex Subject Matter Experts and a Technical Lead from JAS Tech Services who will share his firsthand experience with a recent transition from 3490 and 3590 tape drives, to 3490 and 3590 virtual tape.
This webinar will highlight the best practices for navigating from the initial evaluation, to unplugging and powering off physical tape systems permanently, including the POC, sizing, IOGEN, implementation, testing, production, tape migration, cutover and DR testing".
You have to click your way to the registration via the link over here.

May 28, 2015 - Webcast at 5:00PM Brussels Time
APIs for the Enterprise: Unlocking mainframe assets for mobile and cloud applications
"Across multiple industries, enterprises have made significant investments in mainframe applications. By taking advantage of these z Systems-based assets, you can extend your reach to new customers and markets with new applications and services. By exposing existing mainframe assets as APIs, you can improve the customer experience and integrate new mobile and cloud capabilities. These APIs are the building blocks for accessing the systems of record that are managed in existing mainframe applications.Topics include:

• Discover how to develop APIs from existing z/OS business assets
• Learn how to take advantage of new capabilities and set up end-to-end architecture and technical roles
• Find out how to bring together the right organizational roles for delivering successful mobile and cloud-based solutions"

You can find all info and a registration link over here.

June 16/17, 2015 - A Two Part Webcast at 5:00PM Brussels Time
DB2 11 Migration Planning & Real Customer Experiences by John Campbell
"To help facilitate your migration, and ensure your organization remains competitive John Campbell will provide planning information about migrating to DB2 11 for z/OS. This presentation will be two part series June 16th and 17th. The presentation will share surprises, pitfalls and lessons learned; provide hints and tips; discuss enabling fast start; and share the latest news about migrations.
This is a unique opportunity to catch the top hints and tips from John, there will also be an opportunity for a live Q&A session."

You can find all info and a registration link over here for the first session and over here for the second session..

Upcoming events

Here's a selection of upcoming events that might be of interest to you

BeNeLux : March 30 2015 - IBM z13 Technical Workshop

"The course participant will learn how to exploit the IBM z13 hardware and software infrastructure to effectively run modern mainframe workloads/solutions. The 1-day workshop will provide a detailed description of the new features and functions of the z13 and the IBM z Systems BladeCenter Extension (zBX) Model 004, thereby enabling clients, BPs, and IBMers to plan, implement, and operate the system environment in an expedited manner."
I already mentioned this workshop, so you can find the contents over there, but I wasn't aware there was a session held in Amsterdam as well. The price is 600€ but these sessions are usually well worth their money. You can enroll over here.

EMEA : May 18-22, 2015 - System z Technical University

The System z Technical University is taking place in Dublin for EMEA. You can find all information about attending, agenda, registration etc. over here. There's an early bird reduction until April 3, 2015. There's also an extra reduction code when you're a GSE member. While registering, check the box “I have received an IBM rep code” on the tab “Track info & activities” and fill in the code you received together with the GSE invitation.

Belgium: March 9, 2015 - Get More from your Storage, the new Era
at DOLCE La Hulpe (afternoon event with lunch)
"In order to help you get more from your Storage we will present several solutions around Software Defined Storage(SDS), FlashSystem, VersaStack and Tivoli
We will demonstrate

• how IBM technology is fundamentally changing the way business is done and influencing every department and aspect of an organization
• how SDS redefines the storage infrastructure in the data center and better understand how it works
• how IBM FlashSystem can help you to better manage your data with Extreme performance that allows you to do more in less time
• and finally how VersaStack is an easy to deploy, efficient and versatile offering that combines best-of-breed technologies of the Cisco UCS integrated infrastructure with the cloud ready IBM Storwize"

Info and registration over here.

(GSE) Meetings in Belgium

March 3, 2015 - GSE Architecture Working Group about 'Business Analytics'
IBM Client Center in Brussels
You can find the agenda as well as register over here. "Business Analytics is “The systematic leverage of cross functional business information and the resulting optimization of business decisions and processes”. It is one of the five big ICT paradigms (Cloud, Analytics, Mobile, Security, and Social Media) that many organizations are exploring and adopting as part of their business strategy, in order to stay competitive or even in order to survive!"


March 26, 2015 - GSE DB2 Working Group meeting
Volvo Gent
You can register over here. The agenda covers SYSLGRNX - From Darkness to Light, Autonomic Utility Processing for DBA Maintenance Activities, Discussion panel on Utility database maintenance operations. And if you can spare the time in the morning, you're in for a real treat as Volvo Gent invites you for a guided tour in the Truck assembly Factory !

Online events

February 18, 2015 - z/VM Live virtual class at 5:00PM Brussels Time
How z/VM Live Guest Relocation is used by GDPS - Introduction and Demo
"With z/VM 6.2, z/VM supports Single System Image (SSI) and Live Guest Relocation (LGR). With GDPS 3.10, GDPS can handle and control such setups. The presentation covers:

• a short introduction to LGR, GDPS and xDR
• GDPS maintenance scenarios which make use of LGR
• introduction to LGR concepts and how GDPS can control LGR
• a short demo
• best practices"

You can find all info and a registration link over here.

February 24, 2015 - z/VSE Live virtual class at 5:00PM Brussels Time
Mobile access to the existing z/VSE application
"The first z/VSE webcast in 2015 will demonstrate how to create a mobile application with access to existing applications running under z/VSE. We will start with a short overview of the IBM MobileFirst practice, followed by the necessary tools and knowledge to start mobile development for z/VSE and the step-by-step process of creating mobile applications. "

You can find all info and a registration link over here.

IBM z13 Technical IBM Redbooks Workshop

Here's a promising 1-day workshop from Redbooks, introducing nearly every technical aspect of the new IBM z13.

The workshop objectives

"The course participant will learn how to exploit the IBM z13 hardware and software infrastructure to effectively run modern mainframe workloads/solutions. The 1-day workshop will provide a detailed description of the new features and functions of the z13 and the IBM z Systems BladeCenter Extension (zBX) Model 004, thereby enabling clients, BPs, and IBMers to plan, implement, and operate the system environment in an expedited manner."

Here's a list of the main topics, but go to the workshop page itself for the full agenda.

Overview of the z13
z13 technical details
zBX Model 004
Software : Operating Systems support
z13 environmentals
z13 connectivity
HMC/SE
STP enhancements
Planning and implementation considerations
Installation and migration
Physical Planning
Statements of Direction

There's a worldwide coverage of the workshop and of course I'm looking for places near to Belgium and I think the most obvious choices would be London on Monday February 23, 2015 or Paris on Friday February 27, 2015. In Paris the workshop is given in French. The fees are 500£ for London and 600€ for Paris.

Tapeless initial installation of z/VSE

If I'm not blogging that much about z/VSE, then there's a good reason for that. There's some one doing such a great job in this area I barely or rather I cannot add anything useful to it. I said this before, you have the retweet function in Twitter but there should be something like a reblog function too. I'd reblog quite a few of Ingolf's z/VSE Blog. If you haven't discovered this one yet, add it to your must follow blogs now.

This is how I came across this next Live Virtual Class or Webcast on z/VSE. It's on June 24, 2014 at 9AM Brussels time.

"This LVC provides an overview on how to perform tapeless initial installation of z/VSE - a feature introduced with z/VSE 5.2. It covers how to create a z/VSE installation disk in LPAR and under z/VM and how to perform initial installation from such a installation disk in both environments".

I'm mentioning this nonetheless because you should also take a look at the future Live Virtual Classes. There's a 'Z/VSE for beginners' planned at a later date, so be sure to stay tuned.

And while I'm at it, I would also like to mention another event : the 8th European GSE/IBM Technical University for z/VSE, z/VM and Linux on System z which is taking place in Dresden, Germany from October 20 until October 22, 2014. You can find more information over here.

Upcoming GSE meetings Belgium

You know it's difficult to report on each and every interesting meeting that passes by, so I sureley missed some in the past but here are three upcoming GSE meetings with very promising agendas :

• Weddnesday June 11, 2014 :  z/OS Working Group Meeting at RealDolmen Huizingen
  This is an all day event with also a couple of customer testimonials and that we always like of course. Topics are OMEGAMON @ Colruyt by Geert Lips (Colruyt), Access the Mainframe: Anywhere, Anytime, Any Device by SysperTec with customer testimonial from P&V Verzekeringen, Fulfilling Retail Expectations with Mobile - a UK costomer case by Bart Gyselinck (IBM), The Evolution of Analytics and Big Data Integration on System z by Eric Michiels (IBM)
  Information and registration
  

• Thursday June 12, 2014 : DB2 Working Group Meeting at IBM Forum Brussels
  This is also an all day event with a track for DB2 on z/OS and one for DB2 LUW.
  "During the DB2 for z/OS break-out sessions  we explore some of the topics that DB2 11 is bringing. Some of  the changes with the biggest impact will be thoroughly explained by DB2 expert Timm Zimmermann, and our own Bart Steegmans.
  In the DB2 for LUW break-out sessions, Dirk Coppieters and Frederik Engelen present on migrating from Orable to DB2 and using Ansible for DB2 configuration management. You also have the opportunity to get answers to all your burning questions from the DB2 for LUW Experts panel.
  Is the next stage of Information Technology one without SQL? Kris Van Thillo lets you take the first plunge into NOSQL databases during our closing session."
  Registration here or here.

• Friday June 20, 2014 : Enterprise Systems Security z/OS meeting at KBC Brussels
  Several sessions about/by The Rocket Software Company, Improving the Integration between Distributed Security and CICS (Nigel Williams - IBM), Secrets of IMS Security and Surviving an IMS Security Audit (Maida Snapper - IBM). Scroll down to the end of the registration page to find the agenda in .pdf.
  Information and registration

#mainframe50 : Benelux Event April 10 in Zwijndrecht, Netherlands

Yesterday I told you about a #mainframe50 event in the Benelux. Well, here it is. Just click on one of the pictures below to register.

I hope lots of you will be able to join us.

IBM Total Solutions Event Brussels Forum 24-25/09/2013

I thought I might already send out a reminder for this annual Total Solutions Event at the Brussels Forum in September. So you can make all necessary arrangements before the holidays.

What's it about ?
If you're a Benelux customer and you want to keep up to date about all things mainframe then you should take the time for this conference. A wide audience is targeted as there are tracks for managers, architects, software developers and technical people. The emphasis is on the software side but there's is also a pure technical track on System z. Let me give you an overview of the tracks :

• TRACK 1 - Trends in Enterprise Computing
• TRACK 2 - Achitecting System z-centric Enterprise
• TRACK 3 - Increasing your Business agility with new Industry Solutions on System z
• TRACK 4 - Creating Business Value with the latest System z Technology
• TRACK 5 - Extending, transforming and growing your Transaction Processing Applications
• TRACK 6 - Making your IT infrastructure smarter
• TRACK 7 - Increasing Productivity and Time to Marketing with the latest Application Development Solutions
• TRACK 8 - Staying ahead of Today´s Data and Information Management Challenges Architectures

Where : IBM Brussels Forum
When : 24-25 September 2013. Unfortunately the event has been reduced to two days now.
You can already register over here.
The full agenda will be added later.

Upcoming events and webcasts

I saw a lot of announcements for webcasts and so passing by, so I thought I might as well summarize them for you, along with some other upcoming events.

GSE Meetings in Belgium

It's perhaps a bit early for the GSE Meetings but here's already the date for the first z/OS Working Group Meeting.

March 13, 2013 - GSE z/OS Working Group Meeting
RealDolmen Huizingen
No additional information for the moment.
The other dates for 2013 should be June 12, September 10 and December 11.



IBM Events in Belgium

For the moment I can already tell you that the dates for the Total Solutions Event at the Brussels IBM Forum are already fixed. So you can already block your agenda for September 24 until September 26, 2013.


Webcasts and teleconferences


January 24, 2013 at 4 pm GMT, 5 pm Brussels
Save money from enhanced analytics with Tivoli support for zEnterprise zAware 
Information and Registration

January 29, 2013 at 4 pm GMT, 5 pm Brussels
DB2 10 and Beyond - Celebrating 30 Years of Superior Technology 
"You’ll also get a glimpse into the future and IBM plans for the next release, DB2 11"
Information and Registration

January 30, 2013 at 4 pm GMT, 5 pm Brussels
10 things you’ll want to know about Rational development tools – before you start that project 
Information and Registration

February 5, 2013 at 4 pm GMT, 5 pm Brussels
Want to Modernize Your IMS Administration? We have tools for that 
Information and Registration

February 5, 2013 at 4.30 pm GMT, 5.30 pm Brussels
Virtual IMS user group : Best practices: maximizing the use of your IMS data through replication
Information and Registration

February 28, 2013 at 4 pm GMT, 5 pm Brussels
Enabling the private cloud with CICS: An analyst perspective 
Information and Registration

March 12&13, 2013 at 3 pm GMT, 4 pm Brussels
IBM DB2 10 Migration Planning and Real Customer Experiences – PART 1 & PART 2 
Information and Registration

March 26, 2013 at 3 pm GMT, 4 pm Brussels
Modernizing your DB2 environment with DB2 Utilities and Tools for z/OS 
Information and Registration


And there are still some more. If you want to see all upcoming webcasts, have look over here. For all upcoming teleconferences, you can take a look over here.

z/VSE Live Virtual Class

February 13, 2013 at 4 pm Brussels
z/VSE Release and Version Upgrade, Migration Considerations
Information and Registration


As I always say, just check them out !

Upcoming events and webcasts

I thought I might give you a summary of some events scheduled for the next month(s).

GSE Meetings in Belgium

December 6, 2012 - DB2 User Group Meeting
AXA Antwerp
This meeting will focus on customer experiences from Colruyt, KBC and BNP Paribas Fortis on migrating to DB2 10. Next to that SD Worx will tell you about the implementation of Temporal Data.
Information and registration

December 12, 2012 - GSE z/OS Working Group Meeting
RealDolmen Huizingen
Information

December 13, 2012 - GSE Security Working Group Meeting (z/OS Oriented)
IBM Belgium
Information and registration



IBM Events in Belgium

November 7, 2012 - PoT - Enterprise Application Transformation with RDz and RTCz
IBM Forum Brussels
"This Proof of Technology (PoT) session provides attendees with basic skills and hands-on exposure to the major features of the Rational Enterprise Modernization Accelerator for Developers, providing an integrated development solution, consisting of the Rational Developer for System z (version 8), Rational Team Concert (version 3) and Rational Asset Analyzer (version 6) tools."
Information - Registration

November 14, 2012 - PoT - Discovering the value of IBM WebSphere Application Server V8.5
IBM Forum Brussels
Information - Registration


IBM Webcasts

November 6 at 4 pm GMT, 5 pm Brussels
Follow the business rules to succeed in modernizing your IMS Applications 
Information and Registration 

November 7 at 4 pm GMT, 5 pm Brussels
Hey! Who closed my batch window?
"Addressing shrinking batch processing windows, while maintaining an 'always on' responsiveness to online transactions". 
Information and Registration

November 8 at 4 pm GMT, 5 pm Brussels
CICS V5.1: Operation efficiency and service agility through cloud enablement 
Information and Registration

November 13 at 4 pm GMT, 5 pm Brussels
International DB2 Users Group (IDUG) shares DB2 10 upgrade experiences from USERS
About : DB2 10 cost savings right out of the box,Reducing CPU and improving performance,Reducing business risk and overhead by staying current.  
Information and Registration

November 29 at 4 pm GMT, 5 pm Brussels
Mainframe Compiler Experts Panel: Strategies and Best Practices for Successful Compiler upgrades 
Information and Registration

December 11 at 4 pm GMT, 5 pm Brussels
DB2 for z/OS Migration - Query Performance Considerations 
Information and Registration


And there are still some more. If you want to see all upcoming webcasts, have look over here. For all upcoming teleconferences, you can take a look over here.

z/VSE Live Virtual Class

October 30, 2012 at 4 pm Brussels
VSE/POWER - all the news since z/VSE V4.2
Information and Registration


As I always say, just check them out !

IBM Total Solution Event for System z Brussels

If you're a Benelux customer and you want to keep up to date about all things mainframe then you should take the time for this conference. I know time is a valuable asset nowadays but this is a free 3-day conference that informs you about the latest technologies for System z. A wide audience is targeted as there are tracks for managers, architects and several technical groups. Let me give you an overview of the tracks :

• TRACK 1 - zEnterprise for IT Managers and Executives 
• TRACK 2 - zEnterprise for IT Architects 
• TRACK 3 - New Technologies on zEnterprise 
• TRACK 4 - Maximize Scalability and Flexibility with Linux and z/VM on System z 
• TRACK 5 - Cloud Computing with zEnterprise 
• TRACK 6 - Integrated Management and Monitoring of zEnterprise 
• TRACK 7 - Managing and exploiting Enterprise Data and Information 
• TRACK 8 - Exploiting Modern Application Architectures on zEnterprise 
• TRACK 9 - Increasing Productivity and Time to Market with Application Development Solutions for zEnterprise 
• TRACK 10 - DB2 on z/OS Update 
• TRACK 11 - IMS Update 
• TRACK 12 - CICS Update 

You can register over here. There's also aleady an agenda over there.
If you want more information on the tracks and session, take a look over here. You can download the session agenda over here.

Belgian GSE Working Group meetings

March seems to be a very busy month for the Belgian GSE Working groups. I got quite some invitations over the last couple of weeks, so I thought I might put them in the spotlight. I just hope I don't forget any. If so, please let me know.

Here we go :

• Joint VM and Linux on System z Working Group Meeting
  Where and when : Tuesday March 6, 2012 at the IBM Forum Brussels at 1.00 PM
  Topics : Linux on System z: What, Why, How, and When? (by Eric Michiels, IBM Belgium), zVM Linux servers, our bridge pillars between business and legacy (P&V customer case by Carlo Werbrouck) and Mainframe, VM and Linux - A perfect match? (by Guy Przytula).
  Registration over here.
  

• z/OS Working Group Meeting
  Where and when : Wednesday March 14, 2012 at RealDolmen Huizingen at 9.00 AM
  Topics : to be determined
  Registration over here.

• DB2 Working Group Meeting
  Where and when : Thursday March 15, 2012 at Colruyt Halle at 1.00 PM
  Topics : The meeting is entirely dedicated to migrating to DB2 10
  Registration over here.

• Architecture Working Group Meeting
  Where and when : Friday March 16, 2012 at KBC Leuven at 1.00 PM
  Topics : dedicated to Mobile Application Architecture with sessions on Mobile Applications, Mobile Payments and Mobile Commerce; Mobile network architectures - Another look on mobile application challenges; Quelle architecture pour les solutions mobiles?
  Registration over here.

And to finish things off, the dates for the Regional GSE Conference are Thursday April, 26 and Friday April, 27 2012. As last year, Thursday will be 'only' registration and evening dinner. Friday will have all the sessions. Theme of this years meeting is : 'Information Management and Big Data'.

Upcoming events and webcasts

As it's the beginning of a new year, I thought this might be a good time to put some dates in your agendas. Which, by the way, reminds me of that hilarious video that circulated some time ago : "My Blackberry is not working". Don't tell me you missed that one ? Then I might just as well include it here. The date passes around 1'30''.



But now, let's get serious and pass on to the real dates. Oh well, you now what I mean.

Events in Belgium

April 26-27, 2012 - GSE Belgium Luxemburg Regional Conference 2012
Thermae Palace Oostende
Information

GSE Belgium z/OS Working Group Meeting dates
RealDolmen Huizingen

• Wednesday, March 14, 2012
• Wednesday, June 13, 2012
• Wednesday, September 12, 2012
• Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Information

September 18-20, 2012 - Total Solutions Event for System z 2012
IBM Forum Brussels
More information follows later.

IBM Webcasts

January 24 at 4 pm GMT, 5 pm Brussels
DB2 10 for z/OS – Justify your upgrade using the IBM Business Value Assessment Estimator Tool
"Join us for this (...) webcast and learn more about IBM DB2 10 for z/OS and a tool that can help you make a case for upgrading to it. DB2 10 is the latest release of the IBM flagship database. Its enhancements are designed to reduce operational costs, improve scalability and enhance productivity. This webcast will include an overview of the most significant potential financial savings offered by DB2 10. Then we’ll explore how these can be estimated using the IBM-internal DB2 10 Business Value Assessment Estimator Tool".
Information and registration

January 26 at 4 pm GMT, 5 pm Brussels
Getting started with highly scalable clouds across your enterprise
"Topics include : Lowering cost of service delivery through automation and reduced skill requirements,Deploying IT services faste, Deploying IT services faster, Standardizing delivery for deployment and management of IT services, Enabling users to request, deploy, monitor and manage cloud computing services".
Information and registration

January 31 at 4 pm GMT, 5 pm Brussels
Migrating to DB2 10? Get maximum CPU benefit with minimum impact
"Topics include : Identifying SQL statements that need attention before they impact performance in your DB2 10 environment, Estimating the cost of your SQL between different versions of DB2, Running “what if?” scenarios to determine optimum performance settings, including updat­ing catalog statistics and creating new indexes, Migrating and comparing access path statistics in DB2 V8 or DB2 9 to DB2 10 environment". Focus on the use of DB2 Tools.
Information and registration

February 14 at 4 pm GMT, 5 pm Brussels
Coordinated Disaster Recovery for IMS and DB2
"In this teleconference we’ll descrbe storage-aware data management tools for IMS and DB2 that integrate storage-based fast-replication facilities with IMS and DB2 systems to provide fast and non-disruptive IMS and DB2 disaster recovery solutions".
Information and registration

February 15 at 4 pm GMT, 5 pm Brussels
Boost performance, productivity and cost savings with IBM’s latest compilers for zEnterprise
"(...) learn how IBM’s latest compilers, middleware and tools can help you stay on the technology curve. In this webcast, Ray (Jones) and Kevin (Stoodley) will discuss best practices and approaches to plan and execute a successful compiler migration, alongside CICS, IMSand DB2 upgrades. They will also go over IBM’s strategy for compilers and tools on System z to help you better plan your overall development and upgrade efforts".
Information and registration

February 21 and February 22 at 4 pm GMT, 5 pm Brussels
IBM DB2 10 Migration Planning and Very Early Experiences – PART 1 & PART 2
"To help facilitate your migration, John Campbell will provide planning information about migrating to DB2 10 for z/OS from either DB2 9 or DB2 Version 8. This webcast will be a two part series on February 21st and 22 nd.. Join us for this webcast series which will share surprises, pitfalls and lessons learned; provide hints and tips; discuss enabling fast start; introduce and discuss some further enhancements; and share the latest news about migrations".
Information and registration


Other events

March 13-15, 2012 - Total Solutions Event for System z 2012
IBM Forum Amsterdam
Information and registration

May 14-18, 2012 - IDUG North America DB2 Tech Conference
Denver, Colorado, USA
Information and registration

November 4-9, 2012 - IDUG EMEA DB2 Tech Conference
Berlin Germany
Information and registration

DB2Night Shows

The third DB2Night Season is already on its way. You can already find the replay of the first z/OS session from Klaas Brant on 'Ten reasons to move to DB2 10 in 2012' over here.

For the moment there's just on other DB2 for z/OS session planned on January 23, 2012 by Cristian Molero on 'Data skew and big volumes in the real world data'. Details and registration over here. Normally all events are scheduled at 11 am EST, 5 pm Brussels.As I always say, just check them out !

If you want to check upcoming DB2Night shows, then have a look from time to time over here. There's an RSS feed available as well and they also have a blog now.


As I always say, just check them out !

Last short takes of 2011

You know I usually try to conclude the year on a lighter note, if possible with a couple of videos. Well this year won't be any different. First of all I'm still presenting you some reading material with these short notes, then I still owe you my year review and after that I'll come up with some videos, commercials etc. that will hopefully brighten up your last working days of 2011 a bit.

Sor for those who first still want to have some serious reading material . . .

• I just received the Winter issue of zJournal. You can download it over here. I think it's a great issue this time. It has a comprehensive article on the IDAA (IBM's DB2 Analytics Accelerator). Some personal columns like e.g. from Marcel den Hartog (IT Management) and Mark Lillycrop (Recession Pushes Mainframe prices up). Too much to mention of course but, VSE people, do take a look at the column of Pete Clark who's already listing all 2012 events. And there are quite some articles on CICS like e.g. on the scalability enhancements of CICS TS 4.2.

• Which brings me to the next reading material : the CICS Portfolio eNewsletter that starts off with a 2011 overview. It also gives an overview of 2011 product deliverables, gives you a lot of links to documentation, redbooks, demos, webcasts ... And there's also a preview of 2012 events. You can subscribe to this eNewsletter over here.
  

• Looking for more webcasts, here's a link to the upcoming January System z Software Webcasts and Teleconferences. And if you want to keep up with the next months, then just follow IBM System z events on Twitter.

Well, as I always say : just check them out !

ITSO System z World Tour coming to Belgium

I received this mail a couple of weeks ago from Jan Tits from IBM Belgium. So, here's the contents :
"The ITSO system z Tour consists of 5 workshops completely devoted to the latest IBM System z Platform technology, taught by several ‘guru’ members of the IBM ITSO Department of Poughkeepsie. These workshops are for anyone involved in the setting up of infrastructure hardware and software, necessary for the optimal use of the most recent mainframe models of the IBM System z
As always, the ITSO tour also stops in Belgium. Don't miss this opportunity!"

Title	Date	Code
IBM z/OS Latest Version Technical Update (1.13)	28/11	WRZ002BE
IBM latest enhancements to sysplex, performance, and availability in z/OS	29/11	WRZ003BE
IBM zEnterprise System Technical Update	30/11	WRZ001BE
IBM zEnterprise Unified Resource Manager Overview	1/12	WRZ015BE
Building a service-oriented cloud architecture using Linux on IBM System z	2/12	WRZ004BE

Don't panic when you live in another part of the world. If you're lucky, it might still be coming your way, too. Check it out over here.

RealDolmen Event : Storage virtualization: the future of IBM storage for midsized customers

I already told you about this event on StorWize and Real-Time Compression. And with all the buzz about new announcements coming our way, this might be just the right event to bring you up to date on this Virtualization solution. Here's your invitation :

Doing more with less, that is what virtualization is all about. But is your storage following? Does it guarantee high availability, high performance and a quick disaster recovery? Increased user demand has led to unpredictable storage growth. Provisioning storage capacity for new users and applications and achieving optimal utilization has become a real challenge.

How did Kronos put an end to these problems with IBMs virtualization solution Storwize? How do they respond to their needs for disaster recovery? You will learn all about it during this practice session.

In order to optimize your storage, the technique of Real-time Compression will also be discussed.

The agenda :

9.00 am - 9.30 am	Welcome (coffee)
9.30 am - 9.45 am	Introduction
9.45 am - 10.45 am	Storage virtualization: - the concept - Storwize - Integration with System x and virtualized environments
10.45 am - 11.00 am	Break
11.00 am - 11.30 pm	Demonstration Storwize
11.30 pm - 12.00 pm	Real-Time Compression: concept and demonstration
12.00 pm - 12.30 pm	Customer testimonial - Kronos
12.30 pm - 12.45 pm	Next step
12.45 pm -	Q&A, followed by sandwich lunch

Where and when ?
Morning session at the IBM Forum Brussels on November 17, 2011

Go to the RealDolmen event site in order to register !

Event in Luxemburg : 'Consolider avec zEntreprise'

I already mentioned this in a previous post, but I would like to give this event some extra attention as we're also involved in the organisation of it. I told you before about our partnership with Sogeti. Well, here's a first joint event for our customers in Luxemburg.

When : Wednesday October 19, 2011 from 9.30 am until 2.30 pm
Where : L'olivier, Route d’arlon 140A, L-8008 Strassen

The agenda :

9.30 am - 10.00 am	Reception and coffee
10.00 am - 11.00 am	z114, the future of hybrid computing
11.00 am - 11.10 am	Break
11.10 am - 11.50 am	Introduction to Fit For Purpose (F4P)
11.50 am - 00.10 pm	Partnership Sogeti - RealDolmen
00.10 pm - 14.30 pm	Lunch

Information and registration over here.

Upcoming events and webcasts

Well, summer's over and a lot of events and webcasts are coming our way. I'll try and give a summary of what'll be happening during the next month(s).

IBM Events in Belgium

September 28-30, 2011 - Total Solutions Event for System z 2011
IBM Forum Brussels
I've been blogging about this, so take a look over here.
Information and registration - Detailed agenda

October 3 and 27, PoT - Experience Cognos 10 in Realtime
IBM Forum Brussels
The IBM Cognos 10 Proof of Technology (PoT) acquaints participants with the IBM Cognos 10 Business Intelligence solution, through hands on interaction with key IBM Cognos 10 solution elements.
Information and registration : October 3, October 27

October 5 - Innovate comes to you 2011 - The Rational Software Conference
IBM Forum Brussels
"Innovate 2011 is the event that recognizes the essential role that software and systems play in our companies, our lives, and wider society. Throughout an inspiring full-day program it covers the latest systems engineering and software trends and developments via demonstrations, presentations and testimonials."
Information, Agenda and Registration

October 25, 2011 - PoT - Discover the IBM WebSphere DataPower SOA Appliances
IBM Forum Brussels
"This one-day Proof of Technology (PoT) provides a hands-on experience for those needing to understand how DataPower® appliances can help ease and accelerate the deployment of enterprise SOA implementations".
Information and registration

Other events in Belgium and Luxemburg

Here's two events I already want to mention : they're not officially announced yet, but as far as I can see, that's only a matter of days. I'll provide the links for registration as soon as they're available.

October 19, 2011 - Introduction to hybrid computing and the new z114
l’Olivier - Route d’Arlon Strassen, Luxemburg
Organised by Sogeti in cooperation with RealDolmen
An introduction to hybrid computing, all the details about the z114 and an introduction to Fit For purpose (F4P)

November 17, 2011 - Introduction to StorWize and Real Time Compression
IBM Forum Brussels
Organised by RealDolmen
This event will introduce our customers to StorWize and Real Time Compression solutions of IBM. Normally, there will be a couple of demos and a customer testimony as well.

IBM Webcasts

September 13 (today) at 3 pm GMT, 5 pm Brussels
The intersection of DB2 for z/OS and Workload Manager : Understanding the basics
"This session will show you how Workload Manager helps improve the performance management process and enables you to Prioritize workload, based upon goals and business objectives, Let the system optimize and prioritize resource management, Make sure that the most important workload gets the appropriate resource".
Information and registration

September 20 at 3 pm GMT, 5 pm Brussels
Enterprise Modernization: The cornerstone of Smarter Computing
"In this webcast, you’ll learn how IBM solutions, including the zEnterprise platform, can help : Manage and automate operations to lower the cost of both new and existing workloads, Rapidly develop new workloads for the mainframe using an integrated and collaborative software delivery platform, Optimize the value of existing software assets, skills and infrastructure when you consolidate or redeploy existing workloads, or deploy new workloads".
Information and registration

September 27 at 3 pm GMT, 5 pm Brussels
Realizing Your DB2 for z/OS Utilities and Tools Investment
"This complimentary webcast looks at the most recent enhancements made in the DB2 Utilities Suite, DB2 Sort 1.2 and DB2 Utilities Enhancement Tool 2.2. We’ll discuss new features that increase performance and availability and through the use of automation in DB2 tools, make your life easier" ...
Information and registration

September 28 at 5pm Brussels
z/VSE Live Virtual Class
z/VSE Fast Path to Linux on System z
The Fast Path to Linux on System z is a brand new function included in z/VSE V4.3. This session will give an overview about the Linux Fast Path function.
Information and registration

October 11 at 3 pm GMT, 5 pm Brussels
DB2 10 Performance and costs savings: Why, How & Where performance matters!
"Join us in this webcast to understand Why, How and Where performance matters and to learn how to build the business case for DB2 10. We will discuss about DB2 10 performance, its potential impact on yours’ company bottom line and the process to build and effective costing scenario".
Information and registration

Other online events

Webcast - September 15, 2011 at 5 pm Brussels
Support update and Early Customer experiences with Oracle 11gR2 on Linux on IBM System Z
Organised by the International zSeries Oracle SIG
"This session will include early customer experiences with 11gR2, such as some of the new 11gR2 Oracle features to exploit, performance improvements with 11gR2, and disk storage configurations for running Oracle 11gR2 with IBM System z Linux. Oracle support will also provide new information for Oracle 11GR2 on Linux on IBM System z, including installation notes, recommended patches, and most importantly, recent customer experiences"
Information and registration

Webinar - September 14, 2011 at 2 pm EDT, 8 pm Brussels
Craig Mullins' DB2 10 for z/OS: For Developers Only
Contents : The most important DB2 10 enhancements for programmers and analysts. Unique DB2 10 features that can greatly improve your application performance and reliability.
Information and registration

DB2Night Shows

The new season of DB2Night shows has started again. You can find all information over here.
Here's a short list of the next few episodes. They're all scheduled at 11 am EDT, 5 pm Brussels.

• September 20 by Cristian Molero
  Distributed access to DB2 for z/OS - Successful administration
  Information and Registration

• September 27 by Namik Hrle
  Smart Analytics Optimizer - Technology Update
  Information and Registration

• October 6 by Willie Favero
  First Look at Changes to DSNZPARMs by DB2 10
  Information and Registration

• October 17 by Dave Beulke
  Data Warehousing Performance and DB2 10 Temporal Tables
  Information and Registration

As I always say, just check them out !

Virtual Event : the next step in the evolution of zEnterprise hybrid computing

A couple of weeks ago the IBM Smarter Computing Blog mentioned this virtual event for July 12, 2011 entitled : 'Join us to experience freedom by design'.

The introduction goes as follows :

"Join us on July 12, 2011 for the next step in the evolution of zEnterprise hybrid computing - with a new entry point for clients of all sizes - designed to unleash new business innovation in your data center".

"A new entry point for clients of all sizes" : hmm, I wonder what that might be referring to ? If you think about recent topics in the IBM-Main list and a recent article at The Register and you connect the dots, perhaps you can figure it out yourselves. Am I insulting your intelligence now ?

The topics :

• Jean S. Bozman, Research VP at IDC Enterprise Servers, Reducing the Cost of Multi-tier Hybrid Computing
• David Marts, VP of Operations at Transzap, Inc, Strategies to Better Manage and Store Data with zEnterprise
• Tom Rosamilia, IBM General Manager of Power and z Systems Smarter Computing Perspective
• Greg Lotko, IBM VP for System z , The Evolution of zEnterprise Hybrid Computing

The event starts at 11am EDT, 3pm GMT or 5pm Brussels Time. You can register over here