Software Craftsmanship

Increasing the JVM heap for RSA, RAD, and other Rational or Eclipse products

2012-01-11T08:43:00.001-05:00

I ran into an issue this past week where several times my Eclipse workspace ran into out of memory errors. I'm running Rational Software Architect (RSA), with several additional plugins, plus run one instance of WAS, and another instance of WebSphere Portal. Yes, I know. Yikes! That said, I have the horsepower for all these systems with a new laptop (a quad-core lenovo Thinkpad w520 with 16GB of RAM, can I get a hell yeah).

So I've never touched the top end of the memory on this laptop even running all this at the same time (along with multple browsers, Lotus Notes, putty, Word, and at least 2-3 other apps). So my problem was not my hardware. Rather its my JVM for RSA. I installed the 32 bit version of RSA as one of the plugins I'm using (HATS toolkit) requires the 32 bit version. You can increase the maximum heap size in the eclipse.ini settings found under x:\IBM\SDP\eclipse.ini , assuming you installed your environment off the root drive. In this file the values that come after the vmargs statement are passed directly to the JVM. Xmx is setting for the maximum heap size. I recommend that you change both this size and the Xms setting (the starting heap size). The Xmx/Xms setting should default to to 1024/100 respectively. I've increased it to 1536/256. Be very careful how you set these. Make a quick back up copy before you make your changes.

-vmargs
-Xquickstart
-Xms256m
-Xmx1536m
-Xmn64m
-Xgcpolicy:gencon
-Xscmx48m
-Xshareclasses:name=IBMSDP_%u
-Xnolinenumbers
-XX:MaxPermSize=128M
-Xverify:none
-Dosgi.requiredJavaVersion=1.5
-Dosgi.bundlefile.limit=100

You also MUST update the line

-vm 'install directory'\jdk\jre\bin\j9vm\jvm.dll
to
-vm 'install directory'\jdk\jre\bin\javaw.exe

Otherwise, it will not respect the variables and WILL crash your Eclipse instance.

There is a great blog post on these various settings that I found at http://javahowto.blogspot.com/2006/06/6-common-errors-in-setting-java-heap.html
You may need to tweak some other settings as you go to manage performance. Don't forget that in version 8 of the products you can dynamically reduce your memory foot print: http://blog.strongbackconsulting.com/2010/11/reducing-rad-8-memory-footprint.html

Deploying connection information to RDz users in an enterprise

2011-11-03T10:12:00.000-04:00

When rolling out Rational Developer for System Z to a mass number of users, I've found there is an easy way to do this that avoids mass confusion, and frantic help desk calls.

Export RDz Connection Information

Usually the connection to mainframe will have many settings and parameters, that are unique to that environment, and even giving a user step by step instructions is usually not enough to quell the number of help desk calls when mainframers are making their first connection.

The easy way is to have one z/OS admin create the connection settings, specifying the host name (always should be fully qualified, and NOT just an IP address), the SSL certificate info, daemon connection type, and port information. Then right click on the connection, and select 'export'. Save this to a network share, or email it to the target team members. This ensures they enter the user does not fat-finger the SSL connection information when they enter it, and helps to cut down on the number of help desk calls.

Now available: Rational Developer for System z Training

2011-10-21T10:08:00.000-04:00

We've been pretty silent on the blog over the past three months, but for good reason. We've been heads down working hard over the summer to build a curriculum based on our partnership with Island Training Solutions. We've now perfected and delivered our course to over 1000 developers worldwide.

The training is delivered remotely. Your developers can sit at their computers, and log into our remote virtual machine desktops. An instructor will be able to walk you through all the lab exercises on the remote VM. You do not need to have RDz installed on your desktop - the remote VM has all that your developers need. Our instructor will alternate between lab and lecture. Each module is between 10-45 minutes in length, and is about 70% lab. Your developers will get real, hands-on experience using the tool so they can get busy using the product immediately.

Our new course offers a one-day hands on, lab intensive on RDz. The course is highly modular, which allows us to tailor the curriculum to suit the needs of your mainframe developers. The one day course includes the following modules:

RDz Workbench Basics
z/OS Connections
Dataset management
Dataset members
Basic COBOL & PL/1 Editing
Compare, Replace, & Merge editor
ISPF Profile Editing
z/OS Projects
Working Offline
z/OS Job Entry System
Generating JCL (Compiling)
Syntax Check
TSO Shell & Emulation
Debugging Batch Applications
Debugging CICS Online Applications
Managing DB2 z/OS Data

We also have other modules that we offer either in replacement of those above, or in an additional half day class. Those modules include:

z/Unix Subsystem
Advanced Editing
BMS Editor
HLASM editor
CICS Explorer
CICS Web Services
DB2 Stored Procedures

The one day course is an excellent boot camp to get your COBOL developers started using the new RDz toolset. We also offer RDz installation and consulting services as well. If you are interested, please contact our sales group at sales@strongback.us.

An introduction to Collaborative Quality Management

2011-08-30T10:13:00.002-04:00

Collaborative Quality Management

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IBM Releases Rational HATS 8

2011-08-25T16:28:00.000-04:00

Dojo, REST, iPads, oh my!

So, the release many of us at Strongback (as well as a few customers) have been waiting for was released. HATS version 8 brings a whole bunch of new features. Some of which we've had direct input on (thank us for getting proper screen shots of VT100 screens). We were even quoted in the announcement material that went out from IBM regarding JAX-RS or RESTful web services.

The most obvious update is the Dojo features. Up until this release we had been hacking at it (and pretty well I might add). This release makes it just so simple to add Dojo widgets to your transformations. The JAX-RS web services is another interface we had been calling for and they are downright cool. You can wrap up a HATS macro, writing it more like you would if you were doing CRUD operations. Then you can deliver the results in JSON format. This makes it much easier to manipulate the data in your Javascript calls, rather than serializing and deserializing the XML data.

The support for iPad, is a great marketing enhancement, but truthfully, was a minor upgrade as the tool already supported iPhone very well, and the Apple Safari browser was already well supported (but not officially).

There are lots of new features, and rather than bore you with a text based rant, we offer you our presentation on Slideshare, with lots of pretty images.

Also mentioned is a update to Host Integration Solution, which is a package that includes HATS, Host-On-Demand, IBM Personal Communcations, and IBM Communications Server. PCOMM is now included in the package. If you have a need for concurrent user pricing, HIS offers this and could be a more cost effective method of licensing over authorized user and server based pricing.

Rational HATS and HIS v8 Overview

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Of the most exciting features, is that this version of HATS requires an eclipse 3.5 compatible Rational IDE. The previous version would not install under RAD 8, which prevented you from using Team Concert 3.0x. HATS was one of the last shoes to drop to support this new standard, and those customers can now proceed with their RTC 3.0x upgrade plans.

Overall, this upgrade should be very smooth. I took an existing customer application which used heavily customized web services, and easily upgraded it with minimal changes to the source code. I was also able to quickly turn the same macro behind the JAX-WS web service and create a JAX-RS web service, and both worked fantastically. The underlying RAD8 environment performs much better. We'll post more blog entries in the coming months on HATS 8 and its various features. Stay tuned.

Finally, we'll leave you with a link to the technical specifications, for those of you who want to look at total compatibility.

https://www-304.ibm.com/partnerworld/wps/servlet/mem/ContentHandler/Y162373T55729Z40

IBM Rational enterprise modernization acronyms

2011-07-28T10:29:00.001-04:00

I frequently get asked what all the acronyms mean with the products under the Rational EM umbrella. They are confusing, and in some cases there may be one acronym that refers to two or more products (RSA for example). So.. to help alleviate the confusion, I've compiled a simple list of common acronyms. This relates to the enterprise modernization tool space only, so its not a complete list of all the Rational acronyms... but its a start.

HOD = Host On Demand - Web browser delivered terminal emulator

PCOMM = Personal Communications - fat client terminal emulator

HACP = Host Access Client Package - package of HOD and PCOMM

HATS = Host Access Transformation Services - Software that transforms 5250 and 3270 terminal emulation applications into web services and or web pages

HIS = Host Integration Solution - package of HIS, HATS, and IBM Communications Server

EGL = Enterprise Generation Language = 4th generation computer language built by IBM. Generates COBOL, or Java and Javascript asseets from a common language

EGL CE = Enterprise Generation Language Community Edition - the free version of EGL supported by IBM which supports the development of JavaScript and Java based rich Internet application
EDT = EGL Development Tools - is the Eclipse foundation project for EGL. http://eclipse.org/edt/
RBD = Rational Business Developer - the commercial product that supports EGL, an extension of EGL CE

zPDT = System z Personal Development Tool - a linux based system z emulator that can run different System z operating systems (zOS, VSE, zTPT). Usually only sold to ISV's.

RDz = Rational Developer for System z - Development environment for zOS developers

RDz UT = Rational Developer for System z Unit Test - special license for zPDT that can only be sold with RDz. Connect to zOS on zPDT only. Package includes the zPDT, and zOS.

RDp = Rational Developer for POWER systems - IDE for AIX or iOS development of COBOL, C++, RPG on POWER hardware

RAM = Rational Asset Manager

RAA = Rational Asset Analyzer

RDiSOA = Rational Developer for i for SOA construction = A package of RDp and RBD

Lotus Quickr Connector 8.5 64bit support NOW available!

2011-07-01T16:36:00.000-04:00

This is one we've been waiting on for quite a while! If you have 64bit Windows, you'll now be able to use the explorer again to navigate your Quickr sites!

Pull down the latest from Fix Central. Its labeled HF7. If you already have an IBM login ID for PPA, just click the link below.

http://www-933.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/swg/selectFixes?parent=ibm~Lotus&product=ibm/Lotus/Lotus+Quickr+Connectors&release=8.5&platform=Windows&function=all

This patch includes the following fixes:

Windows 7 64-bit support, including Windows 64-bit Explorer Connector
Microsoft Office 2010 64-bit Connectors
Microsoft Outlook 2010 64-bit Connector
Corrected a problem in HF6 where MS Word can crash opening Quickr-D attachments directly through the Office Connector

Requirements Management in a CLM World

2011-06-28T13:28:00.000-04:00

From our recent webinar series, this video discusses the importance of proper requirements management, and leveraging agile methods in a collaborative lifecycle managment solution.

Requirements Management in a CLM World.

If you are challenged with managing requirements in your IT organization, we can help. Give us a call.

Firefox 5 - fly in the ointment for Rational Requirements Composer

2011-06-28T10:46:00.000-04:00

I was recently editing some requirements, and this was the day that FF 5 rolled out, which was only 2 months after Firefox 4 rolled out. For those unaware of the controversy, Mozilla has announced that they will be rolling out new releases every 2 months. Yes, 2 months. Those in software development can appreciate such an agressive iteration plan, but I don't see how any vendor can keep up with their plugins. Firefox came to fame just for its ease of use with plugins. However, this aggressive release schedule is one to doom many of our favorite plugins.

Which leads us to RRC. A TON of work went into creating the plugins for Internet Explorer and Firefox for Rational Requirements Composer. RRC rolled out release 3.0.1 just a few days before Firefox 5 rolled out. The plugin was golden on FF4, but FF5 will not load the plugin. This plugin is needed to edit the UI storyboards, BPM diagrams, and UI sketches in RRC. This is NOT the fault of IBM. Rather Mozilla is leaving behind many vendors to count on Firefox for support in other non-Windows platforms such as Mac and Linux. Mozilla has even stated that they only care about "regular user", not the enterprise. I'm guessing this will give further rise to Google Chrome as a potential contender in the enterprise space.

That said, there is a fix in the works with RRCto address the Firefox issue as shown here:
https://jazz.net/jazz03/web/projects/Rational%20Requirements%20Composer#action=com.ibm.team.workitem.viewWorkItem&id=44201

I'm hoping this allows it to work with FF6 as well.

MS Sharepoint vs. IBM Lotus Connections

2011-06-27T15:50:00.000-04:00

So you think Microsoft Sharepoint will do everything you need to do? Think that Lotus is behind the curve? Spend a few minutes comparing the two. IBM does collaboration better. Period.

So. Microsoft still has great marketing, right?

Collaborative lifecycle management introduction series

2011-06-20T16:46:00.003-04:00

For those that missed last Wednesday's webinar, we are providing it here on the blog below.

This coming Wednesday, June 22, we'll continue our series talking about requirements management in collaborative lifecycle management environment.

Define and deliver the right solution by modeling your
business processes, development, and management of use of cases and the
gathering and prioritizing of enhancement requests
Better understand and communicate the real business needs
behind your system or application
Manage your requirements more effectively
Use and manage use cases to better describe system
functionality
Organize and prioritize enhancements and other change
requests

Introduction to collaborative lifecycle management from Kenny Smith on Vimeo.

What every System i Developer Needs to Know (IBM Innovate 2011)

2011-06-16T17:17:00.000-04:00

This was our presentation last week at the IBM Innovate conference. In this we talk about the recent advances in System i (aka iSeries, as400), and the tools that support this operating system including Rational Developer for Power systems. There are some interesting points on the new compiler features. We also cover some new features of the RPG language that can only be understood in RDp (ADTS or PDM/SEU will not support this).

Enjoy!

IBM Innovate 2011- What every System i Developer Needs to Know

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Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabiltiy in WebSphere App Server 7.0.0.11 and 7.0.0.13

2011-06-16T09:41:00.000-04:00

If you are running WAS 7, be sure and check your fix packs today. We recommend you patch them to the latest of 7.0.0.17 or 7.0.0.15 at the latest. There is a cross-site scripting vulnerability you need to be aware of, as reported by Core Security Technologies

Core Security Technologies Advisory - The administrative console of IBM WebSphere Application Server is vulnerable to Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) attacks, which can be exploited by remote attackers to force a logged-in administrator to perform unwanted actions on the IBM WebSphere administrative console, by enticing him to visit a malicious web page. Versions 7.0.0.11 and 7.0.0.13 are confirmed vulnerable.

Core Security Technologies, Francisco Falcon

The IBM fix list shows that WAS 7.0.0.15 corrects this issue (APAR PK77505)
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg27014463&wv=1

If you are totally, blissfully oblivious to XSS attacks, you should watch this video.

<p>
<iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/r79ozjCL7DA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>
Now that you've seen that, ask yourself, "could the software my organization is writing be hacked like that?" Rational AppScan is a great solution for black box testing your web sites. We've used it before, and recommend it to customers.
</p>
<p><iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/nfKnsBQdNkM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>I think IBM was not eating their own dogfood (so to speak) before. Nice to see the Rational team smack the WebSphere team every now and again.</p>

IBM Innovate - Enterprise Modernization Keynote

2011-06-10T08:47:00.000-04:00

For those that are looking for strategies to modernize your legacy systems, this keynote sums up the strategies available rather nicely. That said, these are not one size fits all solutions, and they are not monolithic ones by any means. A well tailored plan, based on your environment, and business needs is best.

Watch live streaming video from ibmrational at livestream.com

Themes at IBMInnovate: Methodologies

2011-06-07T07:35:00.000-04:00

So we are ready to embark on day 3 of the conference and several themes are emerging. Some are the direct themes that IBM intentionally pushes. Others are those that are present by either lack of action or lack of attention.

Methodology
Most notably, I am hearing nothing about Rational Unified Process. Even after IBM pushed the process template of OpenUP in RTC, I have heard no one really mention it. I certainly am hearing nothing about the formal RUP process, which was the first major agile process. What I am hearing more about is Lean, XP, and Scrum. It certainly shows in the toolsets. Team Concert is especially focused on Scrum, and even the RTC development team runs Scrum not OpenUP. While in the recent RTC 3.0 release, IBM introduced the traditional method that allows shops to import/export into MS Project (a habit as dangerous and effective as taking up smoking in my humble opinion), I don't hear too much focus on it. Certainly the partners and knowledge force around RTC is not pushing it. That said, there may be some that gladly working with it, but at this conference Scrum rules.

Others
Ok, a short blog entry today because I have to go get some breakfast while it is still available. Some other themes that I see are integration across with the toolset with Jazz and OSLC. I also see the steam running out of ClearCase and Clearcase in favor of RTC. This was Rational's bread and butter for many years. They are switching trains, and the Jazz train is picking up a LOT of steam.

More to come throughout the week...

A Newbie's Guide to attending IBM Innovate

2011-06-02T16:23:00.000-04:00

In preparation for the IBM Innovate conference starting this weekend, I've put together some helpful advice to newcomers who've not been to one of the conferences before. By no means is this a complete list, nor is it an official list. Its MY list. Enjoy:

What to bring

CLOTHING: Well, first off, this is Florida. I live here and know the weather well. The first time you go outside after being in the AC, your glasses will fog up. The conference rooms are on the cold side. Outside? Its HUMID! So, with that said, you need bring business casual for all the sessions (Sunday - Wednesday). You can rethread an outfit for Thursday, or do what most people do and go with shorts. You need to bring a few pairs of shorts, t-shirts or short sleeve shirts for the evenings away from the conference. Next week it is expected to be highs in the low 90's, with lows in the low 70's, but still very humid. That said, the weather can change, and we've already hit 97 here just few weeks ago. Take the weather report with a grain of salt.

You should bring very comfortable walking shoes, as you'll be doing a lot of it. Bring extra socks also. Bring flip flops or sandals also. Don't wear a business suit to the theme park event on Wednesday. You'll think you look like a professional, but you'll be a professional fool. Wear nice casual clothes and relax (this includes the IBM executives). People are more likely to talk to you.

EQUIPMENT:

Bring your phone charger! An extra battery for your cell phone is good too.
An extra supply of business cards. This conference is a great opportunity to network.
An iPad or tablet is better than carrying around a clunky laptop.
An extra luggage tag for you conference bag (you'll get one of these at registration)
A long power cord for your laptop brick if you intend to carry it around
A decent pen - the ones in the conference bags suck
Aspirin or Tylenol - you'll understand this the morning after a night at Kimono's
Don't forget your phone charger (yes, I said that twice)

What NOT to bring

A coat. Its Florida in late spring early summer. Leave it.
Books. You will not have time to read anything outside of the conference. Leave your heavy technical journals at home.
Anything wool. Ok. bring a suit if you're a sales guy/gal, but seersucker is preferrable
Tobacco - people will think it rude if you smoke, plus its bad for your health
A bad attitude - this is a great place to make new friends and meet old ones. As the saying goes, you can't shake hands with a fist.

Where to go

Upon your arrival, and after you check into your hotel, you MUST go to the area for the conference registration to get your bag and conference badge. You can't go anywhere without this badge. Its open at 2pm - 7pm on Saturday, then opens early at 7am on Sunday.
Sunday: During the day, there are several deep-dive sessions and some technical workshops. This is a great time to get your hands dirty with code and tools. There is a conference welcome reception, which usually has pretty good Hors d'œuvres, beer/wine, and sometimes a house band. Plan on an early bed time because the next few nights will be late ones!
Monday: The opening general session is in the morning. Great sessions throughout the day (including mine at 4:15- 5:45 p.m Location: Oceanic 4 -- Dolphin). During the day, many people network in the Dolphin hotel lobby near the fountain. This is the 'Grand Central Station' of the conference. The evening ushers in the opening of the pavilion where vendors will hawk their wares and services. You can get a lot of swag, free food, beer, and wine here. There are also several other side events. Kimono's is one of the hotel restaurants that gets packed at night with lots of IBM'ers, customers, and business partners, and often stay until they close it down.
Tuesday: If you've not attempted a certification exam, you should plan on taking at least one. At the very least it will give you an idea of how well you know your product. In the evening there are more side events, such as a reception for POWER and System Z customers. Its the only night there is not anything formally scheduled, so this is a good night to make a trip over to Downtown Disney and enjoy some of the great restaurants over there. There are some great Birds-Of-A-Feather sessions in the late afternoon and early evening.
Wednesday: In the evening, we will go to Universal Studio’s "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.". We'll have the whole area to ourselves, and the theme park event is always a favorite of mine. You'll get a chance to meet others who probably share some of the same business challenges you do, so don't be afraid to meet and greet. After this ends, plan on meeting fellow colleagues or new friends at Downtown Disney.
Thursday: The closing general session is usually poorly attended. Use this to knock out your last certification exam, if you have not already. After the closing of the conference, go check out some of the Walt Disney World parks. You can get some good discounts in the Innovate Concierge area. If you have a car, and want to go get some great BBQ, drive up I4 to Winter Park, FL to 4 Rivers BBQ. http://www.4rsmokehouse.com/. This is the best BBQ in Central Florida. If you are interested in other sight seeing, you can check out Blue Springs State Park, Kennedy Space Center, or just go for a hike on one of the many nearby trails. Central Florida has many great trails, and lots of beautiful flora and fauna that is very different than the highly manicured landscape of Disney.

What to Know and Prepare For

Its HOTTER than LotusSphere. If you ever been to that conference, well this is a similar schedule but higher temps and humidity.
Lots of walking - sessions are spread out between 3 hotels and a session you may like might be on the other side of the conference. Wear good walking shoes.
Wifi access is touchy, but accessible. Don't expect blazing speeds, but its usable. There will be conference laptop stations where you can check your mail (if web based) or other sites.
Plan your agenda for streams and tracks ahead of time. The target audience for these presentations differ. Some are for gearheads like myself that want to know how things work, others are for business executives who want to know strategy. Each session should have a target audience description. General audience sessions are high level strategic. Intermediate and advanced sessions are very technical. Build your agenda before you start Monday, otherwise, you'll be lost wandering the halls.
Diversify your sessions - You are probably coming for a certain set tracks or streams. Don't be afraid to check out adjacent technologies. If you do development, check out a session on requirements management session. If you do security work, check out a session on quality management.
Lots of eating. You can go Sunday - Thursday afternoon without paying for a single meal.
Lots of swag, tchotchkes, and other give-aways to bring home. Be sure to leave room in your suitcase.
European fashion. You will be introduced to men's capri pants. Yes, I'm still disturbed by it.
Heat. Thick long sleeve shirts and brushed cotton khaki's will make you miserable. Synthetics like UnderArmor wick away moisture. You'll build up quite a sweat walking between the hotels.
Protect your conference badge. If you lose it you are screwed. You must pay a full conference fee to replace it.

Cathy the PM meets Ted the Developer

2011-05-31T20:45:00.000-04:00

Just saw this on Facebook, and thought I would share. Maybe I'm corny, but I like this.

Speaking of POWER systems and Rational Software....

Join Us at Innovate!

Why Every IBM
System i Developer Should Use IBM Rational Developer for Power Systems

Monday, June 6, 2011
4:15 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.
Location: Oceanic 4 - Dolphin
Speaker(s): Kenny Smith, Strongback Consulting;
Matthew Hardin, Strongback Consulting; Mike Fulton, IBM;
Tim Rowe, IBM

Feel free to catch up with us afterwards!

Announcing the next version of LotusLive!

2011-05-09T13:00:00.001-04:00

IBM is announcing the latest version of LotusLive services. These services are scheduled to go live the weekend of May 7-8.

Here is what's new:

LotusLive Engage & LotusLive Connections

Communities

Like before, you can create Communities which include only members of your organization or you can invite guests from outside of your organization. However, with our newest enhancements for LotusLive Communities, you gain additional control for restricting the sharing of content (i.e. files, folders, Activities) with members of an internal community or a community that includes both internal and external participants.

In addition to additional control over content sharing, the following functions have also been added for Community owners.

• A new dashboard experience that reflects the current Community name versus the organization's name.
• A visual indicator for Community files that are restricted to internal members only.
• The ability to create sub-communities which include their own tags, image, membership, Files, Folders, Discussion Forums, Activities, & Bookmarks.
• Add multiple discussion forums to a community manage forums.
• Explicit guest invitation process during the sharing/access control setup of a Community.

For more details about Communities, see Communities Help in LotusLive.

Meetings

• Host Presenters can record a LotusLive Engage meeting, including both the web and audio conference. They can then download the recording to replay and/or to share with others.
• Host Presenters can now audiocast their LotusLive Engage meeting. With audiocast, the presenters audio is broadcast over the network so that attendees can listen to the meeting on their computers.
• You can now password protect your meeting.

For more details about Meetings, see the Meetings Help.

Activities

• Activities or sections within an activity can be exported to a spreadsheet.
• You can assign a To Do to a member of the community who is not yet a member of the community activity. When you assign the To Do, the person is automatically added to the activity.
• The Recent Updates view has moved to its own tab. Click the Recent Updates tab to see what has been going on in your activities.

For more details about Activities, see Activities Help in LotusLive.

Files

• Collections have been renamed Folders.
• You can now see if a file is shared outside of your organization.
• Files and Folders created from now on allow readers to see who else that content is shared with. In the past, this information was only available to users with author access to the content.
•

For more details about Files, see Files Help in LotusLive.

LotusLive iNotes
Support for internet mail protocols and printing of calendars has been added.
• Added support for IMAP, POP, and SMTP protocols, including instructions on how to set up various email clients to use the service.
• Added ability to print calendars.

For more details about LotusLive iNotes®, see  LotusLive iNotes Help in LotusLive

LotusLive Notes

LotusLive Notes for BlackBerry

• A company can subscribe to the LotusLive Notes BlackBerry Service to enable users to access LotusLive Notes mail and personal information management features through BlackBerry devices.
• The LotusLive Notes Blackberry service provides a Mobile Device Manager web portal that administrators and users can use to manage Blackberry devices.

For more information, see Configuring and managing the LotusLive Notes BlackBerry service.

LotusLive Notes Mail improvements

• Company administrators can set a size limit on incoming mail messages so that messages that exceed the limit are rejected.
• Company administrators can delete sent or received messages that have been stored in mail files longer than a specified number of days.
• Company administrators can report instances of SPAM mail to IBM® in a service-only environment.

For more information, see Configuring mail settings and Reporting spam to IBM in a service-only environment.

LotusLive Notes Traveler

• Android devices are now supported for use with the LotusLive Notes Traveler service.
• Mail encryption is supported for Windows Mobile, Nokia, Apple (Traveler Companion), and Android devices.

LotusLive Notes Hybrid environment

• Virus scanning is now performed on mail files that are transferred to the service in a hybrid environment.
• Improvements have been made to the process of provisioning users with mail file transfer in a hybrid environment.
• The ability to convert a LotusLive Notes user to an on-premises user is now supported for a hybrid environment.

Integrated Applications
A new integrated application is available from IBM business partner, Fresh TL: TeamPoint.
TeamPoint tracks and manages the creation of your controlled documents, helping you remain compliant with employment law, health and safety regulations and standards.
For more information about this new integrated application, see TeamPoint in the LotusLive wiki.

What's new for administrators

Improvements and updates have been made to the administrator interface. Performance upgrades are also included in this release.

Updates and new features
• Administrator help has been added. Click Help > Administrator Help in the navigation bar to access information
• A new role has been added called user account assistant. A user account assistant can reset any user's password and resend expired invitations.
• Administrators can now simultaneously reset passwords for all users.
• System announcements: company administrators can create announcements that display on the Dashboard page of every user in their company.

For more details about administering LotusLive, see LotusLive Administration Help in LotusLive.

What to do when ANT SCP task hangs unexpectedly & automating Javadoc

2011-04-19T12:51:00.000-04:00

I had this issue with a project earlier within an ANT build script I have for Team Concert. In this project I generate JavaDoc with the ANT task <javadoc> and then I use <scp> to move the generated HTML, CSS, and other artifacts over to the target documentation server.

The scp task is a secure copy task. This is a unix/linux function that can copy files to/from hosts over secure shell (SSH). To use this function, you have to pull down another library, the Java Secure Channel (jsch), and place this in the ANT_HOME/lib directory.
If you are running this on Team Concert build engine, the directory is under JAZZHOME/buildsystem/buildengine/eclipse/plugins/org.apache.ant_1.7.0
.v200803061910.

This particular issue manifests itself in that the build engine will never finish the build. It simply appears to 'hang'. The problem is with the combination of ANT 1.7 and Jsch 1.3 and above. RTC 2.0.x uses ANT 1.7. I had downloaded the latest release of Jsch. After hours of troubleshooting, I was searching and discovered this little gem on the internet. It appears that Jsch requires a buffer flush, which ANT 1.7 and below never sends.

Pulling down and replacing with Jsch-0.1.29.jar solved the problem. Now, as part of our automated build, we put Javadoc on a central server with every build and are putting as much of our real system documentation in the source code as we can. This makes for truly up to the second, accurate documentation. On some days that documentation may change and be updated a couple of dozen times, but it always matches what is on our integration servers.

Rational Developer for i for SOA Construction 8 now available

2011-04-19T08:25:00.000-04:00

This last week IBM announced that RDiSOA 8 is now available. Current customers have already been able to download the individual parts for some time. Now, they should see the full package available from Passport Advantage.

RDiSOA Combines RPG and COBOL Development Tools for i with Rational Business Developer. It also combines the value propositions of higher developer productivity with the strategic value of leveraging existing IBM i business logic assets in modern solutions using EGL, SOA, and Java.

This is also a common package for HATS and Web development (entry price point for IBM I modernization solution).

Accelerate delivery of Web 2.0 and SOA solutions that leverage existing IBM i assets
Deliver innovative, modern solutions with minimal developer retraining
More effectively manage the impact of technology changes
Lower recruitment barriers and training costs and improve skills by providing a common development environment across platforms and technologies
Reduce skill silos and achieve new levels of flexibility and responsiveness
Simplify and accelerate code development and maintenance

Note: This offering also includes the HATS toolkit. HATS toolkit stand-alone is a free download
Inclusion in RDi for SOA is a ‘convenience’ only. This does not include licensing to the HATS runtime, and, HATS toolkit 8 will not be available in Eclipse 3.6-compatible version until later this year. When it is available, you will want to upgrade to HATS 8. Trust me on that one!

Talk about cool! Dunk your server rack in a pot... and save 95% in cooling costs.

2011-04-13T11:13:00.000-04:00

These videos blow me away. As expensive as it is to maintain air cooled server racks in large data centers, everyone is looking for a solution. Well just as air cooled Volkswagon beetles gave way to water cooled, so now (similarly) is the data center.

These guys use a non-electrically conducting mineral oil to cool the servers.

1200x better thermal dissipation than air. Hard to believe, but this is pretty cool (pun intended). Imagine us consultants actually getting to work in data center that is normal room temperature without having to dress like an eskimo!

From their website:
http://www.grcooling.com/?page_id=655

Resolving installation error with RDP into existing package groups.

2011-04-08T15:02:00.000-04:00

This little gem of an error came up today. While installing Rational Developer for Power, I got a message that the the product was not compatible with the package group I was installing into. In this case I tried installing into multiple existing package groups including one with Rational Business Developer, and another with Rational Application Developer.



In installation context "com.ibm.sdp.eclipse.ide":

Software being installed: com.ibm.assembly.rdpower.main 2.0.1.20101130_1111 (SE.1.com.ibm.assembly.rdpower.main 2.0.1.20101130_1111)

Missing requirement: SE.1.com.ibm.iseries.javaweb 8.0.1.v20101122_2106 requires 'SE.1.com.ibm.etools.webtools.core.feature [7.0.0,8.0.0)' but it could not be found

Cannot satisfy dependency:

From: com.ibm.assembly.rdpower.main 2.0.1.20101130_1111 (SE.1.com.ibm.assembly.rdpower.main 2.0.1.20101130_1111)

To: SE.1.com.ibm.iseries.javaweb [8.0.1,9.0.0)

This is an issue, and at the moment there is not an IBM support ticket open that I know of. The culprit is the "IBM i Web Services and Java Tools" selection. Deselect this option, and try again. That should resolve the issue.

Using Rational Team Concert on the mainframe to promote dependency builds

2011-03-30T09:16:00.004-04:00

Team Concert can handle complex dependency builds on the IBM mainframe. If you have a long deployment tasks that are highly manual, and error prone, using the RTC build agents on z/OS could save you bookoos of time and money. This video from Thom Haynes at IBM's user experience team shows you how:

Setting up Dependency Builds for RTC on z/OS

Promoting Dependency Builds for RTC on z/OS

Jazz based CLM Beta 3 products now are available

2011-03-29T21:13:00.000-04:00

For those interested, the Jazz team announced Beta 3 for all three Rational CLM products including:

Team Concert
Quality Manager
Requirements Composer

While each of these three are worthy in their own spotlight, when put together, the whole is worth more than the sum of its parts. Its interesting to note that the Jazz team REALLY eats their own dog food. They run on a continual beta, meaning they develop the tools using the tools. With RTC running continuous builds, they are always the the latest release, with complete traceability from requirements to source code, to build, to test result. The image on the left here demonstrates cross relationships between work items owned by different products.

Those who read this blog know I am a big advocate of RTC as it can radically change (for the positive) a development team from being reactive and stifled of innovation to productive, creative, and responsive to the customer or stakeholder needs.

This latest group of betas (which I am downloading as I write this) has even deeper integration with each other. So much so, that its offered as a single download for all three products.

For more details check out the latest blog entry at:
http://jazz.net/blog/index.php/2011/03/29/clm-beta-3-now-available/

Agile Sketching with Rational Software Architect

2011-03-25T10:12:00.000-04:00

Rational Application Developer's bigger brother is Software Architect. I've been using it for years for all sorts of development and modeling. In v8 of the product, Rational is introducing a new agile sketching feature. This demo shows how the product can help you flesh out general architecture in a non-intimidating, simple format, yet be able to convert those sketches over to a full strength UML model. Take a look:

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