Well, the problem is that when running "modern" Software on i5/OS, all
those tools stop working more or less. Just try debugging a Web Query
problem. It's like normal unix debugging, only you only have a minimum of
the unix tools available. It's a mess.
My experience with Web Query is currently zero, and I have no idea what you
mean by "debug" it. Could you expound? I would guess it is Java, and I
would say that yes, there is a comletely different approach needing to be
taken to effectively log/debug J2EE apps. IMO, this is a +1 point for
native i5/OS apps.
Concerning backups, from what you are telling me it sounds like i5/OS comes
ready to do baseline backups out of the box (hardware included) whereas
Windows would require you to work on a configuration (i.e. find a hardware
vendor for a tape drive, possibly different from the last one because it
didn't work well). Would you consider that a fair statement?
i5/OS has the same problem. Try running V5R3 on a baseline model 170.
Did model 170's ship with V5R3 on them? I have the smallest 520 IBM sells,
it shipped with V5R3 and runs excellent (only used for development and CGI
web serving). At what point was this 170 crawling? - just running the base
OS without any type of Java app server? The reason for my first question is
to relate it to what Dell (insert other hardware vendor here) ships Vista
with on new low-end systems and how Vista can barely run on those machines.
Microsoft designs their OS and software to work well on hardware that will
be mainstream in the forseeable future, not hardware that is mainstream
right now.
V5R4 alone needs an 4 arm system with more than 4GB of RAM just to run
it's administrative HTTP server, and you'll need a lot of CPU too, like 3800
CPW in order to get a smooth response.
In V5R3 the admin server got A LOT better. Though we might be talking
relative opinions here. Realize that the HTTP admin server isn't just a
regular DB driven app, but instead is working with system resources and
API's that most likely get tied up and have to be waited on to be released.
With that said, unless something very significant has changed, there is
something more going on with your HTTP admin server. Like I said earlier, I
run a very small 520 (2GB RAM, mirrored 35GB HD's, 600/30 CPW) and have very
reasonable response time given the nature of the app (Java is always slower
than CGI when talking first time startup, but gains a lot after a page has
been accessed).
I disagree. Look where IBM is now - they have mostly given up on the SW/HW
market, and are retreating to being a service company.
I should have clarified this to speak specifically about the AS/400,
iSeries, i5/OS line and not their other servers or desktop/laptop moves.
Yeah. Horses also have less problems than a current Mercedes full of
electronics. That doesn't mean we should go back to riding horses.
You missed my point. It isn't that we should go back to horses, we should
modify the horse to be more modern vs. going out to shop for cars that don't
follow a logical approach to step-by-step modernization. Your next
statement could be "you can't modify a horse", and I would say we picked a
bad analogy. You have first hand experience with how the i5 can be
revitalized to provide the front-end that users clamor for by having
competant software engineers able to mix and match .NET with RPG using back
and forth messaging (talking about the GUI software package your company has
that you have shown me screen shots of).
Maybe this is the statement we can move forward with: Finding the right
mixture/median for Windows in an i5/OS shop is essential to success for your
IT organization to move faster than the competition. Being a bigot towards
or against either platform will only bring a lesser result, and instead
leveraging the right/correct strengths of each will bring the most benefit.
Is that a fair statement? That is what I have found in my "travels".
Good/fruitful conversation,
Aaron Bartell
http://mowyourlawn.com
-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-nontech-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-nontech-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Lukas Beeler
Sent: Tuesday, January 15, 2008 4:30 AM
To: Non-Technical Discussion about the AS400 / iSeries
Subject: Re: i5 Youngsters
midrange.com
