If you haven't looked at Amazon's different AWS offerings in a while, you definitely should take a look sometime. For example, I stumbled across their Chime web conference service:
https://aws.amazon.com/chime/
and I can report that it's just as reliable and easy as WebEx, but with more capabilities and at a fraction of the cost. Specifically, it's only a maximum of $15 per month per host, with 100 attendees allowed, plus you get a dial-in number (an 800 number is available, but there are additional per-minute charges associated with it).
We had an older WebEx account that was $50 per host per month, so I was very happy to run across this service and to get a minimum of a 70% savings. I say minimum of 70% savings because some of our host accounts were used only at most 2 days per month, which, with Chime, will now only cost a maximum of $6 per month.
Friday, June 1, 2018
High Availability for DB2 on AWS
If you're running an IBM product that requires a DB2 backend, you should really consider running DB2 on AWS. Here's a great article that provides you with the CloudFormation template to set it all up for you very quickly:
https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/database/creating-highly-available-ibm-db2-databases-in-aws/
If you're concerned about running your infrastructure in the cloud, please contact us so we can give you the information you need about the tight security and incredible flexibility that AWS provides.
https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/database/creating-highly-available-ibm-db2-databases-in-aws/
If you're concerned about running your infrastructure in the cloud, please contact us so we can give you the information you need about the tight security and incredible flexibility that AWS provides.
Update 8/8/2023: One important note: this still uses TSAM for failover. What this means is that if your primary DB2 instance has a problem, the entire VM hosting that instance is rebooted. So if you have multiple databases on that instance, they're all failing over to the backup. If you have any other processes running on that VM, they're all going away. You can definitely architect your application to work fine with this, but it is definitely something you have to keep in mind before simply implementing DB2 HADR.
Monday, February 26, 2018
Netcool and other IBM ITSM products upgrades due to Java6 EOS
Problem
IBM has announced End of Support dates for quite a few products in 2018. In many cases, this stems from the impending end of support for Java 1.6. You can search for IBM products and the EOS date here: https://www-01.ibm.com/software/support/lifecycle/Solution
Gulfsoft Consulting can help you move to a supported release in a short time period, or we can get you upgraded to a product with more features (like moving to NOI from Omnibus). We have helped hundreds of clients over the years upgrade and migrate in situations exactly like this. The typical time needed is a few weeks, not months. For more information contact:frank.tate@gulfsoft.com 304 376 6183
mark.hudson@gulfsoft.com 816 517 7179
Details
Some of the products whose support ends in 2018 are:| Product | Version | EOS Date |
| IBM Tivoli Monitoring | 6.2.2 | 4/30/2018 |
| IBM Control Desk | 7.5.x | 9/30/2018 |
| Tivoli Workload Scheduler | 8.6.x | 4/30/2018 |
| Netcool Operations Insight | 1.2, 1.3.x | 12/31/2018 |
| Network Mgmt | 9.2.x | 12/31/2018 |
| OMNIbus | 7.4.x | 12/31/2018 |
| Impact | 6.1.x | 12/31/2018 |
| IBM Tivoli Network Manager | 3.9.x, 4.1.x | 12/31/2018 |
| Netcool Performance Manager | 1.3.x | 12/31/2018 |
| Netcool Performance Flow Analyzer | 4.1.x | 12/31/2018 |
| Network Configuration Manager | 6.3.x, 6.4.0, 6.4.1 | 12/31/2018 |
IBM recommends upgrading to later versions of the products as soon as possible in order to maintain full support. After April 2018, support for Java™ 6 will be limited to usage and known problems with possible updates for critical security fixes through the end of 2018. After April 2018, WebSphere Application Server (WAS) 7 support will be limited to non-Java defects. Support for other components will continue as usual.
More information about Gulfsoft can be found here: https://www.gulfsoft.com/about
Friday, February 23, 2018
We've got a few open time slots for one-on-one meetings at #Think2018
The #Pink18 ITSM conference was a great success for us, and we're now looking forward to #Think2018. It's going to be a jam packed week, but we've still got a few time slots open to schedule sit down discussions with existing and potential clients and partners. Contact Frank (frank.tate@gulfsoft.com) or Mark (mark.hudson@gulfsoft.com) today to set up a 30-60 minute meeting!
Monday, February 19, 2018
#Pink18 is off to a Great Start
The #Pink18 ITSM conference kicked off last night with a reception, and it looks to be another great conference this year. Pink Elephant always has great thought leaders presenting at the sessions, and this year will continue that tradition.
If you're at the conference, please stop by our booth, #601, in the exhibitors showcase.
Friday, January 19, 2018
IBM Maximo named a Leader in Gartner Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Asset Management!
https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/community/blogs/a9ba1efe-b731-4317-9724-a181d6155e3a/entry/IBM_Maximo_named_a_Leader_in_Gartner_Magic_Quadrant_for_Enterprise_Asset_Management?lang=en
Something very important to note is that the IBM Control Desk product is built entirely on Maximo. So almost all of the features and capabilities that put Maximo into Gartner's Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Asset Management are also included in IBM Control Desk.
Something very important to note is that the IBM Control Desk product is built entirely on Maximo. So almost all of the features and capabilities that put Maximo into Gartner's Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Asset Management are also included in IBM Control Desk.
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
Gulf Breeze Software Partners is now Gulfsoft Consulting
Gulf Breeze Software Partners was started 15 years ago as a consulting firm that also had small
aspirations to write software at some point. Along the way, we realized that we really prefer
implementing and customizing software over writing new applications from scratch. And while
we've advertised that we're specialists in the implementation and customization of the IBM suite
of products up to this point, we're now marketing the fact that we have experience in and offer
services on a much larger array of products from multiple vendors. To effectively market our
capabilities to new customers, we decided to change our name from Gulf Breeze Software Partners
to Gulfsoft Consulting. We've still got the same amazing people and the same drive to make customers
successful, and now we've got a name that more accurately describes what we do. Here’s a link to some of the technologies we work with every day.
aspirations to write software at some point. Along the way, we realized that we really prefer
implementing and customizing software over writing new applications from scratch. And while
we've advertised that we're specialists in the implementation and customization of the IBM suite
of products up to this point, we're now marketing the fact that we have experience in and offer
services on a much larger array of products from multiple vendors. To effectively market our
capabilities to new customers, we decided to change our name from Gulf Breeze Software Partners
to Gulfsoft Consulting. We've still got the same amazing people and the same drive to make customers
successful, and now we've got a name that more accurately describes what we do. Here’s a link to some of the technologies we work with every day.
We look forward to continuing our relationships with existing customers and making new ones.
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