i ViewPosted on February 7, 2025 by Teresa Moy
IBM has introduced a number of SQL Views and table functions in the past few IBM i operating system releases and Technology Refreshes. These functions allow anyone to do things with spool files that previously required using Application Program Interfaces (APIs) or writing complex programs.
During this webcast presented by IBM i Champion and RPGPGM.com founder, Simon Hutchinson, you'll learn how to:
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Posted on January 23, 2025 by Bill Langston
IBM i: A Specialized Enterprise Computing Environment
IBM i software developers, operators, and system administrators deserve a lot of respect. Their mostly invisible efforts literally enable businesses around the world to process trillions of dollars of economic output each year. However, IBM i and the integrated Db2 on i database make up a very specialized enterprise computing environment. IBM i doesn’t run on ubiquitous personal devices like phones, laptops, and tablet computers; it runs exclusively on IBM POWER servers. In other words, you aren’t likely to find a lot of useful IBM i education on YouTube or tips on social media.
Unless you work for a company that relies on IBM i, you may not know it exists, much less appreciate the benefits it provides. If you do work on IBM i, you might not live near a user group, and your job, budget, and personal obligations might make traveling to IBM i events difficult. As a result, IBM i education can seem a bit hard to access.
IBM i Champion, Simon Hutchinson
In business, companies tend to focus on achieving quarter-to-quarter or year-to-year revenue targets. We’re no exception. The NGS staff focuses on developing, supporting, and marketing NGS-IQ – our widely used IBM i query, reporting, and analytics software. But we’re IBM i specialists, and our success depends on the broader success of IBM i and that depends on IT professionals in IBM i shops making the platform shine. So, periodically, we shift our focus from NGS-IQ to the support of IBM i education. We also maintain an IBM i resources page on our website.
One of the best sources of IBM i education is the RPGPGM.com blog, founded and actively updated by independent IBM i Champion, Simon Hutchinson. This blog is Simon’s gift to the people who use the platform he loves. Simon isn’t on the payroll of IBM or any IBM Business Partner. He’s not an NGS customer or a consultant hoping to sell his services. He has a day job just like you. Fortunately, his passion for IBM i drives him to document and share original, practical educational content on RPGPGM.com. He also speaks at COMMON and regional IBM i user group meetings and conferences around the world.
IBM i Educational Event: Tricks with Spool Files using SQL
On Thursday, February 6, 2025, we’ve asked Simon to bridge the geographical, work and personal commitments that separate IBM i professionals and share some of his knowledge during normal business hours. His topic is “Tricks with Spool Files Using SQL.” We encourage you to register and attend this webinar. We plan to record the session, so please register even if you can’t attend live, and we'll send you the link to the video as soon as it is available.
During this event, you won’t see a demo of NGS-IQ. Of course, we hope you’ll attend an NGS-IQ webinar in the near future or visit our video library and watch a previously recorded demonstration. Even if you don’t write queries, once you see what NGS-IQ can do, we think you'll understand why it's so popular.
Please take advantage of this free opportunity to learn from one of the best IBM i educators.
FREE Webinar: February 6, 2025
Time: 11:00am PT | 1:00pm CT | 2:00pm ET
RSVP to attend
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Posted on October 3, 2024 by Jeff Coley
Are you still relying on IBM’s Query/400 or scrambling to replace DB2 Web Query now that it’s discontinued? While both tools have served businesses well over the years, the time has come to move beyond their limitations and adopt a more powerful, future-proof solution: NGS-IQ.
Unlike many query tools available today, NGS-IQ isn’t just a replacement—it’s an advanced reporting and analytics solution designed specifically for IBM i users. It offers the speed, flexibility, and scalability your business needs to stay competitive in today’s data-driven world.
Why Transition from Query/400 and DB2 Web Query Now?
Let’s be clear: DB2 Web Query, though an advanced tool, is now officially discontinued. Without support, using this IBM software poses risks. Similarly, while Query/400 was useful in its prime, it struggles to keep up with today’s fast-paced reporting demands.
By upgrading to NGS-IQ, you won’t just avoid the limitations and risks of unsupported software—you’ll open the door to faster, more flexible, and more efficient reporting that saves time and delivers real results.
FREE Webinar: October 10, 2024
Time: 11:00am PT | 1:00pm CT | 2:00pm ET
RSVP to attend: http://www.ngsi.com/events/ngsiq-webinar-20241010-registration.html
Posted in IBM i Marketplace | Comments
Posted on June 26, 2024 by Teresa Moy
NGS-IQ can help you support a wide range of IBM i and business users who need to see and analyze operational data. In our 55-minute presentation (recorded June 20, 2024), we deliver a high-level overview of NGS-IQ's capabilities and provide a demonstration of:
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Posted on June 18, 2024 by Bill Langston
The reporting and analytics software marketplace is mature. Historically, business intelligence software vendors designed their solutions to address every step of the data extraction, transformation, and presentation process. As a result, many applications became increasingly complicated and challenging to deploy. Today, most IBM i customers already have several data analysis and visualization tools in place. Users simply want to import clean, aggregated, and formatted slices of data into those familiar tools.
The complexity and scale of your IBM Db2 on i transaction processing database can be overwhelming to business users. SQL Views can help, but even when some staff members have SQL skills, the best approach is an IBM i-based solution that shines at data extraction and preparation and can distribute output files in the most useful formats. It shouldn't require SQL skills or attempt to duplicate the functionality of Microsoft Excel, Power BI, and other widely used tools. This complementary view of meeting users where they are drives NGS’s development priorities.
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Posted on March 22, 2024 by Teresa Moy
IBM’s decision to drop DB2 Web Query caught customers by surprise. But as IBM said in their announcement letter, there are alternative solutions. We invite you to learn about ours: NGS-IQ.
This presentation (recorded March 20, 2024) will help you evaluate the one we recommend: NGS-IQ. 60 minutes.
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Posted on January 24, 2024 by Bill Langston
APIs have become the industry standard for trading partners and customers to share the data they need to efficiently collaborate and provide better service. The people who use your ERP software need access to the data APIs can provide.
Your IBM i team may not have experience writing programs that use the APIs your partners have made available to you. You may prefer to use the RPG language to develop and maintain the programs that connect to your partners’ APIs. And once you have those programs written, tested, and ready to put into production, it would be ideal if your enterprise reporting and business intelligence (BI) software could use them.
How can you bridge the gap? We believe that NGS-IQ and RPG API Express present an optimal solution for IBM i customers.
NGS-IQ is our IBM i reporting and BI solution. It lets you integrate custom API program execution into query processing so you can create and deliver comprehensive reports as Excel sheets, Web pages, multidimensional models, Adobe PDFs, and more.
Kato Integrations’ RPG API Express provides a library of commands and subprocedures designed to simplify and streamline RPG-based API development. It generates JSON and XML subprocedures; enables you to develop programs using a unified API of connections functions; and leverage CCSID conversion, MD5 and SHA hashing, and Base64 encoding and decoding.
NGS is hosting a free, one-hour webinar with Kato Integrations on Thursday, February 15, 2024, 11am Pacific/1pm Central. We encourage everyone exploring APIs on IBM i to attend. Registration is required. If you can’t attend live, please register and we will send you a link to the on-demand playback as soon as it's online.
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Posted on January 8, 2024 by Bill Langston
Just as you were returning to work to begin the new year, IBM published a security bulletin, alerting DB2 Web Query customers that the software is "vulnerable to a remote attacker bypassing security restrictions or executing arbitrary code, to a local authenticated attacker obtaining sensitive information, or to denial of service."
The security bulletin only references release 2.4.0 of the now withdrawn DB2 Web Query software, but we suspect that is only because IBM doesn't test unsupported releases. We believe the security vulnerabilities listed in the bulletin also exist in release 2.3.0 and prior releases.
This news puts DB2 Web Query customers in an uncomfortable position. Since the software is no longer marketed by IBM, IBM will not let you extend your software maintenance beyond the current term; they have recommended customers look for an alternative solution.
If you're running DB2 Web Query release 2.4.0 and can't stop using the software immediately, you should heed IBM’s warnings and apply the Program Temporary Fixes (PTF’s) as soon as possible. If you're like many DB2 Web Query customers who are running an earlier release, you have a couple options:
We think you should treat this security bulletin as justification for your company to prioritize replacing DB2 Web Query as soon as possible.
NGS specializes in IBM i business intelligence (BI) and reporting. Unlike IBM and many of our competitors, our development and technical support resources aren't divided across product lines and platforms. Our livelihood depends on our ability to help you use our software successfully over the long term.
We welcome you to begin your search for an IBM DB2 Web Query alternative by watching the on demand video, "Planning Your Exit from IBM DB2 Web Query", scheduling a conference call with our team, and requesting a private web demo of NGS-IQ.
Posted in IBM i Marketplace | Comments
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