DB2 for i Technical Forums

Hola! My teammate and amigo Hernando Bedoya (he is actually familia) and I are just wrapping up two very successful DB2 for i Technical Forums in Bogota, Colombia (week of Feb 24) and Bilbao, Spain (week of Mar 3). Hernando was an excellent guide and translator. (you see, my Spanish is virtually nonexistent, and based in part on watching Speedy Gonzales cartoons on the TV as a child).

First and foremost I want to extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to our event partners...

In Bogota, Mr. Octavio Bustos of Redsis arranged and hosted the Forum for his clients in Colombia.

In Bilbao, Mr. Igor Izaguirre of Trentinort arranged and hosted the Forum for his clients in Spain.

The opportunity, and our success is due in large measure to these good folks.  Muchas gracias!

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The history of the DB2 for i Technical Forum begins 8 years ago on a long and scenic drive from the small village of Agordo in the Italian Alps to the port city of Venice.

You see, the famous and world wide ITSO AS/400 Technical Forums originally conceived by the one and only Ian Jarman were no more, and the IBM conduits to share accurate and current technical guidance about all things OS/400 were shriveling up.

During the drive out of the mountains, my long time IBM colleague and dear friend Simona Pacchiarini was wondering aloud how we continue to spread the word about database. In a moment of inspiration (or maybe lunacy) we hit upon the idea of creating our own "Technical Forum" - expressly for the purpose of sharing and discussing database topics. Given that some of the philosophical and architectural concepts of "forum" can be traced back to Italy, we felt compelled to initiate this idea in Milan, and we have continue the tradition on an annual basis ever since.
(and what is the real reason my DB2 for i Technical Forums are in Italy every year? Simona is a bulldog when it comes to getting good things done!)

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I have used the Forums in Italy as a proving ground when developing techniques that serve to illuminate the DB2 for i features, functions and unique advantages. During last year's event I tested a new theme entitled "Design It, Build It, Tune It". Of course, this topic is in addition to the standard update on what's new in DB2. Given the success of the presentations and lab exercises, we are continuing the theme in 2014.

The simple notion behind the sessions on design / build / tune involves the importance of sharing knowledge, teaching skills and discussing best practices for data centric applications, in a holistic way.

"Design It" focuses on the science and art of data modeling - something that is universal, but sorely lacking in IBM i shops. We present an overview of conceptual models, logical models and physical models which serve as the blueprint for communicating the database architecture and design.

"Build It" focuses on implementing a physical model, thinking in sets (instead of records), and the elements of set-at-a-time processing. The SQL components of DDL, DML and PSM are used to demonstrate the concepts and used to construct the data centric application (i.e. tables, views, indexes, queries, procedures).

"Tune It" focuses on techniques for increasing efficiency, performance and scalability. We present an overview and discuss the IBM i integrated toolset for monitoring, analyzing and tuning SQL requests.

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I believe the biggest value of the DB2 Forum comes from the final presentation whereby all of the features and functions are woven into a realistic business problem/solution scenario. The practical demonstration, the putting into action all of the concepts and best practices, really shows the audience a clear path forward in terms of data centric development technique.

In the spirit of a forum, our 3 day event always includes lively dialogs, discussions and debates on all things database.

If you are interested in bringing the DB2 for i Technical Forum to your clients or organization, please reach out. Or if you are in need of specialized / focused assistance with your data centric project, we are here to help.

Adios