"I thought I was sure, but each time he said it I became less sure." So goes one of the stories we hear from Carl Drayton about how he grew into his position at IBM. Carl is a beloved member of the communications team at IBM i Global Support Center, and in this episode we touch on aspects of his IBM Support role that affect everyone, from what customers teach us, to how we learn and project confidence. Carl also does a deep dive into communications traces, and shares tips on how to run them for efficient problem analysis. We also find out that both Carl and Alex were a bit surprised about where they would be working when they got hired...

Carl Drayton has worked in the IBM i GSC since 2005, and is an experienced member of the Communications team who is an expert at diagnosing and resolving complex networking issues. Originally from New York City, Carl journeyed to the Midwest to begin his IBM career, and though he has since moved back East, he came back to visit for the Christmas holiday and was able to join us on today's episode.

Carl Drayton

IBM i Global Support Center

"I thought I was sure, but each time he said it I became less sure." So goes one of the stories we hear from Carl Drayton about how he grew into his position at IBM. Carl is a beloved member of the communications team at IBM i Global Support Center, and in this episode we touch on aspects of his IBM Support role that affect everyone, from what customers teach us, to how we learn and project confidence. Carl also does a deep dive into communications traces, and shares tips on how to run them for efficient problem analysis. We also find out that both Carl and Alex were a bit surprised about where they would be working when they got hired...

"Carl, are you sure?"

Lael Daire has been a firewall between development and support for many years, and brings an expert level of knowledge to diagnosing complex issues with LIC and the Power Hypervisor. Not only does he possess an encyclopedic knowledge the intricacies of IBM Power Systems, but he is friendly and an excellent communicator. In this episode, we meet Lael and get to know how he approaches complex problem scenarios and is able to guide customers and reps to better understanding critical system issues.

Lael Daire works at the intersection of Power Servers Firmware and IBM i Licensed Internal Code.  He is the support lead for IBM i Screen Team, who reviews Main Storage Dumps amongst other things.  He is also the support lead for Power Hypervisor, Partition Firmware, and SR-IOV Firmware.  In his role, he is a regular resource for teams all over the IBM i GSC, working to bring a clearer understanding of how the various parts of IBM i interface with the POWER systems on which they run.

Lael Daire

Lael Daire has been a firewall between development and support for many years, and brings an expert level of knowledge to diagnosing complex issues with LIC and the Power Hypervisor. Not only does he possess an encyclopedic knowledge the intricacies of IBM Power Systems, but he is friendly and an excellent communicator. In this episode, we meet Lael and get to know how he approaches complex problem scenarios and is able to guide customers and reps to better understanding critical system issues.

"Don't Believe the PHYP" -- Lael Daire

The IBM i Large User Group (LUG) is an influential group of members from over 80 large companies around the world who have a significant investment in IBM i, and meet three times a year in Rochester, Minnesota, to help IBM direct the future of the IBM i platform. In this episode we are joined by IBM i LUG Liaison Brad Menges, and the two current co-chairs of LUG, Dutch and Dave. We learn about what the LUG is, how new members are admitted, and how this unique 30 year partnership has helped direct the development of IBM i, and benefited our customers, our development teams, and the IBM i GSC. <a href="https://www.ibmilug.ihost.com/membership/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Join the LUG</a>

Dutch

Co-chair of the IBM i Large User Group (LUG)

Dave

Brad Menges is member of the Power Hypervisor and IBM i Internals/Screen teams at the IBM i GSC, and serves double duty as the Liaison to the IBM i Large User Group, where he organizes three large conferences each year, and handles incoming requests from LUG members on topics of importance to their businesses.

Brad Menges

IBM LUG Liasion 

The IBM i Large User Group (LUG) is an influential group of members from over 80 large companies around the world who have a significant investment in IBM i, and meet three times a year in Rochester, Minnesota, to help IBM direct the future of the IBM i platform. In this episode we are joined by IBM i LUG Liaison Brad Menges, and the two current co-chairs of LUG, Dutch and Dave. We learn about what the LUG is, how new members are admitted, and how this unique 30 year partnership has helped direct the development of IBM i, and benefited our customers, our development teams, and the IBM i GSC.


"What is LUG?"

Isaac Franco is a new member of the IBM i GSC from our Client Innovation Center in Costa Rica, who works on the EBIZ team. He joins the podcast to talk about common issues faced by customers who rely on digital certificates. We also talk about how we face new challenges, how members of the IBM i GSC work together to support customers, and find out that we take inspiration and get new perspectives for solving complex customer issues in unexpected places. DCM FAQs<a href="https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/digital-certificate-manager-i-dcm-frequently-asked-questions-and-common-tasks" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/digital-certificate-manager-i-dcm-frequently-asked-questions-and-common-tasks</a> DCM Frequently used Concepts:<a href="https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/i/7.5?topic=manager-concepts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/i/7.5?topic=manager-concepts</a>

Isaac joined the IBM i GSC in 2023, and is a member of the Electronic Business and Web Serving (EBIZ) team. "I enjoy spending time in nature, both hiking and overlanding. I was born in Costa Rica, and I love knowing the world I live in through the stories of others and the possibilities of a modern interconnected world."

Isaac Franco

Isaac Franco is a new member of the IBM i GSC from our Client Innovation Center in Costa Rica, who works on the EBIZ team. He joins the podcast to talk about common issues faced by customers who rely on digital certificates. We also talk about how we face new challenges, how members of the IBM i GSC work together to support customers, and find out that we take inspiration and get new perspectives for solving complex customer issues in unexpected places.

Isaac Franco: Putting the "G" in GSC

During his career at IBM, Wayne Bowers has been focused on the Access Clients, and for many years has served as an IBM Access Client ambassador at multiple IBM conventions. In this episode, Kurt and Alex sit down with Wayne to discuss his career, favorite education delivery techniques, and the latest topics relating to the IBM i Access Client Solutions (ACS) product.

Wayne, a self-proclaimed nerd, has found a home for his nerdiness in IBM i Support since 1997. Over the years, he’s carved out a niche supporting IBM i Access clients, with additional expertise in IP Networking, IFS, Console, and Open Source technologies. Outside of his professional work, Wayne is an aviation enthusiast, working to identify as many aircraft as possible by sight. He makes an annual pilgrimage to the EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and enjoys flying virtual planes in Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Wayne Bowers

During his career at IBM, Wayne Bowers has been focused on the Access Clients, and for many years has served as an IBM Access Client ambassador at multiple IBM conventions. In this episode, Kurt and Alex sit down with Wayne to discuss his career, favorite education delivery techniques, and the latest topics relating to the IBM i Access Client Solutions (ACS) product. 

ACS Ambassador Wayne Bowers

Db2 is at the core of the IBM i, and making sure that databases are optimized is an important admin task. Holly Rademacher has been helping IBM i clients solve database issues for over 25 years, and in this episode she takes us on a deep dive into the Reorganize Physical File Member (RGZPFM) command. Holly talks about why it's important, how it works, when to run it, and what command options to look out for to make sure it runs correctly for you. Use the following links to learn more about RGZPGM: Memo To Users (Document 2023 changes to RGZPFM) <a href="https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/ssw_ibm_i_74/pdf/rzaq9.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/ssw_ibm_i_74/pdf/rzaq9.pdf</a>RGZPFM - Basics on Reorganize While Active&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/684543" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/684543</a>RGZPFM options and comparison&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/668043" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/668043</a>Viewing Status of RGZPFM through IBM i Access Client Solutions&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/684643" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/684643</a>

Database and Db2 are the core of the IBM i Architecture, and for over 25 years, Holly Rademacher has worked in Database support, solving complex technical issues and helping drive product improvements. For much of that time, Holly has also served as the Team Lead for Database, working to make sure that the team an functions smoothly and collaborates with other areas of IBM i support which depend on Database.

Holly Rademacher

IBM i GSC Database Support

Db2 is at the core of the IBM i, and making sure that databases are optimized is an important admin task. Holly Rademacher has been helping IBM i clients solve database issues for over 25 years, and in this episode she takes us on a deep dive into the Reorganize Physical File Member (RGZPFM) command. Holly talks about why it's important, how it works, when to run it, and what command options to look out for to make sure it runs correctly for you.

RGZPFM - Reorganize Physical File Member

The IBM i GSC has long had the benefit of the experience of Hugo Del Castillo, having worked in various places in both the US and South America as a Systems Engineer, in Technical Support, and even in Sales. In this episode, Hugo talks in depth about the ENDJOBABN IBM i command, and we get to hear the trust behind one of the most amazing IBM i support stories ever -- the history of how a customer ended his OWN job, in a very abnormal way.... Customers that have a job that will not end are encouraged to open a support ticket to IBM to get an expert involved who knows that area of the system best, and at a minimum, collect SERVICEDOCS before running the ENDJOBABN command so that the right diagnostic materials are collected. An IPL should be performed to clean up the system when possible.

Hugo Del Castillo has worked in the IBM i GSC since 2006, and is an experienced member of the Work Management team and the SME for the OS Security area, often relied on to diagnose and resolve complex customer issues, and to train new IBM support reps to understand how work management and security works on the IBM i. Originally from La Paz Bolivia, Hugo began his career as a Systems Engineer for the AS/400. 

Hugo Del Castillo

The IBM i GSC has long had the benefit of the experience of Hugo Del Castillo, having worked in various places in both the US and South America as a Systems Engineer, in Technical Support, and even in Sales. In this episode, Hugo talks in depth about the ENDJOBABN IBM i command, and we get to hear the trust behind one of the most amazing IBM i support stories ever -- the history of how a customer ended his OWN job, in a very abnormal way....

Customers that have a job that will not end are encouraged to open a support ticket to IBM to get an expert involved who knows that area of the system best, and at a minimum, collect SERVICEDOCS before running the ENDJOBABN command so that the right diagnostic materials are collected. An IPL should be performed to clean up the system when possible.

ENDJOBABN - Hugo Del Castillo

You, Me, and IBM i lives at the intersection of wit and wisdom, and offers an inside look at the lives of the technical support experts at the IBM i Global Support Center. Each episode explores a new aspect of support, and leaves listeners better able to solve their own issues and get back to business. Alex Marquis (<a href="mailto:marquis@us.ibm.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">marquis@us.ibm.com</a>) and Kurt Schroeder (<a href="mailto:kschroe@us.ibm.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">kschroe@us.ibm.com</a>) welcome your comments, questions, and show suggestions.

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"Carl, are you sure?"

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Today's Host

Kurt Schroeder

Alex Marquis

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Carl Drayton

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