teaching old dogs new tricks with rational developer for system i
DESCRIPTION
Rolling out Rational Developer is more than just purchasing the product. In order to maximize the adoption rate of the product, you need a plan, you need executive sponsorship, and you need diligence. This covers our recommended best practices, as well as example anti-patterns that people often fall into causing their adoption rate to plummet.TRANSCRIPT
Teaching old dogs new tricks: Successful steps in rolling out Rational Developer for POWER for IBM i and AIX
Kenny SmithPrincipal Consultant, Strongback [email protected] 1214
© 2013 IBM Corporation
About Us: Strongback Consulting
IBM Advanced Business Partner
– Rational, WebSphere, Lotus, Information Management SVP certified
– Strongly focused on Enterprise Modernization and application lifecycle management
– Key Industries Served: Finance, Insurance, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Government
– Rational Design Partner for HATS and other Rational enterprise modernization technologies
Discover us at:http://www.strongback.us
Subscribe to our blog athttp://blog.strongbackconsulting.com
Socialize with us on Facebook & LinkedIn http://www.facebook.com/StrongbackConsulting
http://www.linkedin.com/company/290754
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Agenda
Planning to plan
Rollout guidelines
Executive sponsorship
Installation & licensing
Customized workspace
Training
Mentoring
Rollout anti-patterns
Question & Answer
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Avoiding “Shelfware”
Damages your budgetHurts the sellers credibilityConfuses the developerFrustrates the executives who bought it
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Planning out your implementation
Establish and document the value proposition you want– What are we licensed for?
– Who will use what product?
Gather input from all your stakeholders– Technical team (devs), IT managers, IT Sysadmins
– Executive management (CFO, COO, CEO, VP of IT, etc)
– Your IBM Business Partner & IBM Software Rep
Create your implementation plan with checklists & milestones
– How does this hook into our desktop policies (if you have one)?
– What is our compilation, promotion, and deployment plan?
– How will this hook into our SCM / ALM?
Create a collaboration plan
– Internal Quickr site, wiki, sharepoint, etc. for FAQs, whitepapers, Redbooks, and a GLOSSARY of terms
– Define escalation communication process internally, with your BP, and with IBM
Define ROI metrics
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The need for executive sponsorship
These are the guys whose budgets are paying for the licenses
To get the ROI they desire, they need to be involved
They also can clear hurdles to your implementation
Only these guys can really mandate the product usage
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Integration with Source Code Management
Are you using version control?
– if not… are you planning to? (please say that you are for your own sake!)
Is there an Eclipse plugin available?
Does the plugin work with the version you intend to deploy?
Do you need promotion and deployment support (not just SCM, compile, & build)?
– Have you heard of Rational Team Concert by chance?
IBM Power Systems
Integrate Applications
Optimize Infrastructure
EmpowerPeople
UnifyTeams
Understand your licensing
Frequent rebranding & renaming over the years
– Get your vocabulary straight before you implement
Two general models:
– Authorized User: requires a license file to be applied to the developer desktop
– Floating User: requires a Rational License Key Server
– Fixed Term Licenses
Can be sold as standalone products
– Rational Developer for AIX and Linux
– Rational Developer for i
Can be sold as Packages
– RDi Java Edition (formerly POWER Tools for i)
– Rational Developer for i for SOA Construction
– etc.
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RDiSOA
POWER Tools for iRDp RDi
Rational Development Studio for POWER
RD
i EG
L E
ditio
n
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Getting the software
1. Get the software from IBM Passport Advantage
– Know what parts to download
download what you need, skip what you don’t
– Get with your IBM BP or Software Rep to manage access
– *Also available from your hardware vendor through AAS
2. Get the licenses from the Rational License Key Center
– Separate site, separate downloads, separate credentials
– See #1 above
Passport Advantage http://www-01.ibm.com/software/howtobuy/passportadvantage/pao_customers.htm
Rational License Key Center http://www-01.ibm.com/software/rational/support/licensing/toIntraware.html
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Installation
Once you know what you’ve got and what your usage is, then you can install
Single products for small teams
–Manual installation is easy
Packaged products for teams >10 people
–Manual installation becomes a major obstacle
–You must install it the same for everyone to have consistent results
–Use scripting, the Package Utility, Tivoli Endpoint Manager, or MS tools to roll out
Don’t forget the Rational License Key Server!
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Manually installing with Installation Manager (v 9.0)
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Customized packaging with Package Utility
Part of “Rational Enterprise Deployment”
Can combine multiple products into one installation image
Example: RDiSOA version 8.5
– Rational Developer for i
– Rational Business Developer
– HATS
– IBM Data Studio (which is FREEEEE!!!)
– RTC Plugin
After building a package, use Installation Manager to record response files
Run a silent (scripted) install using these response files
Plug the installation script into your desktop automation tooling
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Deploying a customized workspace
A workspace is a directory of configuration meta data, project data, and project folders
Creates a consistent experience across your development team
Why should everyone recreate the same data?
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Ideas for content in the customized workspace
AIX / Power users
– Set the LPEX Editor to use vi, or emacs
IBM i, AS/400, iSeries users
– Set LPEX Editor to SEU mode
Preset common user preference based on your team’s culture
Include source code examples for training session
Include training materials as projects
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Ideas for content in the customized workspace
Preconfigure all connections to systems & LPAR’s that they may use
– Remote Systems Explorer, connections, filters
– DB2 Connections
– Other RDBMS Systems
Preconfigure filters
Setup known RDBMS
connections ahead of time
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In the customized workspace
Include common programming routines as snippets
Boilerplate code can also be put into templates
Templates work with code assist, and the editor’s context
Snippets allow you to place variables which you define when you drag / drop into source
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Would you operate this without training?
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Your IDE has MORE instrumentation than most aircraft
Don’t skimp on training!!!
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Creating a Training Plan
Customized training is always best
–Modules should fit your team’s usage scenario
Training should start and end with SCM in mind
On site vs. remote
–On site interaction is best if possible
–Remote for geographically dispersed workers
–Consider vendors who can support remote classroom environments
Schedule your team members in advance
–plan around vacations, etc.
Have a post –training plan
–How do I on-board new members of my team?
–What happens if we have questions after training is over?
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Onsite mentoring: after the training
Helps to cement the knowledge gained after training
Creates social incentive to learn to the tool
Mentor / Consultant can help you troubleshoot real scenarios
Use to cultivate your internal champions and power users
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Team Collaboration
Setup a team site for everyone to post questions, comments, and suggestions
– IBM Quickr, Connections, Wiki, Blog, TeamRoom, Sharepoint Site, etc
– Email alone will NOT cut it!
Things to include
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Team Collaboration – What to include in your site
Training material (presentations & lab exercises)
Redbooks
Bookmarks (links to helpful websites)
Escalation matrix
Programming guidelines, standards, etc
FAQs
Discussion forums
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Metrics
Define your success criteria
Make sure its measurable before and after
Snapshot those current metrics
Collect on a regular interval
Analyze and improve the process
Rinse & Repeat
How often are floating licenses checked out?How many people are contributing to the team room?How many people have been to training?Who is using System I Access to access SEU/PDM?
Examples
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Next step: UNINSTALL your terminal emulator
As legend has it, after his men got ashore, Cortés burned the ships that brought them. He wanted his men to understand fully that their only option was to win or die – there would be no retreat. Knowing their options were limited now, the Spanish army would fight harder and with more determination.
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Anti-patterns
Definition: Anti-patterns
A pattern, or series of methods, used in social or business operations or software engineering that may be commonly used but is ineffective and/or counterproductive in practice
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Rollout Anti-patterns: Purchase the software and do nothing else
This is …
A. The likelihood your users will adopt it..
B. Your return on investment..
C. Chance it won’t become shelfware..
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Rollout Anti-patterns: Installing on ancient PC’s
You cannot compare the IDE to the performance of a terminal emulator
Insufficient disk space – multi-gigabyte download of software eats up disk
4GB RAM minimum (because we run apps other than the IDE at the same time)
Quad core is ideal (see above)
FACT: the cost of a faster PC is cheaper than paying someone to sit and wait on a slower one to respond
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Rollout Anti-patterns: Letting users install it themselves
Can you say goat rodeo??• Different install directories• Forgotten license files• Different release levels• Different patch levels• Installed into the wrong
package group• Insufficient access• Insufficient disk space
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Rollout Anti-patterns: Letting Bob the Elder teach
Programming
skills
Product Knowledge
Adult Education Experience
• Teaching requires skills beyond just product knowledge or system knowledge – it requires presentation skills, public speaking, humor, etc.
• Do not assume that your best RPG guy can pick it up, learn it, and teach the rest of the staff
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Rollout Anti-patterns: Forgetting about SCM
SCM = Source Code Management (a.k.a. version control)
ALM = Application Lifecycle Management
Copying files between libraries is NOT version control!
Users will go back to the terminal if they have to check in/out of source
–and there they will stay…and stay…and stay…
About Us: Strongback Consulting
IBM Advanced Business Partner
– Rational, WebSphere, Lotus, Information Management SVP certified
– Strongly focused on Enterprise Modernization and application lifecycle management
– Key Industries Served: Finance, Insurance, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Government
– Rational Design Partner for HATS and other Rational enterprise modernization technologies
Discover us at:http://www.strongback.us
Subscribe to our blog athttp://blog.strongbackconsulting.com
Socialize with us on Facebook & LinkedIn http://www.facebook.com/StrongbackConsulting
http://www.linkedin.com/company/290754
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© Copyright IBM Corporation 2013. All rights reserved. The information contained in these materials is provided for informational purposes only, and is provided AS IS without warranty of any kind, express or implied. IBM shall not be responsible for any damages arising out of the use of, or otherwise related to, these materials. Nothing contained in these materials is intended to, nor shall have the effect of, creating any warranties or representations from IBM or its suppliers or licensors, or altering the terms and conditions of the applicable license agreement governing the use of IBM software. References in these materials to IBM products, programs, or services do not imply that they will be available in all countries in which IBM operates. Product release dates and/or capabilities referenced in these materials may change at any time at IBM’s sole discretion based on market opportunities or other factors, and are not intended to be a commitment to future product or feature availability in any way. IBM, the IBM logo, Rational, the Rational logo, Telelogic, the Telelogic logo, and other IBM products and services are trademarks of the International Business Machines Corporation, in the United States, other countries or both. Other company, product, or service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.