COMMON POWERUp 2025

COMMON POWERUp 2025

Unlock the Power of IBM i at POWERUp 2025!

Join us in Disneyland, California, for POWERUp 2025, the premier conference for IBM i professionals. Whether you’re an experienced expert or just starting your IBM i journey, this event offers unparalleled education, hands-on workshops, and valuable networking opportunities. Stay ahead of the curve with insights from industry leaders, explore the latest innovations, and connect with a thriving community that shares your passion for IBM i. Don’t miss this opportunity to expand your knowledge, grow your skills, and power up your career!

10:00am PDT

IBM Storage Overview and IBMi

Monday May 19, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am PDT

General overview of the IBM Storage Portfolio and the solutions specific to IBMi

Speakers

Tony Owens

Monday May 19, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
Room 11 1150 Magic Way, Anaheim, CA 92802

Storage Technologies

11:15am PDT

What’s New with IBM i and IBM Flashsystems

Monday May 19, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm PDT

Advancements with IBM Flashsystem storage are making it easier than ever to make use of the cool features that Flashsystems offer. Learn how these new features can empower your IBM i and Storage System Administrators.

Speakers

Steven McIver

Monday May 19, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm PDT
Room 11 1150 Magic Way, Anaheim, CA 92802

Storage Technologies

3:15pm PDT

Operational excellence and Cyber Resilience for IBM Storage leveraging IBM Storage Insights

Monday May 19, 2025 3:15pm - 4:15pm PDT

Operational excellence and cyber resilience are critical for ensuring the seamless performance and security of storage infrastructures in today’s dynamic IT environment. This session cover the integration of IBM Storage Insights with IBM Storage ( IBM FlashSystem , DS8K and Storage Scale ) to enhance operational efficiency and safeguard against emerging cyber threats. IBM Storage Insights is a data-driven solution that offers real-time monitoring, predictive analytics, and intelligent insights into storage performance, health, and security. By leveraging this SaaS service, organizations can streamline operations, minimize downtime, and quickly respond to potential vulnerabilities. This session also cover how IBM Storage Insights enables AIOps , proactive support , reduces operational complexities, and strengthens cyber resilience by providing visibility into the entire storage ecosystem. The session cover use cases, benefits, and best practices for adopting IBM Storage Insights to optimize storage performance while fortifying defences against cyber-attacks, ensuring long-term sustainability, and supporting business continuity in an increasingly digital landscape.

Speakers

Johanna Hislop

Senior Software Engineer for Storage Insights, IBM

Johanna Hislop is a senior software engineer at IBM and the worldwide technical support lead for IBM Storage Insights and IBM Spectrum Control. Her responsibilities include providing world class technical support to IBM customers and working closely with product management and development... Read More →

Monday May 19, 2025 3:15pm - 4:15pm PDT
Room 11 1150 Magic Way, Anaheim, CA 92802

Storage Technologies

4:30pm PDT

TAPE STORAGE: Reduce Cost without Jeopardizing the Organization

Monday May 19, 2025 4:30pm - 4:50pm PDT

Listen to the story of an organization that was asked to reduce storage fees, but accidentally put the organization in jeopardy. So, let us learn from others and discuss what a good tape storage strategy should include.

Speakers

Natalie Reyes

Monday May 19, 2025 4:30pm - 4:50pm PDT
Room 11 1150 Magic Way, Anaheim, CA 92802

Storage Technologies

5:05pm PDT

Monitoring of external Storage for IBMi with Storage Insights Pro

Monday May 19, 2025 5:05pm - 5:25pm PDT

This session will cover the importance of Storage Insights Pro for Data Resiliency (Ransomware Threat Detection) feature in FlashSystem and how it is reported in Storage Insights.
We will also highlight the performance and troubleshooting using Storage Insights Pro.

Speakers

Tony Owens

Monday May 19, 2025 5:05pm - 5:25pm PDT
Room 11 1150 Magic Way, Anaheim, CA 92802

Storage Technologies

8:00am PDT

Provisioning an IBM i partition with IBM SAN storage

Tuesday May 20, 2025 8:00am - 10:15am PDT

This session will cover the concepts and methods involved with creating an IBM i partition hosted on IBM SAN storage. This will involve an overview of fibre channel architecture and zoning concepts followed by a step-by-step walkthrough of building a partition from the ground up – adding fibre adapters, zoning, creating a host definition on the storage, and setting the partition to IPL from SAN.

Speakers

John Kinne

Lead IBM i Engineer, ProCern

Tuesday May 20, 2025 8:00am - 10:15am PDT
Room 11 1150 Magic Way, Anaheim, CA 92802

Storage Technologies

10:45am PDT

IBM FlashSystem Unleashed : What’s New & What’s Next ( Revolutionise your storage with next-gen FlashSystem features )

Tuesday May 20, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am PDT

IBM FlashSystem continues to evolve as a powerful storage solution, providing businesses with the tools necessary to stay ahead in a rapidly changing digital landscape. The session outlines the roadmap for future innovations and reinforces IBM's commitment to offering cutting-edge , Highly performant , extremely secure and AI-powered storage systems that enable organizations to scale efficiently and securely in a hybrid cloud world.

Speakers

Sally Neate

Yves Santos

Tuesday May 20, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am PDT
Room 11 1150 Magic Way, Anaheim, CA 92802

Storage Technologies

3:15pm PDT

Turn up the Power: External Disk and Hardware Replication on i... A Case Study!

Tuesday May 20, 2025 3:15pm - 4:15pm PDT

Your IBM i does a great job of managing internal disk, so why upgrade to external storage using a SAN? Your replication software may require some extra time and attention, but it gets the job done - so why change? Turns out there are lots of reasons to change both! This won't be a nuts and bolts how-to session. Rather it will be a case study of the decisions made by one large appliance and electronics retailer to implement these technologies, including the considerations, decisions, trade-offs, and benefits. You may not leave this session knowing how to do it, but you'll understand why you might want to, and you'll be ready to ask many of the right questions to get you there.

You'll leave this session better prepared to:

Determine if external storage is right for your environment
Understand the trade-offs involved with external storage and hardware replication
Know what questions to ask along the way!

Speakers

Steve Wolk

CTO, PC Richard & Son

Steven Wolk is the Chief Technology Officer for PC Richard & Son, a family owned and operated chain of 66 appliance and electronics superstores located throughout NY, NJ, CT, and PA. Founded in 1909, PC Richard has always been known for honesty, integrity, and reliability throughout... Read More →

Tuesday May 20, 2025 3:15pm - 4:15pm PDT
Room 11 1150 Magic Way, Anaheim, CA 92802

Storage Technologies

4:30pm PDT

Storage Drive Options from Spinning to Flash to SCM & Everything in between

Tuesday May 20, 2025 4:30pm - 4:50pm PDT

In this session we will look at the underlying drive/module offerings within the IBM FlashSystem portfolio. Understand flash storage at a new level and see the proprietary FCM technology that is changing the game for IBM i customers. In today’s world performance, rack density, and price matter. You will leave equipped with the ability to make a more informed decision when you purchase your next IBM FlashSystem storage.

Speakers

Richie Palma

Senior Solution Consultant, Service Express

A Tech Solutions Consultant for iTech Solutions Group, IBM Champion for Power, IBM Fresh Face, founder of the “Midrange Meetup” in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on the steering committee for YIP’s (Young i Professionals), and on the board for SEMIUG (South East Michigan IBM i User... Read More →

Tuesday May 20, 2025 4:30pm - 4:50pm PDT
Room 11 1150 Magic Way, Anaheim, CA 92802

Storage Technologies

5:05pm PDT

A 20-Minute lesson on Hardware based replication options for IBM i

Tuesday May 20, 2025 5:05pm - 5:25pm PDT

More and more IBM i shops are looking at hardware-based replication as an option for enhancing business resiliency. In this session you will get a high-level understanding of the options available for hardware-based replication and what you can expect from each solution. As always with my sessions on business resiliency, we will measure based on RPO (Recovery Point Objective) and RTO (Recovery Time Objective).

Speakers

Richie Palma

Senior Solution Consultant, Service Express

A Tech Solutions Consultant for iTech Solutions Group, IBM Champion for Power, IBM Fresh Face, founder of the “Midrange Meetup” in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on the steering committee for YIP’s (Young i Professionals), and on the board for SEMIUG (South East Michigan IBM i User... Read More →

Tuesday May 20, 2025 5:05pm - 5:25pm PDT
Room 11 1150 Magic Way, Anaheim, CA 92802

Storage Technologies

8:00am PDT

IBM Storage Resiliency Solutions for IBM i

Wednesday May 21, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT

Learn the latest on IBM storage resiliency solutions with IBM i and Technology experts labs integrate these solutions with IBM i. This session will include the new DS8000 Global-Global Mirror solutions and the latest FlashSystems deliverables of Policy based HA and 3 site solutions for IBM i. the session will also cover how the solutions can be used for migrating storage while active for both IBM storage solutions.

Speakers

Selwyn Dickey

IBM

Wednesday May 21, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT
Room 11 1150 Magic Way, Anaheim, CA 92802

Storage Technologies

9:15am PDT

Backup to the Cloud with IBM Cloud Storage Solutions for i

Wednesday May 21, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am PDT

You can use Cloud Storage Solutions to store IBM i files securely in the cloud, eliminating the need for tape drives, tape cartridges, and courier services for off-site storage. ICC should also be a core part of your Hybrid Strategy. When your IBM i LPAR is already on the cloud, the only backup medium available is cloud storage! You can use Backup, Recovery, and Media Services (BRMS) for i with Cloud Storage Solutions to transfer virtual save media to and from the cloud. This session will cover backups of Cloud LPARs, and also the use of ICC to simplify your on-prem to Cloud hybrid strategy.

Speakers

Hrithik Govardhan

Software Lead, Rocket Software

Long time Rocketeer working in the Security/MFA/Cloud spaces on Power and Z.

Wednesday May 21, 2025 9:15am - 10:15am PDT
Room 11 1150 Magic Way, Anaheim, CA 92802

Storage Technologies

10:45am PDT

Tape vs red-hot power hogs

Wednesday May 21, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am PDT

The higher power needs of data centers drives more focus to efficient storage. Tape for cold archive data meets that need. Tape’s low power requirements, sustainability characteristics and security capabilities are growing the tape industry.
This presentation describes the latest tape technology, illustrates the modernization of archive solutions – especially ease-of-attachment – and explores how tape plugs into the growing AI industry.

Speakers

Christine Teale

Wednesday May 21, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am PDT
Room 11 1150 Magic Way, Anaheim, CA 92802

Storage Technologies

3:45pm PDT

IBM DS8000 Enterprise Storage : The new Generation 10 and Compression

Wednesday May 21, 2025 3:45pm - 4:45pm PDT

The IBM DS8000 continues to evolve enterprise level storage into the 10th generation. The session outlines the advancements in the recent hardware release continuing to provide enterprise level availability, security, and performance along with compression. It will continue into future innovations based on this technology and the exciting possibilities for businesses.

Speakers

Clint Hardy

Senior Technical Staff Member, DS8000 Storage Architecture and Development, IBM

Wednesday May 21, 2025 3:45pm - 4:45pm PDT
Room 11 1150 Magic Way, Anaheim, CA 92802

Storage Technologies

5:00pm PDT

CyberVault on IBM i and IBM Storage

Wednesday May 21, 2025 5:00pm - 6:00pm PDT

The best of IBM Power and Storage combine to provide the best in class cyber resiliency for your critical enterprise workloads. This session will cover the use of IBM Storage software and hardware product to help automate cyber resiliency and recovery for Power workloads (IBM I , AIX, SAP HANA, Linux and beyond).

Speakers

Selwyn Dickey

IBM

Yves Santos

Wednesday May 21, 2025 5:00pm - 6:00pm PDT
Room 11 1150 Magic Way, Anaheim, CA 92802

Storage Technologies

8:00am PDT

Pros and cons of using block level replication with IBM i

Thursday May 22, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT

One of the primary advantages of using external storage with IBM i is that it opens the possibility of using block level replication. This session will cover potential benefits (and disadvantages) of using block level storage replication in lieu of, or in addition to, journal-based replication.

Speakers

John Kinne

Lead IBM i Engineer, ProCern

Thursday May 22, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am PDT
Room 11 1150 Magic Way, Anaheim, CA 92802

Storage Technologies

11:15am PDT

Your Next Power System is Just Around the Corner. For Storage, You have Options!

Thursday May 22, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm PDT

Do you love you some internal storage? You know it, you’ve used it, and it’s served you well! But times they are a changin’! what do you know about external storage? What can it do that internal storage can’t do? Come and see us compare the current generation of internal storage to the current generation of external storage. We’ll compare relative costs, capacities, and compare which features are available on Internal and external storage.
Come and learn your options from experts in the field who will help you come to a learned decision during your next upgrade.

Speakers

Richie Palma

Senior Solution Consultant, Service Express

A Tech Solutions Consultant for iTech Solutions Group, IBM Champion for Power, IBM Fresh Face, founder of the “Midrange Meetup” in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on the steering committee for YIP’s (Young i Professionals), and on the board for SEMIUG (South East Michigan IBM i User... Read More →

Larry Bolhuis

Cloud and Datacenter Engineer, IBM Champion, Service Express Inc.

Larry has grown up with computers since his father became a CE in 1967. He obtained a bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Calvin College in 1982 and soon after began working on IBM midrange equipment with the S/34 and S/36. Larry began working on the As/400 at its introduction In 1988.After spending many years as a developer Larry began working on communications, networking, and systems management tasks. Years of... Read More →

Thursday May 22, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm PDT
Room 11 1150 Magic Way, Anaheim, CA 92802

Storage Technologies

1:30pm PDT

Live Demo: Deploying PowerHA and Independent ASPs

Thursday May 22, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm PDT

See how to go from a single system, to a fully deployed PowerHA environment using IBM FlashSystems Asynchronous Policy-Based Replication technology. We begin the journey by creating an Independent Auxiliary Storage Pool (IASP) along with techniques for migrating your application into the IASP. We will be doing a live role swap by the end of the hour.

Speakers

Brian Nordland

Director of Development, Fortra

In addition to his role as Director of Development for Power Development at Fortra, Brian Nordland serves as the technical product manager for PowerHA and Robot HA. Brian has spoken at events, webinars, and user groups—including COMMON—since 2014. He is a co-inventor on multiple... Read More →

Thursday May 22, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm PDT
Room 11 1150 Magic Way, Anaheim, CA 92802

Storage Technologies

3:00pm PDT

Data Resiliency, surviving a cyber attack

Thursday May 22, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT

In this session you will see how IBM Storage can help protect your data and assist in preventing a cyber attack and help in recovery from a cyber attack.

Speakers

Tony Owens

Thursday May 22, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT
Room 11 1150 Magic Way, Anaheim, CA 92802

Storage Technologies

5:00pm PDT

Snapshots, FlashCopy & Cybersecurity Resilience with Safeguarded Copy with IBM i

Thursday May 22, 2025 5:00pm - 6:00pm PDT

Learn through live demonstrations about snapshots and cybersecurity resilience with safeguarded copy enabling you to come out of this session with information to begin using this technology today. We will have an overview of how the technology works, the types of Snapshot and FlashCopy options available, and how it can be used in environments with or without independent ASPs.

In addition, learn how IBM's Safeguarded Copy extends this technology to provide another layer of protection.

Speakers

Brian Nordland

Director of Development, Fortra

In addition to his role as Director of Development for Power Development at Fortra, Brian Nordland serves as the technical product manager for PowerHA and Robot HA. Brian has spoken at events, webinars, and user groups—including COMMON—since 2014. He is a co-inventor on multiple... Read More →

Thursday May 22, 2025 5:00pm - 6:00pm PDT
Room 11 1150 Magic Way, Anaheim, CA 92802

Storage Technologies