1. The DBMS Competitive Landscape: How Does DB2/400 Measure Up?
   

   Al Hilwa, Senior Analyst, Gartner Group

2. Decision Support on DB2/400: A Data Warehouse or a Data Mart?
   

   Janelle Hill, Research Director, Gartner Group

3. Database Access, Interoperability and Replication
   

   Al Hilwa, Senior Analyst, Gartner Group

4. Navigating the Turbulence — Systems & Network Management
   

   Donna Scott, Research Director, Gartner Group

Tuesday, 10:40-11:40 a.m.
Al Hilwa, Senior Analyst, Gartner Group

This presentation makes an assessment of DB2/400 in light of IBM's common database strategy. Because DB2/400 is the critical technology of AS/400, users must evaluate DB2/400 as critical in the decision to deploy the platform for new applications. DB2/400 will be compared with DBMS software leaders who offer their wares on UNIX and NT platforms. Oracle7 and Microsoft's SQL Server are often sited alternatives, but, increasingly, IBM's own DB2 Common Server is an option.

Key Issues Covered:

• Where does DB2/400 fit in IBM's data management strategy?
• What types of applications will present an exceptional fit to DB2/400's unique features?
• How will DB2/400 compete with the DBMS market leaders as a back-end for new business applications?

Tuesday, 2:10-3:10 p.m.
Janelle Hill, Research Director, Gartner Group

IBM has expended a great deal of energy evangelizing the AS/400 as a natural data warehousing platform. This session examines the platform's true viability for that role as much of the operational data now hosted on the platform begins to be recognized for it's competitive value in decision support. The platform's strengths and challenges are assessed in this crucial area.

Key Issues Covered:

• Will the AS/400 be an appropriate platform for a data warehouse?
• Will the data warehouse be threatened or reinforced by the data mart phenomenon?
• What vendors and tools will emerge to help build and maintain an AS/400 decision support system?

Wednesday, 10:10-11:10 a.m.
Al Hilwa, Senior Analyst, Gartner Group

Data access and interoperability for the AS/400 have been gradually improving. In this presentation, we examine the current state of client/server middleware available from IBM and third-parties and also examine vendors of gateways and copy management software that address this platform as a source or a target.

Key Issues Covered:

• How will data access middleware for DB2/400 evolve to accommodate modern client/server applications?
• What are the selection criteria for effective interoperability and data movement tools?
• Which vendors will prosper and which will flounder in the DB2/400 interoperability landscape?

Wednesday, 11:20 a.m.-12:20 p.m.
Donna Scott, Research Director, Gartner Group

The goals of systems and network management are to increase systems and applications availability while containing cost. This is a tremendous challenge for enterprises managing applications on distributed, multiplatform systems. Often, enterprises manage each platform, such as MVS, OS/400, Unix and NT, independently rather than leveraging skill bases across platforms. This presentation focuses on the new requirements for systems, network and application management that are evolving as a result of the heterogeneity of the environment and shifts in the computing infrastructures caused by the second wave of client/server computing (Internet, distributed objects, 3-tier architectures, etc.). Specifically, the presentation will address the impact of these changes on user and vendor strategies.

Key Issues Covered:

• How will infrastructure and application changes empower or endanger network and systems management (NSM) paradigms?
• How will NSM achieve robustness?
• How can IT organizations achieve comprehensive end-to-end NSM?
• Which NSM vendors will survive, including vendors specific to the AS/400 platform and those that cross platforms?