tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82606800920613313972024-03-15T10:12:42.527+01:00Data HenrikHenrik's thoughts on life in IT, data and information management, cloud computing, cognitive computing, covering IBM Db2, IBM Cloud, Watson, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and more.Henrik Loeser (data_henrik)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07194412908909972548noreply@blogger.comBlogger716125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260680092061331397.post-2849525463396712362024-03-15T10:11:00.005+01:002024-03-15T10:11:55.041+01:00Authentication for your IBM Cloud Code Engine functionsProtect your Code Engine functionsHow can we protect an API function implemented as IBM Cloud Code Engine function? This was one of the questions which I recently answered. When migrating from IBM Cloud Functions to Code Engine, this is a common question. Cloud Functions offer some basic security to protect against unauthorized calls. Code Engine and their functions differ in flexibility and Henrik Loeser (data_henrik)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07194412908909972548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260680092061331397.post-77426606829832210262024-02-20T10:29:00.001+01:002024-02-20T10:29:06.027+01:00Spreadsheets: How to excel with Db2 dataGenerated chart in Excel fileRecently, I had to produce a spreadsheet from database data. One naive way is to export the data to a CSV file, then import the data from that file into the spreadsheet. Another option was to quickly script a small Python program that fetches the data and directly generates a Microsoft Excel file. As a bonus, I added even a line chart (as shown).Reading and writing Henrik Loeser (data_henrik)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07194412908909972548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260680092061331397.post-2448489632575303562024-01-25T14:11:00.004+01:002024-01-25T15:17:58.910+01:00Tutorial on cloud end-to-end security - an overviewCloud solution architectureRecently, my team updated our tutorial on applying end-to-end security to a cloud application. The tutorial features a typical app with an attached NoSQL database and object storage. Moreover, it leverages other services for increased security and to provide observability. Even better, all components can be automatically deployed, including a Tekton-based delivery Henrik Loeser (data_henrik)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07194412908909972548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260680092061331397.post-52285217567808043292024-01-08T14:17:00.000+01:002024-01-08T14:17:01.985+01:00DeDUG: German Db2 User Group meeting February 2ndThe year 2024 is still young and a great event is coming up in about three weeks. DeDUG, the German Db2 User Group, is having their first meeting on February 2nd and is going to be at Atruvia in Karlsruhe. Best of all, I plan to attend and even give a talk. Currently, the agenda lists me with "Unicode und Db2", but I have renamed it to "How to treat πππ (broken hearts) with Db2". It hopefully Henrik Loeser (data_henrik)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07194412908909972548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260680092061331397.post-15296959310130802302023-11-30T10:05:00.004+01:002023-11-30T10:05:46.008+01:00Thoughts on how to move from Cloud Functions to Code EngineMoving code and containersIBM Cloud Code Engine is a fully managed, serverless platform to (not only) run your containerized workloads. It has evolved a lot since March 2021, the time when I published the blog post Migrating Cloud Functions Code to Code Engine. In 2021, there were only Code Engine apps and jobs. Earlier this year, Code Engine added support for functions(Function-as-a-Service, Henrik Loeser (data_henrik)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07194412908909972548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260680092061331397.post-42857247976975088982023-11-28T10:54:00.008+01:002023-11-30T13:18:13.487+01:00Tips and tricks for using IBM Cloud Code Engine functionsUtilize Code Engine runtime information
Over the past weeks, I started to use IBM Cloud Code Engine functions. Code Engine is IBM Cloud's fully managed, serverless platform to run containerized workloads. It offers apps, jobs, and most recently functions (Function-as-a-Service, Faas) as deployment model. The following tips and tricks help you in cutting down deployment cycles and in designing Henrik Loeser (data_henrik)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07194412908909972548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260680092061331397.post-63886014523990149252023-11-22T12:30:00.003+01:002023-11-30T10:08:56.298+01:00Unicode string length, code points, and Db2Byte length of (Unicode) stringsAfter my recent blog post "π Unicode characters and Db2 πΈοΈ ποΈ", I had some follow-up discussions. One was around how to determine the Unicode UTF-8 byte length of strings in a non-Unicode Db2 database. There were solutions proposed that required data export to analyze the data externally or to implement some functions or procedures. I insisted that there is an Henrik Loeser (data_henrik)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07194412908909972548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260680092061331397.post-84168643742851456892023-11-16T14:55:00.008+01:002023-11-16T14:55:39.007+01:00Db2 11.5.9 is availableThe latest release of Db2 is available, labeled Db2 11.5.9 (or Db2 11.5 Mod 9 Fix Pack 0). The usual page, download Db2 fix packs by version for DB2 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows, has the binaries. The highlights of Db2 11.5.9 have their own page in the Db2 documentation.Henrik Loeser (data_henrik)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07194412908909972548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260680092061331397.post-48882096447860266962023-10-30T09:35:00.003+01:002023-10-30T09:35:23.772+01:00π Unicode characters and Db2 πΈοΈ ποΈA smiley query in Db2Recently, I had a discussion about Unicode characters and Db2. Since Db2 LUW version 9.5, new databases default to the Unicode code page. Instead of having the entire database in the Unicode code page, you can specify a CCSID (coded character set identifier) for either individual columns or the whole table when creating the table (isn't that π±?). Our discussion was not Henrik Loeser (data_henrik)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07194412908909972548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260680092061331397.post-37206223629253542072023-10-23T15:12:00.009+02:002023-10-23T15:12:51.857+02:00What a community event: IDUG 2023 EMEA Db2 Tech Conference in PragueIDUG and Db2 celebration with cakeLast week, we had a great Db2 conference in Prague. It was a real community event. We had more than 530 attendees, about 426 of them were on-site, the others virtual in three (out of seven) streamed tracks. During the opening of the expo on Monday, a special birthday cake was served, celebrating 40 years of Db2 for z/OS, 30 years of Db2 for Linux, UNIX, and Henrik Loeser (data_henrik)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07194412908909972548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260680092061331397.post-19515388696595054232023-10-04T09:31:00.001+02:002023-10-04T09:31:26.370+02:00Blog series on cloud security and account cleanupCleaning up unused cloud privilegesRegular account cleanup is part of account administration and security best practices, not just for cloud environments. So it is great when your cloud provider offers functionality to analyse the security setup and to detect unused (inactive) identities and privileges in your account. Over the past year, I looked at those features and thereby created a mini Henrik Loeser (data_henrik)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07194412908909972548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260680092061331397.post-19795203029679579152023-08-30T13:04:00.005+02:002023-08-30T13:15:07.878+02:00Last days of early bird rate for IDUG 2023 EMEA Db2 Tech ConferenceWell, check out the IDUG 2023 EMEA Db2 Tech Conference website. If you want to use the early bird rate to register with a heavy discount, you have to hurry up. It is only available until September 1st. There is another rebate available, but it only works once: First-timer rate. And remember that the conference is already next month, in Prague.I am already registered and will present. And I am Henrik Loeser (data_henrik)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07194412908909972548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260680092061331397.post-76789435853570589672023-08-25T13:53:00.002+02:002023-08-25T13:53:17.389+02:00Simple installation: Python driver for IBM Db2 (finally) has wheel supportA quick post about a feature I have been asking for for several years: The Db2 driver for Python, ibm_db, has wheel support now. It means that the Python package distributes a pre-built binary with the Db2 driver (for many Python versions and most users). So far, in order to install the Db2 driver, you needed to have a build environment available. To create small container images, it required a Henrik Loeser (data_henrik)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07194412908909972548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260680092061331397.post-77848151148087551232023-07-05T14:18:00.001+02:002023-07-05T14:18:05.608+02:00Trusted Contexts for enhanced security: Both in Db2 and IBM CloudSecurity feature in action: Trusted ProfileI trust you to know my old blog post about trusted contexts. Some years ago, I explained how to secure your Db2 database using trusted contexts. By establishing a trusted relationship based on specified attributes, the Db2 feature of a trusted context allows you to switch to another user ID or role, typically with more associated privileges. It is a Henrik Loeser (data_henrik)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07194412908909972548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260680092061331397.post-47591913441381283492023-06-13T10:07:00.008+02:002023-06-13T11:15:05.619+02:00IDUG 2023 EMEA Db2 Tech Conference in Prague in OctoberScreenshot of IDUG websiteSummer vacation is coming up, but there are certain things to take care of before. One of such things is to register for the upcoming IDUG 2023 EMEA Db2 Tech Conference. The conference is held at the Prague Congress Centre, Czech Republic, this year and runs from October 15-19. It is the main gathering for European users of IBM Db2.Agenda availableEarlier this month, theHenrik Loeser (data_henrik)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07194412908909972548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260680092061331397.post-79286472652361540352023-05-09T10:06:00.003+02:002023-05-09T10:06:31.374+02:00Decode JWTs in bashToday, it is once again time for one of those "let's document it" blog posts. Lately, I looked into one of the IBM Cloud security features, trusted profiles based on compute resources. I described how to turn your container into a trusted identity. For developing code locally, I needed to copy over files from the Kubernetes pods to my local machine, then decode JWT access tokens, all using the Henrik Loeser (data_henrik)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07194412908909972548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260680092061331397.post-74836896658010839432023-04-20T12:11:00.000+02:002023-04-20T12:11:07.865+02:00Blast from the past: Procfile for Python cloud appsOne of my first cloud appsRecently, I tried out a feature of IBM Cloud Code Engine: Deploying my app directly from source code. It was a simple app, but it failed. I was stunned and investigated the problem. To my surprise, I could have known it because it was something from the past: A Procfile was needed. Deploy from source with buildpacksThe above screenshot is taken from a blog post I wrote Henrik Loeser (data_henrik)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07194412908909972548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260680092061331397.post-34279154395572668132023-03-30T14:53:00.003+02:002023-03-30T14:53:45.493+02:00IBM Cloud and Terraform: How to use a REST APII am a regular user of the IBM Cloud provider plugin for Terraform. I use Terraform with the command line on my local machine or with IBM Cloud Schematics as managed service. Often, I am testing and evaluating new features. Sometimes, I face the situation where not all necessary functionality is available in Terraform. But luckily, often there exists already an API function. In this blog post I Henrik Loeser (data_henrik)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07194412908909972548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260680092061331397.post-41213193103863793102023-03-24T15:02:00.008+01:002023-03-24T15:02:56.510+01:00Analyze your IBM Cloud access management setupER diagram for cloud security dataRecently, I looked into how to analyze the access management setup of my IBM Cloud account. I wanted to better understand what kind of access policies exist, what service instances are covered by rules and policies, etc. In the past, I have shared with you how to get insights into IBM Cloud account privileges or how to improve security by identifying inactive Henrik Loeser (data_henrik)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07194412908909972548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260680092061331397.post-1458612339496063622023-03-21T18:04:00.003+01:002023-03-21T18:04:52.576+01:00flatpak: How to deal with unwanted package updatesNot all software is available as package for my Linux distribution. That's why I use flatpak for some applications. Recently, a new app version introduced a bug. It resulted in random crashes. So I looked into a way to get back to an older, more stable app version.Identify older flatpak app versionsThe command "remote-info" lists information about the app ("the.app.identifier"). It includes the Henrik Loeser (data_henrik)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07194412908909972548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260680092061331397.post-83413543224188886072023-01-20T10:58:00.006+01:002023-01-20T10:58:59.005+01:00Create your IBM Cloud toolchain with TerraformTekton pipeline in action on IBM CloudAutomation is key to cost-efficient use of (cloud) resources and to security. One of our security-focused IBM Cloud solution tutorials, Apply end to end security to a cloud application, comes with an automation to easily provision all required services and to use a toolchain with CI/CD pipeline to build and deploy the app as container.Because the tutorial is Henrik Loeser (data_henrik)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07194412908909972548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260680092061331397.post-4202497866026574122023-01-10T12:31:00.002+01:002023-01-10T12:31:37.243+01:00Generate PowerPoint slides from your Db2 data with PythonGenerated PowerPoint slide with Db2 dataHow did you spend the holidays? I had some days off and then used the last day of vacation for some fun programming. Last year, I wanted to test the python-pptx package, but couldn't find time. So I used my "fun day" to generate / code up some PowerPoint slides. To make it more interesting, I added some charts from data retrieved from Db2 in my IBM Cloud Henrik Loeser (data_henrik)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07194412908909972548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260680092061331397.post-73045242719386599662022-12-20T11:47:00.002+01:002022-12-20T11:47:21.587+01:00Dates for the IDUG Db2 Tech conferences in 2023IDUG: International Db2 User GroupJust in time for the holidays, IDUG (International Db2 User Group) has announced the dates and locations for their user group conferences in North America and in Europe:2023 IDUG NA Db2 Tech Conference will be in Philadelphia and is planned from May 16-19. As a change from previous years, the event will start on a Tuesday. The call for presentations is closing Henrik Loeser (data_henrik)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07194412908909972548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260680092061331397.post-61952361180788675882022-11-25T18:21:00.003+01:002022-11-25T18:21:55.631+01:00Finally together: Db2 and ZeppelinUnited: Db2 and ZeppelinIf you followed my blog, you may have noticed that I wrote about Db2 and about Zeppelins in the past - but not together. Today, I am going to discuss how I configured a JDBC interpreter in an Apache Zeppelin notebook to connect to a Db2 on Cloud database. So, finally, within a single blog post, I can talk about both of them. Let's get started.Apache ZeppelinSimilar to Henrik Loeser (data_henrik)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07194412908909972548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260680092061331397.post-65464012917676817922022-11-07T14:17:00.004+01:002022-11-07T14:17:25.209+01:00IDUG 2022 EMEA conference is over - keep it going"IDUG 2023 EMEA will be in"The IDUG 2022 EMEA Db2 Tech Conference is over. What a week it was! Hard work, not much sleep, technical education, in-person networking, fun, and much more. After getting home, I needed two days and especially the nights to recharge, then the last week to reflect. Here are my random thoughts...Db2 11.5.8 available Just in time for the Db2 conference in Edinburgh, Henrik Loeser (data_henrik)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07194412908909972548noreply@blogger.com