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If you’ve ever run into a particularly sticky issue with installing Db2 for z/OS, migrating to a new version, or activating a function level, there’s a good chance that John Lyle played a huge part in helping you resolve your situation. You might also have crossed paths with John at a Db2 conference where he has shared his expertise in the many presentations he has given over the years.
John has been a fixture on the Db2 for z/OS Development team since 1985 when he officially joined IBM, but his IBM career actually began several years earlier with a series of internships when he was a student at UCLA studying Math and Computer Science. Over four successive summers, John worked first on a QMF prototype, then learned the ropes in Support at the San Jose main plant site.
However, it was the last two internships, working with the Db2 Build team, that had the biggest impact on John’s career. Everything about this experience – the work environment, his teammates, the technology – made accepting a full-time position with the Db2 Build team an easy decision for John. He would spend the first ten years of his career mastering the details of the Db2 build process before being presented with his next “opportunity.”
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That opportunity was to take the lead on the catalog, migration, and installation components, which sounded like a fantastic next step in John’s career. Unknown to John at the time was that Db2 customers were extremely dissatisfied with the current state of the CATMAINT utility and the migration process, a minor detail that he learned about in a rather unpleasant way. John had just taken on the role, and was on stage at a conference, participating in a panel Q&A. When John was introduced as the new CATMAINT and migration lead, he was greeted with a hearty round of “boos!”. Welcome to your new role, John. Of course, that reaction was all in good fun and not at all a reflection on John, who had just taken on the role. It did, however, impress upon John the work that he needed to do to rebuild the reputation of the migration experience. In the end, after laying out his plans for CATMAINT and migration to the audience, he received a standing ovation.
Migration has been at the heart of John’s responsibilities ever since. Currently, he is the team lead for the Provisioning, Deployment and Migration (PDM) team, which is responsible for installation, migration, provisioning, and function-level activation, including the catalog changes, subsystem parameters, and stored procedures that are associated with these areas. He was a key contributor in designing the continuous delivery model that makes new features and functions available as soon as they’re ready, and he has co-authored several patents.
For all of his technical achievements and contributions, what really motivates John are the relationships that he has built with his team and with customers over the years. As the PDM Team Lead, he values opportunities for sharing his knowledge with newer team members and jumping in to help on the more complex issues that his team faces. Customer conferences allow John to combine his love for travel with hearing from customers face-to-face in a relaxed setting, without the stress and strain that typically accompanies helping a customer resolve a serious technical issue. Says John, “At a conference or User’s Group, you get a much better feel for how customers truly appreciate what IBM and Db2 does for them. It’s good to be appreciated!”
In terms of John’s future direction, he plans on staying the course: “Continuing to improve the Db2 migration process. Continuing to mentor the PDM team. I enjoy the work and I enjoy the people I work with. So if the stars align, I can see continuing to work for the foreseeable future.” Which is great news for Db2 for z/OS.
Interesting facts about John:
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- As a kid growing up in Iowa, thought he’d end up being either a farmer or a locomotive engineer (“we had train tracks behind one of our homes, and I was always out there waving to the trains as they went by!”).
- Is an Eagle Scout, and actually used his scouting skills to save somebody’s life – twice! (If you run into John, ask him about the time he performed the Heimlich maneuver at Denny’s.)
- Is a second-generation IBMer. His dad worked for IBM during the “I’ve Been Moved” era, and John’s family was constantly on the move with stints in Cedar Rapids, Mason City, Ames, San Jose, Saratoga, Northridge, Westlake, and finally Morgan Hill where John’s dad took a position at the then-brand-new Santa Teresa Lab.
His better half, Korinda Chin, is also a (former) IBMer. So far, none of his four kids (Justin, Kiara, Karissa, or Kaitlyn) are IBMers. Neither is his Border Collie/Australian Shepherd puppy, Kiba, but there’s still time.
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- Has a passion for baking with a sweet tooth to match. He’s a master of the chocolate chip cookie, but also bakes pretty mean cakes and bread, and loves summertime grilling.
- Still owns his first car: a 1986 Nissan 300ZX, which he still drives it from time to time.
- Volunteers at Henry Coe State Park, just south of the Silicon Valley lab, where he patrols the trails on bike and on foot.
- Spends a lot of time outdoors: geocaching, playing soccer, hiking, and cycling (mountain and road). In fact, he’s completed the RAGBRAI ride (Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa) three times, most recently in 2023, which typically involves around 450 miles of riding over 7 days.
- Is a well-seasoned world traveler, having spent time in Germany and Spain as an exchange student, China (in 1985 before, it was truly “open”), Thailand, Bali, Brazil, Tasmania, Indonesia, Iceland, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, France, Australia, and New Zealand.
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