Tips & Techniques

Partner TechTip: Hit a Home Run with Your Financial Reporting

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 06:00:05 +0100

Want to streamline your budgeting and financial analysis? Written by Mike Stegeman When your general ledger and transaction files are on your IBM i system and your budget data is in Excel, comparing the two can be a real challenge. Does your team have the right equipment to stay in championship form so you can streamline your budgeting and financial analysis?...

Partner TechTip: How Can You Sleep at Night Without It?

Fri, 25 May 2012 06:00:05 +0100

Automate your job scheduling and eliminate sleepless nights. Written by Tom Huntington What keeps you up at night? Imagine being a data center manager and having to worry each night whether your team will run processes in the correct order, whether they might miss an event, or whether they'll forget that there is a special process to run....

TechTip: DSPSSTUSR: Get Quick Information About Your Service Tools Accounts

Fri, 11 May 2012 06:00:15 +0100

IBM i 6.1 and 7.1 gave us many new commands and functions, including Display Service Tools User ID (DSPSSTUSR), which is very useful and should be part of your regularly scheduled security audits. Written by Steve Pitcher System Service Tools (SST) accounts can perform moderate maintenance on your Power Systems and IBM i operating system. You can work with disk configuration and partitions, view the product activity log, and much more. Dedicated Service Tools (DST) require the system to be in m...

Partner TechTip: IBM i Security: Nine Years of the Same Scary Story?

Fri, 11 May 2012 06:00:05 +0100

PowerTech readies the 2012 "State of IBM i Security" study. Written by Robin Tatam Since 2004, when we published the first edition of PowerTech's popular security study, we've seen many exciting enhancements in the operating system we now call IBM i. Unfortunately, when it comes to changes in the configuration of the server's security controls, the story is much darker....

TechTip: The Gauge Chart: Generate Professional-Grade Charts in Your Programs in Real Time, Part 5

Fri, 04 May 2012 06:00:15 +0100

Calling a gauge (yes, like the gas meter on your car, for example) a "chart" is a bit farfetched, but that doesn't make it less useful. Use it to get the real-time system status of your System i! Written by Rafael Victória-Pereira This TechTip series started with rather "normal" charts, but then it jumped to the Geo Map Chart, which is a bit unusual. The Gauge Chart takes it to the next level of strangeness: it's not exactly a chart, like the pie or the bar charts, but this useful display enab...

Partner TechTip: Manage by Exception! Get Rid of the Noise!

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 06:00:05 +0100

Automate by eliminating the unnecessary messages. Written by Tom Huntington Does your Operations team complain that many of the events they look at aren't important? Does your Operations team miss important events because they are hidden within the "noise" of the other messages (like a needle in a haystack)? Do you need a separate console for each partition or server they manage?...

Cool Things: Read dBASE Files Easily!

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 06:00:15 +0100

This simple service program makes dBASE file access simple. Written by Mike Faust dBASE has been around since the late 1970s/early 1980s. It was the first widely used relational database for PCs. I recently had a need to import data into the System i from the U.S. Census Bureau's Tiger database, which stores address data for all of the United States, including state, county, and city. The Tiger database is made up of multiple dBASE format files, so I needed to create a means by which I could re...

TechTip: DB2's CONNECT BY Simplifies Recursive Processing

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 06:00:15 +0100

At first glance, recursion appears to be a computer science method that's relevant only in the world of academia. Written by Kent Milligan Recursion is a great for traversing linked lists or generating the numbers of a Fibonacci sequence, but recursion can't be applied to business problems…or can it? In reality, there are several industries where data elements have inherent relationships with other elements, and the best way to connect these data elements is with recursive (or hierarchica...

Partner TechTip: Is Your IBM i "House" Built on a Solid Foundation?

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 06:00:05 +0100

PowerTech Compliance Monitor 3 lets you preview the effect of security level changes. Written by Robin Tatam Each year, PowerTech's popular "State of IBM i Security" study reports on the assigned value of the IBM security system value, QSECURITY. While many systems now are running at the IBM recommended minimum level of 40, there are still numerous organizations that are running at level 30 and even (gasp!) level 20....

Partner TechTip: Complete Your IBM i Development Toolset

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 06:00:05 +0100

ABSTRACT for RDP is the missing piece in your development puzzle. Written by Mike Stegeman Whether you're writing new software applications or updating existing ones for your IBM i server, you need an integrated set of cross-referencing, documentation, and programming tools to manage these projects—tools that help you find critical information quickly, automate tedious tasks, and save you time, effort, and money....

TechTip: WRKJVMJOB: Who's Been Running Java in My Shop?

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 06:00:15 +0100

More and more Java is running under the covers on IBM i shops, and this command helps you see where. Written by Joe Pluta Even as more and more shops embrace Java, they find that Java doesn't quite fit into the work management framework we've become familiar with on the IBM midrange platform. Specifically, WRKACTJOB just doesn't work the way we need it to. But as of version 6.1, we now have a new tool, WRKJVMJOB....

Partner TechTip: Combine and Automate MS SQL Server and IBM i Processes

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 06:00:05 +0100

Robot/SCHEDULE Enterprise runs your SSIS packages automatically. Written by Tom Huntington More than 90 percent of the servers running next to IBM i servers are running Windows. And more than 50 percent of these Windows servers run MS SQL Server to perform some form of reporting against data that was stored on the IBM i system. This reporting process uses SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) packages to bundle data and generate business reports....

TechTip: GPS Mode of the Geo Map Chart: Generate Professional-Grade Charts in Your Programs

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 06:00:15 +0100

In the previous TechTip, I explained what the Geo Chart API can do in Location Name Mode. Now, I'll discuss this API's GPS Mode and share some insights on the best ways to configure the chart's options. Written by Rafael Victória-Pereira The previously presented Location Name Mode is very useful when the data that is being presented refers to countries or parts of a country, because the location is not (nor does it intend to be) very accurate. The most accurate way to pinpoint a location using...

Partner TechTip: The Road to Security: Evaluate Your Server for Free

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 06:00:05 +0100

PowerTech's Compliance Assessment performs a valuable service to hundreds of IBM i shops each year. Written by Robin Tatam With the New Year and a new operating budget, it's time for many companies to start a security project. However, based on some of the calls I've received recently, there remains a lack of clear direction regarding the tasks and priorities....

TechTip: Making Nice PDF Print Booklets for Free

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 06:00:15 +0100

Learn how to set up iSeries Access to create PDF print-screen booklets. Written by Jan Jorgensen In December, Sam Lennon wrote a useful TechTip about iSeries Access. It made me remember a problem I had to solve for a customer who wanted to do some printing but did not want to spend a lot of money having me create a program. The customer wanted to have some "print screens" of a subfile list from iSeries Access. He wanted multiple copies, and he wanted to export them to some kind of office p...

Partner TechTip: Make Better Business Decisions Using SEQUEL Executive Dashboards

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 06:00:05 +0100

Can your decision-makers get the data they need quickly and easily? Written by Mike Stegeman Do you store your data on different servers throughout your enterprise? Do you use different tools to extract, cleanse, and present the data? Can your decision-makers quickly get the data they need to do their jobs? As the processes of data access, extraction, and presentation become more complex and costly, you need a solution that lets you access multiple data sources and get answers fast....

TechTip: The Geo Map Chart: Generate Professional-Grade Charts in Your Programs in Real Time, Part 3

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:00:15 +0100

Some of the information stored in our ERPs can be geo-referenced. With the Geo Map chart, you can analyze this information like never before: in an actual customizable map. Keep reading to find out how! Written by Rafael Victória-Pereira This time, I'm not going to show you the classic business-type charts that even MS Excel can provide. The Geo Map API is a totally different chart type, engineered to allow you to display your data in ways the charts (the pie and bar) presented in the previou...

TechTip: Analyze Your Programs and Applications, Part II

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 06:00:15 +0100

The first part of this article series showed how DSPOBJD can easily provide statistics to manage a general recompilation project. But it only touched the surface of all the things you get with the DSPxxx commands. Written by Jean-Paul Lamontre Let's start with a review of the information we gathered in Part I by just using DSPOBJD. Objects by Type and Year This data is concerned with counting objects by type and by year of source update (for those that have a source, of course). If we h...

Partner TechTip: Old Reports Sitting on an Output Queue?

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 06:00:05 +0100

Not a good idea! Written by Tom Huntington Several months ago, I was visiting customers and reviewing their computer operations. A question that comes up more than I can believe is, "What do we do with all of the reports that are sitting on output queues?" This question always amazes me. There are companies with reports that have been sitting on output queues for five years or more!...

TechTip: Simplify Tracking of DB2 Table Metrics

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 06:00:15 +0100

Managing and tracking DB2 tables just got a lot easier, with metrics such as table size and number of rows at your fingertips. Written by Kent Milligan On other database servers, database administrators have to keep a close watch on the size and number of rows in a table to make sure that enough disk space has been allocated for the table object. While DB2 for i automates the storage allocation administrative task, it's helpful for IBM i users to know the size of a table to estimate how long a ...

Partner TechTip: Our System Administrator Did WHAT?

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 06:00:05 +0100

Are your powerful users accountable for their actions? Written by Robin Tatam One of the greatest challenges an organization faces when securing an IBM i environment is protecting the system from the very people who are charged with its care: programmers, administrators, and security officers. While these power users often need access to restricted objects and commands, they rarely need that level of access 24 hours a day—and definitely not without accountability....

TechTip: Bar Charts: Generate Professional-Grade Charts in Your Programs in Real Time, Part 2

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 06:00:15 +0100

This series started with the pie chart, a useful tool that graphically summarizes data. However, pie charts only provide a "snapshot" of a moment. This tip focuses on bar charts, which show the data's evolution. Written by Rafael Victória-Pereira In the previous TechTip, I provided an example of a pie chart similar to the one below, which shows, with a little humor, the most common uses of cell phones:...

TechTip: Parse XML Data Using jQuery, Part 2

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 06:00:15 +0100

Get data from external servers and Web services easily. Written by Jan Jorgensen It's been a long time since I wrote Part 1 of this TechTip. I hope you've been eagerly looking forward to learning a bit more about jQuery and how to parse XML data using it. Meanwhile, Rafael Victória-Pereira has done a marvelous job of covering the GeoNames Web services, so I encourage you to read his great tips (you can start here and work your way backward)....

QuickLook: Rocket Software Servergraph Professional V6.2

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 06:00:10 +0100

For anyone whose backed up data couldn't be restored when needed, Servergraph Professional offers assurance that you will not suffer that experience—ever again. Written by Rocket Software, Inc. Servergraph Professional is an agentless Web-based backup reporting, alerting, and monitoring tool that identifies—and even prevents—missed backups while it finds wasted space, boosts performance, and improves the reliability of backup servers. It also can create compliance reports and, optionally...

Partner TechTip: Coordinate Business Processes Across Windows, Linux, UNIX, and IBM i Servers

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 06:00:05 +0100

Monitor and control your data warehouse processes. Written by Tom Huntington One great thing about my job is that I get to speak to thousands of customers each year and discuss the issues they encounter automating, monitoring, and managing their servers. Often people are unaware they even have an issue because they don't know that anything better is available....

TechTip: Pie Charts: Generate Professional-Grade Charts in Your Programs in Real Time, Part 1

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 06:00:15 +0100

A picture is worth 1,000 words. In business, a chart is worth 1,000 rows of data. Learn to create charts in real time, just by pressing a function key. I'll explain how. Written by Rafael Victoria-Pereira It's common sense that a well-prepared chart can make a difference when you're trying to prove that the numbers are on your side. From the simplest of charts to the most complex, they all try to provide clarity to the (vast) amounts of data behind them. There are numerous business tools (MS Ex...

TechTip: Remove Column Separators in iSeries Access

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 06:00:15 +0100

Don't like column separators in iSeries Access when you use yellow or turquoise? Here's how to easily remove them. Written by Sam Lennon Column Separators occur automatically when you use yellow or turquoise on a 5250 color terminal. (When was the last time you saw one of those?) iSeries Access faithfully reproduces this behavior, as in Figure 1. Column Separators have always mildly annoyed me, and I avoided using yellow and turquoise. They annoy me a more now, because I'm maintaining code...

Partner TechTip: What's Your Compliance Score?

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 06:00:05 +0100

PowerTech Compliance Monitor scorecards make easy work of a tedious, but critical, task. Written by Robin Tatam One of the most common requests I receive from customers is a way to provide the management team and auditors with a simple dashboard-type report of a system's configuration and its conformance with a baseline policy. For single systems, this can be a time-consuming task, prone to human error. When there are tens, or even hundreds, of system partitions, the work involved can become pr...

TechTip: Analyze Your Programs and Applications, Part I

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 06:00:15 +0100

In the first of this series of TechTips, find information about each object in each library. Written by Jean-Paul Lamontre Recently, a friend called me for help. His boss asked him two questions: How much lost or forgotten old RPG or CL do we have? What is the status of the "general review of all the ILE programs" project? He added, "I don't want a bullet-point listing. If you can give me a report in Excel in a normal table with normal filters, such as used by normal users e...

Partner TechTip: Your Whole Team Needs Access to Your Enterprise Data

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 06:00:05 +0100

Access Oracle, MySQL, SQL Server, and other databases with IBM i queries. Written by Mike Stegeman Where is your business data? Is it all in IBM i DB2, or do you have data in MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, or Oracle databases? Do you need to consolidate this data across DB2 partitions? Does your current reporting and data access solution consolidate and provide instant access to this remote data? Do your developers need to move or modify data from one database to another?...

TechTip: Let IBM i Apps Access Microsoft Access with Jackcess

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 06:00:15 +0100

Use the open-source Jackcess Java library to allow IBM i applications to natively read and write Access database files. Written by Michael Sansoterra Many IBM i developers are aware of the Apache POI Project, which maintains Java libraries that can read and write Microsoft Office files, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint (with work being done for Outlook messages, Visio, and Publisher documents). These libraries enable Java developers to create or modify Office documents. One important Offi...

TechTip: Exploring GeoNames Web Services, Part IV: Find Nearby Wikipedia Entries

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 06:00:15 +0100

This time, we'll use the GPS coordinates to search in Wikipedia. Confused? Read all about it in this TechTip! Written by Rafael Victória-Pereira As a follow-up to the previous TechTip, this one will provide the means to complement the Points of Interest (POI) data with geo-referenced Wikipedia articles. GeoNames has a Web service called Find Nearby Wikipedia Entries that works the same as Find Nearby POIs....

Partner TechTip: Why Did Our Cross-Platform Process Run So Long?

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 06:00:05 +0100

Is your data warehouse out of date again, or did a Windows job run late? Written by Tom Huntington I'm convinced that sometimes the only reason a Windows or UNIX server is alongside an IBM i server is for better data reporting or a data warehouse. For example, at your site, a process periodically sends data from the IBM i server to the other server. Usually, the IBM i process that builds the data starts at 7:00 p.m. and the Windows process grabs the data at 8:00 p.m. Over the years, you've...

Cool Things: Java Prototypes Made Easy

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 06:00:15 +0100

Take the fast path to calling Java methods from RPGLE programs. Written by Mike Faust The ability to use Java classes from an RPGLE program can open up a whole new world of capabilities. One big reason Java classes are such a great option is the number of open-source Java classes available to give you the ability to do things like create PDF files or access Microsoft Office documents. The challenge to accessing these classes in your RPGLE programs can be translating the prototypes for the requi...

TechTip: What Is Responsive Web Design?

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 06:00:15 +0100

Responsive Web Design (RWD) is a technique for developing Web pages that automatically re-size themselves based on the device they are being viewed on. Written by David Shirey Today, Web sites are the life blood of how we get our message across. And there is certainly no shortage of different types of devices on which to view this information. And therein lies our dilemma....

Partner TechTip: Don't Let Security Events Occur Unnoticed!

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 06:00:05 +0100

PowerTech's Interact product monitors critical security events in real time. Written by Robin Tatam Let's face it; monitoring security events on IBM i servers probably isn't at the top of anyone's "bucket list." However, it's a critical process that every organization should perform to ensure that unauthorized activities don't occur unnoticed. Typically, there are two main issues with monitoring a system manually: 1) you have to deliberately (and repeatedly) check to see if something has happen...

TechTip: Achieve Memory-Making SQL Performance with DB2 In-Memory Support

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 06:00:15 +0100

Faster, faster, faster! Use large memory pools to boost your SQL performance. Written by Kent Milligan More companies are creating and running queries to help their business leaders make better decisions, ones that are based on data facts instead of educated guesses. As users see the business value provided by these reports, it's only a matter of time before they'll ask for the reports to run faster....

Partner TechTip: Extreme Testing

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 06:00:05 +0100

With a good set of tools, you can do more testing with less effort and lower the costs and risks of application modification. Written by Steve Kilner As a long-time developer, I have to confess that there is no aspect of software development I dislike more than testing. The curse is a blessing, however, in that I have worked hard to develop testing methods that achieve maximum benefit with minimal effort. I manage projects by the following maxims:...

Cool Things: WDSC with Context

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 06:00:15 +0100

Use context-specific prompting in WebSphere Development Studio Client to speed up your programming. Written by Mike Faust Have you ever forgotten the specific parameters required by an RPGLE function or a rarely used op code? Before you pull out the old RPGLE manual, there's an easier way. In this tip, I'll discuss how to use the context-sensitive prompting functionality built into WebSphere Development Studio Client and how to extend that functionality to make it even more useful....

Partner TechTip: IFS Directory Backups Used to Be So Difficult

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 06:00:05 +0100

Enjoy flexible IFS backups with Robot/SAVE. Written by Tom Huntington On the IBM i server, we all store data that needs to be backed up in the Integrated File System (IFS). Are you struggling with a lack of flexibility for IFS backups because you have to back up the entire IFS? Would you like a more selective approach that allows you to save certain directories and files? How easy is it to restore specific IFS directories?...

TechTip: Secure Your Reports in a New Way with DB2 Web Query DBA

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 06:00:15 +0100

Learn how a recent enhancement to DB2 Web Query provides a way to customize a granular yet secure reporting environment. Written by Gene Cobb V1R1M2 of IBM DB2 Web Query for i was a significant version, one that offered new features such as the InfoAssist development tool as well as the Oracle JD Edwards Application Adapter. One feature that has flown a bit under the radar is a security enhancement named DBA (short for Database Administrator). This new feature is found in the synonym editor in ...

Partner TechTip: Solve Business Issues with an Easy-to-Use BI and Enterprise Reporting Solution

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 06:00:05 +0100

Is your business intelligence solution difficult to implement and use? Written by Floyd Del Muro Are your reports out of date, and is your report request backlog growing? Do your business intelligence (BI) people spend most of their time redefining data to make your solution work? Does your technical team spend hours installing program fixes? Does your BI solution work with only one database? Is it too complicated for end users to write inquiries? Do you have to pay more to do more? Is your BI ...

TechTip: Exploring GeoNames Web Services, Part III: Find Nearby Points of Interest

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 06:00:15 +0100

Use the procedure explained here to help your clients find the Points of Interest (POIs) near your place of business, just like a GPS device would! Written by Rafael Victória-Pereira While the previous tips of this series have been focused on retrieving information relevant to your company, this time it'll be a bit different: this one is for your clients. Knowing beforehand that there's a nice restaurant or bar near your car dealership is useful when you go in for a small repair that won'...

Partner TechTip: Automatic Audit Reports Are as Easy as 1-2-3

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 06:00:05 +0100

PowerTech Compliance Monitor 3 adds automated security and compliance reporting. Written by Robin Tatam Remember the humorous MasterCard commercials from a few years ago? In my mind, I see one of them going like this: State-of-the-art, 64-bit, multi-core Power7 hardware: $225,000 Highly securable IBM i operating system: $100,000 Discovering you can generate and distribute audit reports automatically: PRICELESS...

TechTip: Some Top Features from Java 7

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 06:00:15 +0100

Java 7 is the first major release of Java in half a decade, but even so it's more of a stage-setter than a real blockbuster. Written by Joe Pluta After a decade of pretty regular bi-annual major releases, Java went into a lull from 2006 on. The Java 6 release, known as Mustang, saw a number of incremental releases, but even those slowed this year. The last few releases mostly consisted of the ubiquitous "improved performance and stability" and an update to the Tunisian time zones. And no, I'm n...

TechTip: Connect ActionScript 3.0 with IBM i to Enable Flash Programs

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 06:00:15 +0100

It's true! You can allow Flash programs to work with IBM i via the IBM i host servers. Written by Junlei Li Adobe Flash (formerly SmartSketch FutureSplash, FutureSplash Animator, and Macromedia Flash) is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to Web pages. Flash is frequently used for advertisements, games, and animations for broadcast. More recently, it has been positioned as a tool for the development of cross-platform Rich Internet Applications (RIAs)....

Partner TechTip: Automate Your IBM TS3500 Tape Library with Robot/SAVE

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 06:00:05 +0100

Manage unattended backups using Robot/SAVE and your AML. Written by Tom Huntington The IBM TS3500 can automatically load, unload, and eject tape volumes to provide an automated backup solution for IBM i servers. Yet, how many people can actually run this hardware unattended? Do your operators still start the process manually? Do they have to manually determine how to eject tapes and which tapes are available for daily backups?...

TechTip: Gather Linux Performance Data with nmon

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 06:00:15 +0100

Use this open-source tool to view from one screen all the stats about CPU utilization, disk and network I/O, kernel performance, and more! Written by Max Hetrick The very handy nmon utility measures live system-performance statistics on Linux, as well as gathers system information and details. The nmon project was originally an internal IBM project for monitoring AIX systems but has since been released under the GPL open-source license. The tool's original project page can be browsed from IBM's...

Partner TechTip: Command Access Can Bring Unexpected Consequences

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 06:00:05 +0100

PowerTech Command Security controls command use on your system. Written by Robin Tatam Recently, I was approached at a tradeshow by the CIO of an organization running IBM Power Systems servers. He asked if I could help with a security dilemma his company had encountered. It seems that they had recently experienced an "unplanned outage" after an administrator inadvertently issued a PWRDWNSYS command while mentoring a new operator....

TechTip: Passwords Are Key to AIX Security

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 06:00:15 +0100

Ensure that your users have strong passwords. Written by David Tansley Within any operating system, password maintenance is an important system admin task, and AIX is no different. So let's look at some password maintenance techniques. Within AIX, you can specify rules in password administration. The most common ones are these:...