As the seasons change, so does the tech landscape. And just like clockwork, IBM has graced us with the latest iteration of their Access for Client Solutions (ACS) product.

Say hello to version 1.1.9.5!

In this article, we’ll delve into the exciting updates, enhancements, and features that ACS brings to the table.

Installation

If you get the notice that there is an upgrade to your installation, following the on-screen instructions, will guide you through the upgrade procedure.

If you have downloaded the upgrade, follow these instructions:

• Download the Zip Archive:
  • Begin by downloading the zip archive containing the installation files.
• Updating an Existing Installation:
  • If you already have an installation and want to update it, follow these steps:
    • Extract the Contents:
      1. If you’re using a shared location for multiple users, extract the contents of the zip archive directly over the top of any previous version.
      2. For a single installation, extract the contents of the zip archive to any temporary location.
    • Platform-Specific Script:
      1. Depending on your operating system (Windows, Mac, or Linux), use the appropriate install_acs script to either install the product or apply the update.
• Cleanup
  • Once the installation is complete, feel free to delete the contents from the temporary location.

What’s Changed?

After completing the upgrade, it’s time to dive into the enhancements. As I cast my discerning gaze, everything seems oddly familiar—like déjà vu. But fear not, my beady eyes are on the lookout for subtle changes!

Whether you’re a seasoned user or a curious newcomer, there’s something here for everyone. So, let’s roll up our sleeves and explore the changes that await us.

A check of the Help 🡪 About shows I’m at the latest level. This can be seen in the figure below.

One big enhancement I have noticed is in run SQL Scripts, where you must prompt a SQL statement.

I think we have all waited while you press F4, to prompt, or to give it its correct name, Content Assist but IBM seems to have made great improvements in this area.

Another very useful feature, is being able to copy from the Run SQL Scripts joblog. One I thought, should have been there from day one!

If, when using 5250 emulations, you have different sessions on different servers, running with different code pages, the code page can now be shown in the emulation title.

The figure below shows this enhancement. A nice touch!

This release also includes the mandatory half a dozen or so bug fixes.

Backup’s

We all know the importance of backups, so let us take the time to backup our ACS configuration. It is well worth the effort and can save you precious time having to key in so many server configurations.

From the File 🡪 Export menu options, it will prompt you for the name of a file to hold the configuration.

And, hopefully, you will get the confirmation window that it has successfully completed.

Conclusion

It is great to see IBM continue to update this product we cannot do without. Client Access for Windows and all its various names, seems so long ago!

If you have any questions, either on this article, or anything else on the IBM i, please use the comments below, or contact us via our contact us page at https://powerwire.eu/contact