Informing the IBM Community

Author: Andy Youens

  • Node is Weird!

    Firstly, thanks to all that attended my Node.js on IBM i workshop at the International i Power conference in June. Once again, a great event, meeting up with old friends and colleagues. Well done to the organisers. In this article I intended giving you a quick introduction to Node.js on our favourite server, the IBM…

  • A Netserver SMB Alternative?

    Has your organisation been hit with the file sharing SMBv1 being disabled? Can you no longer share files on our servers IFS, as Microsoft is now blocking this protocol? Server Message Block (SMB) is the method used on the IBM i to share files and printers and commonly known on the IBM i as NetServer.…

  • RDi 9.6 – Push to Client Feature

    To continue with my current stream of Rational Developer for i articles, in this issue, I will show how to use a feature that makes administration easier, I’m all for that! How many times over the years have we opened a PMR with IBM on RDi, or all the numerous names their development tool has…

  • RDi 9.6 – Worth a Look?

    Firstly, thank-you to all that attended my RDi session at the last UK iUG meeting. I hope you enjoyed it. At that presentation, I notified all that IBM were due to release Version 9.6 of RDi on the 16/11/2017, which replaces RDi version 9.5.1.2 It will require a new install and also there are new…

  • DB2 Field Procedures – Testing

    In my last article, I wrote how we can encrypt sensitive data in our DB2 database. To recap; IBM has given us the ability to take a field, or column, and let us apply security, or encryption, to that field/column.  It is up to your FieldProc program to perform the measures you have taken to…

  • DB2 Field Procedures

    A few years ago, DB2 for i introduced a new feature that can be used to apply security/encryption to our columns within our database. This enhancement is called Field Procedures, or FieldProcs throughout this article. DB2 FieldProcs have been around since 7.1 of IBM i in April 2010. Before FieldProcs, it was common to see…

  • DB2 Row and Column Access Control

    Introduction DB2 for i has a fantastic feature that is fairly new, Row and Column Access Control, or RCAC, for ease. This feature has been around since 7.2 of IBM i in April 2014, but doesn’t get a lot of exposure, so hence my interpretation of how it works. It is a method of controlling…

  • RPG 2017 Updates

    During the latest round of IBM i Technology Refreshes, TR2 for version 7.3 and TR6 for version 7.2 enhancement, IBM also introduced three enrichments for RPG. These changes will be released as individual PTFs, around the April 2017 timespan, as with the Technology Refreshes. Let us take a look at these. These are: Nested data-structures…

  • Application Runtime Expert – Worth a Look?

    IBM recently announced that their product, Application Runtime Expert (ARE) for IBM I, is now free of charge, along with a host of other products.  The IBM announcement can be found here if you are interested. ARE is a licensed program, 5733ARE, which will work on any IBM i Version 6 or above.  It was…

  • RPG – What’s New in 7.3

      As you probably know, IBM released 7.3 of the IBM i operating system in April 2016.  So now it has been over six months since the new release, let us take a look at what has changed in RPG for this release. Remember that SEU has not been updated since Version 6.1 way back…

  • RDi & IFS Local Source – Worth a Look?

    Introduction.  As I’m sure you know, Rational Developer for IBM i was enhanced to Version 9.5.1 recently. This update gave us the ability to store our source members, RPG, CL etc. on the IFS and to have the ability to store a local copy on our PCs. This is not to be confused with the…

  • Git – A Free SCM?

    In my previous article I gave you an insight into the new open source editor Orion on the IBM i. If you haven’t yet read my Orion PowerWire article, it can be found here. As promised in that article I said I would now move on to Git, which is closely integrated with Orion, and…