Learn how to improve the flow of essential information around your organization, save costs, and free up your time.
Editor's note: This article introduces the white paper "6 Recommendations for Smarter Spooled File Processing on Your IBM i" free for download from the MC Press White Paper Center.
This new white paper by Ash Giddings, IBM i industry expert, discusses how not to fall into the trap of ignoring or sometimes deleting large volumes of spooled files. These unassuming files can contain important nuggets of information and data that may be critical to business operations.
Sales reports, invoices, purchase orders, manufacturing data…the list is endless. Spooled files can cause headaches for administration staff in the way they appear to multiply seemingly without any rhyme or reason. Where on earth did they all come from? What is generating them? Are they still required, or is it safe to delete them? For example, financial records in many industries have to be kept for seven years, but what constitutes a financial record?
Frequently, reports will remain on an output queue until somebody inadvertently deletes them or clears the queue when trying to free up some disk space. Unfortunately, spooled files cannot be restored, retrieved, or brought back from a handy recycle bin on the IBM i system, and there is no <CTRL+Z> "Undo" facility to rely on!
There are business benefits to be gained through reducing costs of what is traditionally a labor-intensive activity for managing, finding, re-packaging, and distributing relevant information to users within the organization to allow them to do their jobs more effectively.
This white paper discusses smarter ways to handle spooled files by considering the confines of disk space, backup and restore techniques, and more-efficient procedures for the retrieval, archiving, and distribution of files. Ash challenges whether the traditional "green-screen" view is the best way for working with spooled files and examines alternative methods to improve the flow of vital information around the business. He discusses how to improve access for users so they can get to the specific information they need without specialist skills or knowledge and therefore reduce the workload of the systems administrator.
The document lays out six recommendations for smarter ways to work with spooled files and explores other functionality that is available outside the IBM i operating system and IBM Licensed Programs. Ash advises on how spooled file management can be brought into the 21st century, with clear benefits for business and the IT department.
To find out more, download "6 Recommendations for Smarter Spooled File Processing on Your IBM i" free from the MC Press White Paper Center.
More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.
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Forms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.
Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:
Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.
IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn:
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