Let's look at some other features of IBM i Access for Web, including how to convert spooled files to PDF and how to manage your IBM i from mobile devices or Lotus Notes.
Written by Steve Pitcher
Last time, we had a look at how to set up IBM i Access for Web and briefly explored the Web-based 5250-style interface. We'll go a little more general this time, showing you how to do some neat things with the product.
Still Printing Oodles of Spooled Files on Tractor-Fed, Greenbar Paper?
Paper, how I loathe thee. The only thing I loathe more than stacks of greenbar is an output queue loaded with spooled files older than three months; it's paper just waiting to happen. And chances are it will! Wouldn't it be great if IBM i offered a quick, native way to convert a spooled file into PDF format?
You can do this with IBM i Access for Web.
Within Print > Printer Output, click on the View PDF button.
Figure 1: Choose to view the PDF.
Then, on the following screen (Figure 2), you can pick the browser (default), personal folder, or output queue as the destination.
Figure 2: Choose the destination.
The spool file gets converted on the fly, and you can delete the spooled file (Figure 3).
Figure 3: Delete the spooled file.
So why print? Do you really need to print? It's right there! On the screen! You can then email it or save it somewhere else for safekeeping.
I showed this feature to a few people I work with. They currently print reports out of IBM i, send them to themselves via the multifunction printer's scan-to-email function, save them to their desktops, rename them with meaningful names, and then email the reports to someone else. The process can take 10 minutes for just a 10-page report. What a waste of time! As you can imagine, they immediately wanted this feature so they could just dump those reports directly to PDF (renaming them in the process) and get them where they need to go in about 10 seconds, no matter if it's one page or 500 pages.
Options for Mobility
Did you notice that all these screen shots were taken on an iPad?
Imagine the possibilities of mobilizing your workforce, from the shop floor to the shipping dock. My company has a number of quality control labs that do product testing. Usually, a lab tech performs a test, writes down some information, walks 25 feet to the computer, and then enters the data again into a system. A tablet with IBM i Access for Web is the real solution here. How much time is taken up just walking? How much time is taken up duplicating the entry of data? Enough to justify a couple of tablets as a proof of concept? You bet!
What About Productivity?
Lotus Notes is my primary work interface. I schedule my meetings, use Notes-based applications, manage email, and even monitor my Twitter and Facebook feeds all from within Lotus Notes.
I manage my IBM i from Lotus Notes too.
It's very simple to do. One of the cool things about Lotus Notes is the ability to incorporate widgets in the righthand sidebar. Widgets are almost like a mini-application inside of the Lotus Notes interface. Web sites that offer a mobile interface fit perfectly inside that sidebar. Since you can configure a widget to point to a Web site, why not configure widgets for both IBM i Access for Web and IBM Navigator for i?
Right-click My Widgets. Choose
Configure a Widget From > A Web Page.
Then, just copy and paste the URL of your IBM i Access for Web or IBM Navigator for i into the address field. Click Next through the default options, and you'll have embedded IBM i management capabilities directly within your Lotus Notes sidebar!
Wait, There's Way More Cool Stuff!
I'm going to continue analyzing IBM i Access for Web in another TechTip, where I'll cover setting up SSL to facilitate secure HTTPS Web sessions plus answer some questions on performance considerations and job management.
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.
TRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now! Request Now.
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:
LATEST COMMENTS
MC Press Online