22
Sun, Dec
3 New Articles
  1. You are here:  
  2. Home
  3. IT Infrastructure
  4. System Administration
  5. Gotcha! Tips to Help you Avoid Learning the Hard

Gotcha! Tips to Help you Avoid Learning the Hard

Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

Saving with STG(*FREE)

I have a good "Gotcha," although this problem will probably be resolved in the new Release 3.0. A few months ago, my boss wanted to do Reclaim Storage (RCLSTG) and decided to do a system save after that. At one of the prompts, he opted for STG(*FREE); having come from the System/36, he thought *FREE was the equivalent of COMPRESS. Since there was no warning regarding this parameter, he went ahead and did it this way.

Well, it turns out that STG(*FREE) caused the system to delete everything that was saved, so we spent the whole day restoring. To you S/36ers, think of STG(*FREE) as a RETAIN-S of your entire system.

We did call IBM - they agreed that a warning will be issued about this parameter, and you have my boss to thank for it. All I can say is, I am glad it happened to him and not to me.

- Chris Hutchings

Note From the Editor:

As of Release 2.0, the help text for the STG parameter reads as follows:

Free Storage (STG)

Specifies whether the system storage that is occupied by the data portion of files, programs, and journal receivers in the library being saved is freed as part of the save operation. Only the data portion of the objects is freed, not the descriptions of the objects.

*KEEP The storage occupied by the data portion of the objects being saved is not freed.

*FREE The storage occupied by the data portion of the files (except for save files), programs, and journal receivers being saved is freed as part of the save operation. The storage for all the objects in a library is freed only after all the objects in that library are saved successfully.

Adopted Authority

Let me tell you a story that began about four months ago. We have a programmer assigned to resolve all problems that occur during our nightly run. One month-end, a job bombed because of an authority problem. I told the programmer to compile the object with adopted authority, that is, indicating USRPRF(*OWNER). That would correct the problem. Well, the next month the same program bombed for the same reason.

I questioned whether she had compiled the object with adopted authority, and she said, "Yes, I did." When I looked at the object with the Display Program command (DSPPGM), there was no adopted authority. After admonishing her for the mistake I told her to correct it and she compiled the program while I watched.

Lo and behold, the next month the same program bombed again, for the same reason. When I displayed the program, there was no adopted authority. Since I had seen her compile the object with USRPRF(*OWNER), I was stunned! I recompiled the program myself with adopted authority and displayed the program one more time but there was no adopted authority yet.

It turns out that the user authorities of this program had been changed and it adopted the earlier program's user authority and disregarded the compile options (as I found out in the joblog).

Talk about a "Gotcha!" This one made me look like a fool for yelling at a programmer who did what I said, and took me weeks' worth of time to resolve, mostly because we did not maintain joblogs on jobs that finish normally. All of you, please beware...

- Tom Harper

Note From the Editor:

Is there a moral in this story? Could it be that, even as much of a nuisance as they are, joblogs are worth looking at after all?

Customizing Your Sign-On Display

The AS/400 Sign-On display can be easily customized since IBM provides the source code in source file QDDSSRC, library QGPL. The member to look for is QDSIGNON.

Shortly after starting work on my first AS/400, I decided that I had had enough of the standard Sign-On display, so I set about modifying it. Just as I was going to start SDA on the source provided by IBM, I stopped in my tracks and copied the source into one of my libraries, from where I would make the changes. If something went wrong, I thought, I could always re-use the original source to reconstruct the standard Sign-On display.

Fine. I started SDA, and just as I was about to finish, I remembered to resequence the fields by image position, just as it had become a habit with me to do in my S/36 days. So with the panel image on my terminal, I pressed F4 to display all fields, then F6 to sort. A nice information message told me that they had been sorted. I recompiled the display file and there was no problem.

Gotcha! The problem came when I restarted QINTER. The Sign-On display would not work. What could have possibly gone wrong? I compared my source with the original IBM source (good thing I still had it in QGPL), and saw that there is a hidden field called UBUFFER, 128 characters long, which had shifted from the bottom of the DDS to the top, after sorting fields by image position. Obviously enough (realized in hindsight, naturally), hidden fields must have position 0 in row 0 or something to that effect, so they had to shift to the top of the DDS.

The solution to the problem, then, was to start SEU (not SDA) and move the UBUFFER field again to the bottom, recompile the display file, and restart QINTER. Everything worked fine after that!

- Ernie Malaga

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More 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.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY 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.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms 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.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA 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:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA 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.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra 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: