CCSS, an IBM System i solution developer, has announced the availability of the most recent release of QMessage Monitor.

New enhancements now provide IT managers with a range of commands to combat the unique storage and management challenges that come with effective Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliance.

CCSS also has responded to the demand for increased FTP security through the provision of fully auditable, real-time monitoring of outbound FTP requests û a powerful new defense in the fight against fraud.

Three new commands, available within the Message History component of QMessage Monitor, facilitate easy archiving, removing, and printing of the message history. The first, MMARCLOG, allows the user to split the message history into separate members. Data moved into other members are protected from being purged, and a backup management system can be used to move the data offline. What's more, the command can be used while the monitor is active without interruption to availability.

This command is especially useful when the requirement is to isolate particular messages and manage them according to pre-defined rules, such as audit journal messages under SOX compliance conditions. In this case, audit journal messages, which are required to be available to the system, can be identified as a separate member, saved to tape and deleted from the system, freeing valuable resources. The result is an "on-demand data" environment that is incredibly easy to manage, without the substantial storage expense of purchasing additional disk.

By automating data manipulation in this way, operators and managers will benefit from a faster resolution when making queries as they are able to easily access a defined list of members. Immediate interrogation can be made based on criteria such as audit journal, system, message queue or date.

The second command, MMARCRMV, allows users to delete previously defined members within the history log. This can act as a "mini-purge" and free up valuable disk space immediately. Members can then be added back to the file for analysis, if required.

The third command, MMLOGINQ, creates a hard copy report of the results, providing a simple document of proof as to any security violations, for example.

QMessage Monitor now offers real-time FTP monitoring for outbound requests on System i machines. Client requests going out of the iSeries can be monitored to ensure they are not malicious. This is of enormous benefit for those users who have to allow FTP to be open, for support staff as an example, as it now means that they can audit the actual commands that are being run both to and from the system. All requests can trigger an appropriate escalation procedure to alert staff of the request so they can investigate who is responsible and what the request is. A full audit trail of these actions enables the command to act as a valuable "proof tool" should fraudulent use be detected.

Finally, a new addition to the existing Auto-Replies feature allows operators who have divided their systems into defined groups (for example, based on geographical location) to set up message rules based on those groups. This saves managers considerable administration time by creating a single record for the group rather than separate auto-replies for each system.

About CCSS

Existing customers that rely on CCSS's feature-rich solutions include leading organizations such as Volvo, Mattel, Newell-Rubbermaid, The Royal Bank of Scotland, Siemens Medical, RWE npower and Waterstone's.

CCSS is headquartered in Gillingham, Kent, UK with key regional headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Bonn, Germany and Makati City, Philippines together with a global agent network spanning Portugal, Brazil, the Netherlands and Sweden.