[IMAGE]
[IMAGE][IMAGE]
Andrew Borts
[IMAGE]
[IMAGE]
Today's systems are all connected in some way to the Internet. One neat way to get PTF's is to throw out your modem, I mean it! No need to make these requests at 12,000 baud synchronous when 3 MB (and faster!) downloads are possible.
I recently ran into a problem with one of my iSeries systems while trying to get PTF's from home. Today's systems are all connected in some way to the Internet. One neat way to get PTF's is to throw out your modem, I mean it! No need to make these requests at 12,000 baud synchronous when 3 MB (and faster!) downloads are possible.
Let me explain how you achieve this. You need a few prerequisites.
[IMAGE]
Digital Certificate manager, 5722-SS1 option 34 (on CD's)
[IMAGE]
Crypto Access Provider 5722-AC3 – Request from IBM – a free product.
After that – it's my friend and yours, the Operations Navigator! Make sure you've got a pretty stacked installation of Operations Navigator. You'll need ALL the features to make sure you have the proper access. Enter iSeries Access Selective setup, and on the PC you want to use to set this up, click the Operations Navigator Check Box to select the entire thing as follows:
[IMAGE]
Make sure all of the operations functions are installed properly. The box above must be white -- not as a little grey as follows:
[IMAGE]
That means some components will not be selected.
Now it's time to setup the communications for this. First off, make the system you're trying to configure the "Managing System" in Operations Navigator. After that, we'll run the "Configuration Wizard" under "Extreme Support."
[IMAGE]
Once you run the wizard…
Click Next…
[IMAGE]
...
To continue reading for free, register below or login
To read more you must become a member of Search400.com
Select, then hit "Next"
[IMAGE]
"Click Next"…
[IMAGE]
Now you want to configure the universal connection.
[IMAGE]
In case you answer these questions wrong, you can view what you did in the following directory on the iSeries system you are performing this on.
WRKLNK '/QIBM/UserData/OS400/UniversalConnection'
The command to access and directory are above.
Again, click "Next"
[IMAGE]
Enter Information, and then hit "Next"
[IMAGE]
More Information, and then hit "Next"
[IMAGE]
Select Country and Region
[IMAGE]
Select ECS then hit "Next"
[IMAGE]
Select Partition for connection, and then hit "Next"
[IMAGE]
In MOST situations you have a direct connection to the Internet.
[IMAGE]
The default is "No" for this.
[IMAGE]
Now click "Finish."
[IMAGE]
Test the connection.
[IMAGE]
Good test
[IMAGE]
Click OK and continue this installation:
Now click "Next."
[IMAGE]
Click "Next."
[IMAGE]
Now, you'll need a system group created BEFORE you get to the next part -- to do that, look for "System Group" under Management Central, and select "New System Group."
[IMAGE]
Click "Next."
[IMAGE]
Select the system group you JUST created, and click …
[IMAGE]
After this, the system wants to schedule regular inventories of your system to report to IBM and compare notes.
[IMAGE]
I schedule my inventories at off hours…. click OK to continue.
[IMAGE]
Back to Clicking "Next."
[IMAGE]
That's it, click Finish to complete the Wizard!
[IMAGE]
Once there, order PTF's as normal through green screen, but no more dial up; It'll go over the Internet.
Systems as far back as V4R5 could do this; however, this wizard didn't exist until V5R1.
-----------------------------------------
About the author: Andrew Borts is webmaster at United Auto Insurance Group in North Miami, Fla. He is often a frequent speaker at COMMON and is past president of The Southern National Users Group, an iSeries-AS/400 user group based in Deerfield Beach, Fla.
