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IBM to Release New Express Client Service Pack
by Joe Hertvik
IBM plans to
release a new service pack for Client Access Express for Windows V5R1. Service Pack SI02795 will be the
first new service pack for Express Client V5R1 in nearly six months, and as such it will contain a number of
fixes, as well as a new feature. The service pack is expected to debut on February 18.
Here are the more interesting fixes and changes, which you can download with the new service pack:
The B2B Activity Monitor, which is a new Operations Navigator feature that can monitor B2B activity
traveling through a Connect for iSeries V1.1 installation.
Fixes to the Express required programs that fix Windows shut-down problems associated with Express,
errors that occur the first time a user accesses a licensed function, problems when connecting to Operations
Navigator with a user profile whose password starts with a number, and problems using the CWBCFG
utility for defining AS/400 configurations to be used under a Windows service program.
The Operations Console patches that have been offered as a
separate download
with the current service pack are now incorporated into SI02795. These patches solve some nasty connection
problems that have plagued Ops Console installs. It's also worth noting that IBM is specifying that it
does not recommend running Ops Console as a Local Controlling System under the Windows 95 operating system.
Secure Socket Layers functionality for the Management Central Job Monitors, Message Monitors, and
System Values functions. Before SI02795, these functions would be disabled if you set up Management
Central Properties to use SSL.
Other Operations Navigator fixes for packet rules, SMTP properties, and validation lists.
Data transfer fixes for ASCII uploads, problems with SQL WHERE clauses, and problems with
transferring leading zeros. In addition, the Data Transfer add-in for Microsoft Excel now works with Excel 97, and the add-in has been
fixed to transfer up to 65, 536 records into Excel XP (before SI02795, Excel XP transfers would stop at
16,385 records).
Several ODBC and OLE DB fixes.
The AS/400 Toolbox for Java is upgraded to match the SI02679 PTF for the iSeries and OS/400
Toolbox for Java licensed product (5722JC1) for OS/400 V5R1.
Fixes for more than 20 PC5250 APARs that cover a variety of problems.
Also be aware that, if you're using Management Central with this service pack, you also need to download
and apply five co-requisite PTFs to your OS/400 central server and associated endpoint iSeries or AS/400
machines to use that feature. These PTFs are for the licensed product 5722SS1; more information can be
found about them in the READMESP.TXT file that comes with the service pack.
Service Pack SI02795 can be downloaded from IBM's
Client Access Service Packs Web site upon
its release, scheduled for February 18.
V5R1 is one of only three Express Client versions for which IBM is still issuing service packs. After the
release of Service Pack SI02795 on February 18, there won't be another service pack for the Express Client
until April 30, when IBM releases one for Client Access Express for Windows V4R5M0. IBM will issue
another on May 31, for Client Access for Windows 95/NT V3R2M0, which is the last scheduled service
pack to be issued for that version of the Express Client, since IBM is discontinuing support for running this
software under OS/400 V4R5 on July 31 (see "This is the Way Client Access for
Windows 95/NT Ends," October 15). I also expect that Express Client V4R5M0 will not receive many
more service packs, because IBM is also discontinuing support for OS/400 V4R5 itself, along with its
associated products, on July 31. (However, IBM may issue at least one more Express Client V4R5 service
pack after May 31.) So, to maintain support for the Express Client on a V5R1 iSeries or AS/400 server, it
may soon be time to think about upgrading to Express Client V5R1.
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