The Four Hundred

One of the big challenges for system administrators is keeping up with the latest software releases of popular products on the OS/400 platform. Given that goal, here's a quick rundown on the latest releases and service packs for two products that are widely used in OS/400 shops: IBM's iSeries Access product line and Lotus Domino for iSeries.

iSeries Access is the latest name for IBM's old Client Access product line, which dates back to PC Support/400 in the early 1990s. These products include iSeries Access for Windows, Client Access Express for Windows, and the older Client Access for Windows 95/NT. Service packs can be ordered through IBM's PTF process or by direct download from the iSeries Access service packs Web site.

May and June are going to be busy months for iSeries Access service packs. IBM is scheduled to release a new service pack for Client Access Express for Windows V5R1M0 on May 9, followed by another release for iSeries Access for Windows V5R2M0 on June 20. If you're not willing to wait for the new service pack, you can download or order the current service packs for these products from the service pack Web site. IBM is offering service pack SI06804 for Client Access Express V5R1M0 and service pack SI07675 for iSeries Access for Windows V5R2M0. Information on the fixes contained in each service pack can be found in the README files shipped with the service packs.

Client Access Express for Windows V5R1M0 and iSeries Access for Windows V5R2M0 are the only iSeries Access family members that IBM is still planning to issue new service packs for. You can still download or order service packs for two other iSeries Access family members--Client Access Express for Windows V4R5M0 and Client Access for Windows 95/NT V3R2M0--even though these products have reached their end-of-service dates. The most recent Client Access Express V4R5M0 service pack is SF67276, issued October 14, 2002. The most recent Client Access for Windows 95/NT service pack is SF67055, issued June 10, 2002.

IBM has put out several new releases of both the Domino server for the iSeries and the Lotus Notes client in 2003. Here are the latest incremental installer releases for both pieces of software that you can download off the Internet today.

For the Domino server, there have been three upgrades this year. For Domino 5.0.x software, the current release is 5.0.12 and the incremental install package to upgrade to 5.0.12 from 5.0.11 is available on the Domino Server downloads site. The year 2003 also saw the release of the first two maintenance release upgrades for Domino Version 6. IBM Lotus released the Version-6-to-Version-6.0.1 incremental installer for iSeries in February. In April, Big Blue posted a Domino security patch in an incremental installer that upgrades Domino 6.0.1 to 6.0.1 CF1 (critical fix 1). [Note: This patch was released in late February for Windows-based Domino servers.] Version 6.0.1 CF1 handles some vulnerabilities that could allow attackers to run malicious code on Domino and iNotes machines. Both of these installers are also available on the Domino Server downloads site. The proper way to upgrade a Domino 6 installation, then, is to perform an incremental upgrade to Version 6.0.1 from Version 6, followed by a second incremental upgrade to Version 6.0.1 CF1 from Version 6.0.1.

It may be better to download your Domino incremental installers directly from the Domino Server downloads site rather than through the Lotus Domino for iSeries Support Web site. That's because it's harder to find the right OS/400 incremental installer on the iSeries support site, and the information posted on that site seems to lag behind what's available on the downloads site. For example, the Lotus Domino for iSeries site still says Domino 5.0.12 is not available for the iSeries, when it's been available on the Domino server downloads site for well over a month now.

Of course, some of this will soon change, starting with Version 6.0.1 CF1. During May, IBM Lotus is estimating that it will release a new Notes/Domino maintenance release, 6.0.2. This will be a scheduled maintenance release that will contain a number of bug fixes, as well as some new features. Big Blue is currently listing the release at "Stage 2: Code Freeze," which means that the developers can no longer submit fixes to the maintenance release and that the code has gone to the quality-engineering team for feature testing. For Notes/Domino v5, IBM is scheduled to release maintenance release 5.0.13 in August. Like the upcoming 6.0.2 release, this is a scheduled upgrade that will contain bug fixes and some new features.

IBM Lotus has also released new Notes client upgrade kits to match the new maintenance releases. You can find 5.0.11-to-5.0.12 upgrade kits, as well as 6 to 6.0.1 and 6.0.1 to 6.0.1 CF1 upgrade kits, at the Domino Notes Client downloads site.