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  • Add Outfile Support to Your Applications

    October 12, 2011 Ted Holt

    Note: The code accompanying this article is available for download here.

    When I compare IBM i to other operating systems, I am amazed. This well-designed, well-built operating system has numerous features that are foreign concepts to other operating systems. One of those features is that of “outfiles”, files that are built by display-type and work-type commands. If you haven’t done so, consider that it may be advantageous to write your own commands with outfile support.

    In general, programs that write to database files always write to certain database files, and that’s as it should be. A file maintenance program that allows users to add, delete, and change customer information always sends output to the customer master file.

    But consider a file that is the result of a query process. There are good reasons that such data should be written to a file of the user’s choosing at run time. The user may want to use this file with a query tool, or send it to his PC in CSV format for use with Excel. Allowing a user to specify a file’s name at run time is not unlike his naming a document that he creates with a Word processor.

    Here’s a short example application that illustrates the process of creating outfiles. I call it XTRCUS (Extract Customer) because it extracts customer data from the database. It consists of these objects:

    Object

    Type

    Attribute

    Description

    XTRCUS

    *CMD

     

    Command interface

    XTRCUS001C

    *PGM

    CLLE

    Command-processing program

    XTRCUS001R

    *PGM

    RPGLE

    Data retrieval program

    XTRCUSPF

    *FILE

    PF

    Outfile template

     

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    UCG Technologies – Vault400

    Do the Math When Looking at IBM i Hosting for Cost Savings

    COVID-19 has accelerated certain business trends that were already gaining strength prior to the start of the pandemic. E-commerce, telehealth, and video conferencing are some of the most obvious examples. One example that may not be as obvious to the general public but has a profound impact on business is the shift in strategy of IBM i infrastructure from traditional, on-premises environments to some form of remote configuration. These remote configurations and all of their variations are broadly referred to in the community as IBM i hosting.

    “Hosting” in this context can mean different things to different people, and in general, hosting refers to one of two scenarios. In the first scenario, hosting can refer to a client owned machine that is housed in a co-location facility (commonly called a co-lo for short) where the data center provides traditional system administrator services, relieving the client of administrative and operational responsibilities. In the second scenario, hosting can refer to an MSP owned machine in which partition resources are provided to the client in an on-demand capacity. This scenario allows the client to completely outsource all aspects of Power Systems hardware and the IBM i operating system and database.

    The scenario that is best for each business depends on a number of factors and is largely up for debate. In most cases, pursuing hosting purely as a cost saving strategy is a dead end. Furthermore, when you consider all of the costs associated with maintaining and IBM i environment, it is typically not a cost-effective option for the small to midsize market. The most cost-effective approach for these organizations is often a combination of a client owned and maintained system (either on-prem or in a co-lo) with cloud backup and disaster-recovery-as-a-service. Only in some cases of larger enterprise companies can a hosting strategy start to become a potentially cost-effective option.

    However, cost savings is just one part of the story. As IBM i expertise becomes scarce and IT resources run tight, the only option for some firms may be to pursue hosting in some capacity. Whatever the driving force for pursing hosting may be, the key point is that it is not just simply an option for running your workload in a different location. There are many details to consider and it is to the best interest of the client to work with an experienced MSP in weighing the benefits and drawbacks of each option. As COVID-19 rolls on, time will tell if IBM i hosting strategies will follow the other strong business trends of the pandemic.

    When we say do the math in the title above, it literally means that you need to do the math for your particular scenario. It is not about us doing the math for you, making a case for either staying on premises or for moving to the cloud. There is not one answer, but just different levels of cost to be reckoned which yield different answers. Most IBM i shops have fairly static workloads, at least measured against the larger mix of stuff on the public clouds of the world. How do you measure the value of controlling your own IT fate? That will only be fully recognized at the moment when it is sorely missed the most.

    CONTINUE READING ARTICLE

    Please visit ucgtechnologies.com/IBM-POWER9-systems for more information.

    800.211.8798 | info@ucgtechnologies.com

    Article featured in IT Jungle on April 5, 2021

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Volume 11, Number 30 -- October 12, 2011
None

Table of Contents

  • Adobe Flash Builder for the iSeries Programmer, Part 3
  • Add Outfile Support to Your Applications
  • Skipping Robot/SCHEDULE Runs on AS/400-Class Machines

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