Manta Continues To Take The IBM i To School
August 18, 2014 Jenny Thomas
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After 25-plus years, it might be surprising to some that there are still new things to be learn on the IBM i platform. But to Bill Hansen, president of Manta Technologies, continuing to learn about IBM i is just good business. Hansen created his first computer-based training courses for IBM systems in 1985, eventually turning his focus to the AS/400 marketplace when he launched Manta in 1994. There are already an impressive 117 courses currently in Manta’s training catalog, but Hansen believes there’s always room for more. “We always had a rule that first we were going to cover all the basics, once we achieved that, we started building courses based on what our customers are asking for and what is happening in the community,” he says. The newest addition to Manta’s training catalog is the IBM Advanced Job Scheduler (AJS) for IBM i. AJS is a batch scheduling facility that is available with IBM i at no additional charge. Manta’s AJS Text-Based Interface course covers the traditional text-based (green-screen) interface to the job scheduler, as well as the AJS commands. The training is designed for system administrators and senior operators who will set up and manage the scheduler for their installations. Most students will complete the course and its associated competency exam in three to four hours, Hansen says. “AJS had always been a ‘pay for’ product but IBM changed that a couple of years ago, and after talking with one of my customers, I realized we should be teaching it.” Hansen says what he likes about what he’s put together for AJS is that it is a concept course for a wide range of people. “Everyone from operators to managers can take parts of this course so there is a shared pool of knowledge,” he says. Hansen has two more AJS-related courses in the works. The AJS Web-Based Interface course will be released later this year, and will cover the AJS graphical interfaces supported by System i Navigator and System Director Navigator for i. After that, Hansen plans to introduce a third course, Advanced Job Scheduler Concepts, which will be geared toward end users and managers who may be involved in scheduling decisions, but will not perform the actual work. But AJS is not the end of the road for Hansen. In fact, he says he has a list of three years of potential courses. “I’ve always kept a list, going back to when we started, and every year I take a look at it, take things out that might not be as relevant, and add things based on what my customers are saying.” Manta customers who have an existing license to the IBM i Training Library, the System Administration Combination Pack, or the System Administration and Operations Super Combo Pack will discover that The AJS Text-Based Interface has already been added to their menu options. As with all Manta courses, a one-year, single-user license for The AJS Text-Based Interface is available for $120. Customers who opt for the entire three-course series will receive a two-year license for the price of one year ($324). Each course will appear in the student’s menu as it becomes available. You can browse Manta’s combo packs and individual courses by visiting www.mantatech.com. RELATED STORIES New Manta Training Combos Target New IBM i Hires Get Your IBM i Training Online Manta Is Listening To Your IBM i Training Needs Manta Announces New RDP Training Series Manta Releases More COBOL Courses If COBOL Is Too ‘Un-Cool’ For School, What’s That Make RPG? Manta Offers Free Student Reference Guides To Students Manta’s IBM i COBOL Training Trifecta Get IBM i Work Management And Security Skills In Under A Week Old School COBOL Gets New School Twist From Manta WANTED: Unemployed IBM i Professionals Manta Introduces Blended Learning to the Training Mix
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