• Build Pivot Tables over DB2 Data

  April 30, 2008 Hey, Ted

  If you already know about these, then just hit the ol’ delete key on the message. I learned how to do this today. SQL is great for going “down the page.” It’s when they want data summed across that it gets to be a real kludge! Pivot tables are the answer. It started with your article Load a Spreadsheet from a DB2/400 Database. I got it working! Sweet! Miracles never cease! Thanks a bunch! Once the data is loaded into the spreadsheet via the SQL statement, make sure the column headings have decent labels. Open the Data menu and

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• Solve a Client Access Mystery, Win a No Prize

  April 30, 2008 Hey, Joe

  I have searched every configuration I know of on our 9406-720 (running OS/400 V4R4), but I cannot find what is limiting the total number of Client Access 5250 sessions running on my machine. No matter what, the machine will only accept about 70 sessions. I’ve had to cut out multiple user sessions in order to allow everyone a single session. Any ideas on where the limit is coming from? –Rick It’s like Rubik’s Cube for the iSeries… with No Prize Rick sent his question in this week and so far I haven’t been able to come up with an answer.

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• A Recycle Bin for the IFS (Sort Of)

  April 23, 2008 Hey, Ted

  We inadvertently deleted an IFS file that was created today and therefore was not on the previous night’s backup. What I wouldn’t give for an IFS recycle bin! We can recreate the file, but I wonder, short of backing everything up every minute, if there is anything that I could have done to prepare for such a situation? -Chris My sympathy, Chris. I hate it when that happens. As you point out, the IFS has no recycle bin, but there is a way you can delete a file from a directory without deleting it from disk. I’ll show you the

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• Performance Advice from a Mysterious Friend, Part 6

  April 23, 2008 Ted Holt

  This is the last of the performance tips that I received from one of your fellow readers. I hope you’ve enjoyed the previous tips and found some of them useful as well. Today’s advice: “Increase the journal recovery ratio from the default of 50,000 to 250,000.” IBM’ers Larry Youngren and Chris Kindinger provide a thorough discussion of this topic at http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/abstracts/tips0625.html”. Although the discussion centers around V5R4, they also provide information for V5R3 and V5R2. The journal recovery ratio has to do with the IPL process. The journal recovery ratio’s purpose is to limit the number of journal entries

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• What is INZSYS, and Why Should I Care?

  April 23, 2008 Hey, Joe

  When we upgraded our i550 box from V5R3 to V5R4, we had to check for the completion of the Initialize System (INZSYS) command before we could do anything else after an IPL. What is the INZSYS command and why do I have to worry about it? –Jim The Initialize System (INZSYS) command is a special command that i5/OS uses to perform initialization conversions during a software package installation. What you may not realize is that a licensed program installation (such as an i5/OS upgrade) really consists of two different steps. The licensed program part of the installation process The INZSYS

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• More about SQL and Logical Files

  April 16, 2008 Ted Holt

  Last week I advised you to avoid referencing logical files in SQL queries. This week I have a little more information for you regarding SQL and its love-hate relationship with logical files. This week’s tip: In your QAQQINI file, set IGNORE_DERIVED_INDEX to *YES. So what does that mean? First, QAQQINI is a file that you can use to control query processing. If you’re not familiar with it, follow the links at the end of this article to learn about it. At this point, I assume you know what QAQQINI is and that you have duplicated it from QSYS to QUSRSYS

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• Performance Advice from a Mysterious Friend, Part 5

  April 16, 2008 Ted Holt

  Here’s yet another performance tip from a fellow subscriber and System i consultant. Thanks for the feedback on previous tips. Today’s tip: “Use soft commit when committing transactions containing a small number of update, insert, and/or delete operations.” According to the IBM V5R4 Information Center, “Soft commit is a form of commitment control that limits the number of times that the system writes journal entries associated with a transaction to disk.” In this regard, it is much like journal caching, but unlike journal caching, there is no additional fee for soft commit. Be warned that soft commit does

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• Admin Alert: V6R1 Changes for the i5/OS Administrator, Part 2

  April 16, 2008 Joe Hertvik

  Last week, I started making a list of some of the more memorable V6R1 operating system enhancements for the i5/OS administrator. This week, I continue the list and point out some other V6R1 functions that you should be on the lookout for. Before starting, please note that all the information contained here comes from available information about the new release as well as information I picked up at the COMMON user conference from IBMers and various System i experts. Since V6R1 is brand new and not installed in the wider base of i5/OS shops yet, there isn’t a lot

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• SQL Doesn’t Like Logical Files

  April 9, 2008 Ted Holt

  I had a great time at COMMON last week in Nashville, Tennessee. I saw some old friends and met a lot of nice people. I listened to some great presentations put on by some very intelligent people, and that means I have some new tips that I can pass along to you. Here’s a tip from IBM‘ers Jarek Miszczyk and Tom McKinley. Today’s tip: Don’t put DDS-defined logical file names in your SQL statements. To understand why, let me give you a little background. When you execute an SQL command, the system determines the best way to carry out

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• Performance Advice from a Mysterious Friend, Part 4

  April 9, 2008 Ted Holt

  I’ve already published three performance tips from one of your fellow subscribers, a consultant who has found these techniques to be helpful. Here’s tip number 4. Our friend’s advice: “Use journal cache support.” Journal caching is similar to file buffering. Caching directs the system to cache journal entries in main storage before flushing them to disk. You do not get journal caching automatically. It is a separately chargeable feature of i5/OS. The performance advantage is like that of buffering files. Normally the system writes a journal entry to the journal receiver before continuing with the next I/O operation. Caching allows

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