• Guru: Manage PTFs With The Administration Runtime Expert

  November 9, 2020 Dawn May

  This fourth article in my series on using the Administration Runtime Expert (ARE) reviews how ARE is used to manage PTFs. This article assumes you have already learned the basics of how to use ARE from the prior articles.

  PTF management with ARE features these key functions:

  • Check your installed group PTF levels compared to the latest levels available from IBM
  • Verify consistent PTF levels installed across multiple partitions
  • Distribute PTF images to endpoint systems
  • Optionally load and apply PTFs

  The ARE Template Editor provides the interface to define your templates for PTF management.

  

  Start by determining what type of …

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• Additions To The Db2 Web Query Family

  November 9, 2020 Alex Woodie

  Change is in the air for Db2 Web Query, the primary business intelligence tool for IBM i environments from Big Blue. Earlier this year, IBM launched two new versions of the product, and this fall, IBM delivered version 2.3 of the product. Finally, there’s been a change of ownership of the third-party company behind the software.

  Let’s start with the change in ownership. Last month, TIBCO Software announced its intent to acquire Information Builders, the privately held New York City business intelligence software company that Gerald Cohen founded way back in 1975. IBI’s primary product is WebFOCUS, which forms …

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• IBM i PTF Guide, Volume 22, Number 44

  November 4, 2020 Doug Bidwell

  You may or may not be aware of this news so it is worth sharing: there is a new version of Access Client Services that is due in the first week of December this year. And, a final reminder that the new Technology Refreshes for IBM i 7.3 and IBM i 7.4 are going to be available on November 13, and so will the Tech Refresh Resaves related to them.

  Here is the rundown of PTF Groups by IBM i release level:

  PTF Groups 7.4:

  • QMGTOOLS

  PTF Groups 7.3:

  • QMGTOOLS

  PTF Groups 7.2:

  • QMGTOOLS

  PTF Groups 7.1:

  • Nothing here.

  New …

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• IBM i PTF Guide, Volume 22, Number 43

  October 28, 2020 Doug Bidwell

  Let’s start this edition of the IBM i PTF Guide with a few reminders. First, the new Technology Refreshes for IBM i 7.3 and IBM i 7.4 are going to be available on November 13, and so will the Tech Refresh Resaves related to them. Next, the IBM Systems TechU – The Virtual Edition takes place from October 26 through 29. You can find out more at this link.

  Next, there is a new Security Bulletin: BIND for IBM i is affected by CVE-2020-8622 and CVE-2020-8624, which is available at this link. The IBM i PTF numbers are: …

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• IBM i PTF Guide, Volume 22, Number 42

  October 21, 2020 Doug Bidwell

  All is quiet on the Western and Eastern fronts as we await the delivery of the Technology Refreshes for IBM i 7.3 and IBM i 7.4 on November 13. The Tech Refresh Resaves will also be available at that time. Other than some nips and tucks in the IBM i PTF Guide, there is not a lot to report, but we do this every week to keep you up to date. From a system administrator point of view, knowing when nothing big is going on is almost as useful as knowing when there is a lot going on.

  To …

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• IBM i PTF Guide, Volume 22, Number 41

  October 14, 2020 Doug Bidwell

  As we have been reporting since October 6, there are new Technology Refreshes that have been launched, and we have come to find out that the Technology Refresh Resaves, which are an important part of the distribution of IBM i code, will be available on November 13.

  Here is the PTF rundown by release:

  PTF Groups 7.4:

  • HIPERs (High Impact/Pervasive)
  • Security
  • Performance Tools

  PTF Groups 7.3:

  • HIPERs (High Impact/Pervasive)
  • Security
  • Performance Tools

  PTF Groups 7.2:

  • HIPERs (High Impact/Pervasive)
  • Security

  PTF Groups 7.1

  • There is occasionally stuff here, thanks to extended support. But not this week, again.

  New (or updated) links …

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• IBM i PTF Guide, Volume 22, Number 40

  October 7, 2020 Doug Bidwell

  Are you feeling vulnerable today? Well, even if you are not, your IBM i system is. There are two security bulletins that relate to Java that are affecting the IBM i platform. Specifically, there was a Security Bulletin: Multiple vulnerabilities in IBM Java SDK and IBM Java Runtime affect IBM i, which you can see here and Security Bulletin: IBM Java SDK and IBM Java Runtime for IBM i is affected by CVE-2020-2590, which you can see there.

  The IBM i Group PTF numbers containing the fix for these CVEs are the latest Java Group PTFs in the IBM …

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• IBM Further Extends Service Extension For IBM i 7.1

  October 5, 2020 Timothy Prickett Morgan

  Some operating system releases are like Clint Eastwood, and some are like George Burns. And, may Clint Eastwood make it to 100 like George Burns did, now that we think about it. (He’s 9/10ths of the way there.) We don’t mind the word “legacy” as much as some folks, and use the term “vintage” and “heritage” to express the idea less pejoratively and without the negative connotations and baggage.

  I don’t go on LinkedIn all that often, and usually only to connect with people I want to interview or have interviewed, but last week when I logged in, I saw …

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• IBM i PTF Guide, Volume 22, Number 39

  September 30, 2020 Doug Bidwell

  This week, right off the bat, there are a few things you need to be aware of. First of all, there are microcode patches for a bunch of systems.

  Specifically, they are for MTMs – that is short for machine type/model in the business partner lingo – 9008-22L, 9009-22A, 9009-41A, 9009-42A, and 9223-22H. To save you from having to run around the Internet to figure out what machines they are, that is the Power L922 (a Linux-only machine), the Power S922, the Power S914, the Power S924, and the Power H922 for SAP HANA. You can find out more at …

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• IBM i PTF Guide, Volume 22, Number 38

  September 23, 2020 Doug Bidwell

  All is mostly quiet on the Eastern and Western fronts of IBM i Land. There are some PTF patches for the Db2 for i database integrated into the IBM i operating system and there are also some High Impact and Pervasive, or HIPER, PTFs that customers need to pay attention to with IBM i 7.4.

  Here’s the PTF rundown by release:

  PTF Groups 7.4:

  • HIPERs
  • DB2 for IBM i

  PTF Groups 7.3:

  • DB2 for IBM i

  PTF Groups 7.2:

  • Nadda, nothing, zilch.

  PTF Groups 7.1:

  • Nothing here, and if there is something here at this point, then it must be

  …

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