Article
The Difference Between OCR and IDP
Thu, 06/23/2022
Compare optical character recognition (OCR) and intelligent document processing (IDP) to learn when to use each to make structured and unstructured data more usable.
Article
Virtual Tape Considerations for IBM i
By Tom Huntington on Mon, 06/28/2021
This article examines some of the most popular IBM VTL (virtual tap library) solutions for IBM i and other platforms. You'll also learn what to consider to determine if VTL is right for you.
Article
Robot Save Restricted State Utility (RSU)—Get Your Weekends Back!
By Chuck Losinski on Tue, 06/02/2020
There are processes that are required on your IBM i that need to run with the system in what is called a “restricted state” condition. A restricted state is when all subsystems are inactive and new jobs cannot enter the system. Only the system console might be active.
Article
Why Relying on Scripted Operations Can Be a Problem for Your Business
By Steve Brasen on Tue, 03/31/2020
Scripting provides a powerful platform to automate simple tasks, but overusing custom scripts is hazardous for your business.
Article
IBM on IASP for PowerHA Implementations
By Chuck Losinski on Tue, 03/03/2020
You’ve heard about IASP technology many times over the years, but you’ve been ignoring it, haven’t you? Steve Finnes confirms that it’s past time we “get to know it, understand it, and not be afraid of it.”
Article
How to Prove Your IBM i is Recoverable without a Real DR Test
By Tom Huntington on Thu, 02/27/2020
How good do you feel about your backup strategies? Did you know you can perform a simple operation two to four times a year to put much of your uneasiness to rest? It’s true. Simply audit your backups.
Article
FlashCopy: Pros and Cons
By Tom Huntington on Wed, 02/26/2020
IBM System Storage FlashCopy might seem like magic. But do the benefits for IBM i business continuity outweigh the hidden costs? Read on to find out.
Article
Backup Basics: Saving Your Data and Your Job
By Tom Huntington on Mon, 02/24/2020
You need a backup strategy to test your company’s disaster recovery plan and, despite its reputation for reliability, administrators still need to back up their IBM i. A sound backup strategy should also restore individual user objects to account for human error.
Article
Remember the IFS!
By Robin Tatam on Thu, 06/27/2019
Ask any security professional which area of IBM i security is most often ignored and chances are that the unanimous response is a chorus of “the Integrated File System.” Although it’s been around since V3R1, the Integrated File System, or IFS, remains a shrouded mystery that represents significant risk to many IBM i organizations.
Article
Managing Your IBM i Audit Data
By Robin Tatam on Wed, 08/01/2018
Let’s face it; system administration remains a largely thankless task. From scheduling jobs to balancing workloads to answering messages in QSYSOPR, administrators and operators work diligently behind the scenes to ensure that IBM i servers are available to run mission-critical applications.
Article
How To Maintain Your Data Integrity
By Robin Tatam on Tue, 03/21/2017
File Integrity Monitoring (FIM) helps ensure that your critical and sensitive data is viewed and changed only by authorized personnel through approved channels. Candidates for FIM include application files containing sensitive data, such as personnel or financial data, and server configuration files.
Article
4 Reasons to Add VTLs
By Tom Huntington on Tue, 08/30/2016
Backup and recovery processes are among the unsung heroes of data center operations. Though end results may not be readily apparent on an everyday basis, natural and digital disasters have a way of humbling companies that do not take this risk management discipline seriously.
Article
Robot Best Practices
By Tom Huntington on Mon, 06/27/2016
Wondering about best practices for automating your IBM i processes with Robot systems management solutions? Take a look at this list and get off to a good start.