IBM i continues to evolve, with regular Technology Refreshes (TRs) offering system administrators valuable tools to enhance performance, streamline system management, and improve security. These updates announced twice a year, help ensure that IBM i remains at the forefront of business-critical computing. The latest updates in IBM i 7.5 TR5 and 7.4 TR11 bring a host of new capabilities that are particularly beneficial for administrators, providing them with modern tools and optimizations for daily tasks.
These updates reflect IBM’s commitment to delivering robust, scalable solutions for enterprise environments. Let's dive into some of the standout features:
Navigator for i Enhancements
One of the most widely used administrative tools, Navigator for i, has received a significant update. The new features include:
Improved License Monitoring: Administrators can now more easily track license usage and expirations. This ensures better license management and can help avoid unnecessary downtime and potentially compliance issues.
TLS Configuration Wizard: With the increasing focus on security, IBM has introduced a TLS wizard that simplifies the configuration of secure communications between systems. This is critical for administrators who need to ensure that their systems are compliant with modern security standards.
Expanded System Monitoring Dashboards: The dashboards in Navigator for i have been enhanced, providing more detailed insights into system performance, which allows administrators to make quicker, more informed decisions.
All functions of the Advanced Job Scheduler (AJS) are now included within Navigator:
More Complex Job Scheduling: Administrators can now schedule more complex workflows with ease. The updated AJS includes enhanced functionality for creating, managing, and tracking jobs, making it ideal for environments with high job volume or complex job chains.
Better Error Handling and Notifications: The system now provides more detailed notifications on job status, including alerts for failures or delays. This helps administrators proactively manage job schedules and reduce system interruptions.
Navigator for i now provides the ability in the undervalued and underutilized Administration Runtime Expert (ARE) to:
Manage template support, allowing editing and rebuild capabilities.
Performance Data Investigator (PDI) Updates
The Performance Data Investigator has been a valuable tool for administrators seeking deeper insights into the performance of their IBM i systems. IBM has further improved PDI with:
ASP Graphs: Enhanced ASP graphs to display percent busy, utilization, and response time breakdowns for each IASP or User ASP over time.
CPU Usage: Added CPU usage insights relative to the active job count.
Drill-Down Chart: Implemented a drill-down chart for CPU utilization by prestart job.
These improvements allow system administrators to gain deeper insights into system performance, enabling better long-term optimization. Administrators now have access to more granular data, making it easier to diagnose performance bottlenecks and optimize resource allocation.
Key Enhancements in IBM i Services and SYSTOOLS
Audit Journal and Security Enhancements: The MANAGE_AUDIT_JOURNAL_DATA_MART now offers enhanced user-based filtering for efficient audit data management, while AUDIT_JOURNAL_DATA_MART_INFO provides better visibility into app lied filters. Additional functions have been added for audit journal entry types to improve security enforcement.
Database and Job Performance Tools: The COMPARE_IFS Tool now supports expanded comparisons for IFS object attributes, and ACTIVE_JOB_INFO delivers performance insights for active SQL queries using the SQL Query Engine (SQE).
System Monitoring and Alerts: IBM i administrators can now configure alerts for additional system limits, providing better resource control. SERVICE_TOOLS_SERVER_INFO offers a detailed summary of service tools server configuration.
SYSTOOLS Enhancements: Several updates to the SYSTOOLS schema, including extended SEND_EMAIL functionality for HTML/XML content, enhanced FIRMWARE_CURRENCY for Power System firmware comparison, and new SQL interfaces for validating list (VLDL) and device status.
Enhanced ACS (Access Client Solutions)
Access Client Solutions (ACS) has been an integral part of IBM i administration for years, and recent updates in version 1.1.9.6 have made it even more powerful:
Improved SQL Management: Users can now manage custom user examples more effectively within Insert from Examples, with new options to delete and replace entries, plus the ability to drag and drop .sql files from the ACS IFS panel to the RSS panel.
Schema & Data Transfer Enhancements: The addition of PROGRAM_NAME support in the New Function and Procedure dialogs, alongside a streamlined data transfer process, allows users to view detailed scan results when creating IBM i database files.
5250 Emulator & Archive Improvements: Screen history now includes timestamps, visible in both the archive and filenames, with a new scrconv command-line plugin for easier archive conversion.
General Updates: The 'cfg' plugin now supports console configurations, while the password change panel has been enhanced with sortable columns and a new /gui option for easier access.
Why These Enhancements Matter to IBM i System Administrators
With the increasing complexity of modern IT environments, system administrators must have the tools to ensure their systems are operating at peak performance.
IBM i continues to deliver robust, modern solutions for system administrators with each Technology Refresh. With the updates found in IBM i 7.5 TR5 and 7.4 TR11, administrators can expect improved system monitoring, enhanced backup options, streamlined job scheduling, and modernized security features. By leveraging these new tools, administrators can ensure their IBM i systems remain efficient, secure, and ready to support business needs.
For more information on the updates, visit the IBM support pages for 7.4 TR11 and 7.5 TR5.
This article is written by Ash Giddings, Product Manager at Maxava
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