Robot/SAVE’s RBSDUPROT command comes to the rescue

Does your company have a legal, industry, or policy requirement to maintain duplicate copies of your backup records? If so, you’ll be interested in a new command RBSDUPROT that was added recently to Robot/SAVE.

This command duplicates a Robot/SAVE tape rotation and cross-references the duplicate to the original tape. You can tell what is on each tape because Robot/SAVE automatically maintains a record for you, helping you get away from error-prone manual methods of tracking duplicates. In addition, this cross reference helps satisfy auditor requirements for reliable tracking of duplicate records. Best of all, because Robot/SAVE knows how to handle multi-volume data, there’s no problem when your backup data spans tapes.

Before you begin
To use the RBSDUPROT command, you must have the following:

• Robot/SAVE 11.08 or higher installed on your system
• Two drives of the same type that use the same media

To help you manage duplicated volumes, select option 11, Tape Cross Reference Inquiry, on the Save Media Management Menu to display volume information for both the duplicate and the original volumes. Press function key 8 to print a report of your duplicate volume information. The Volume Inquiry panel also displays duplicate volume information.

Duplicating volumes using the RBSDUPROT command is considered an ad hoc operation. If you want to release the duplicated volumes to the scratch pool when their data expires, make sure to specify Y (Yes) in the Release expired Ad hoc tapes to scratch field on the Media Defaults panel.

When you submit or schedule the RBSDUPROT command, both the RBSDTALIB and RBSPGMLIB libraries must be in your interactive library list. The command is located in RBSPGMLIB, but uses files from RBSDTALIB. If you are scheduling the RBSDUPROT command using Robot/SCHEDULE, display the Control Options panel and enter RBSPGMLIB/RBSJOBD in the Job Description fields, and *JOBD in the Library List Name field.

Using the RBSDUPROT command

The following describes the fields in the RBSDUPROT command.

• Backup Class/Backup Set. Enter the backup class and backup set to which the volume you want to duplicate currently is attached.
• Rotation code. Enter the rotation code of the volume to be duplicated. To enter a specific rotation code, enter the code with leading zeroes. Specify *LASTRUN to select the last rotation used by Robot/SAVE.
• From device. The From device is the device where the original volume is mounted. Enter the name of a device, or specify *SAME to use the same device Robot/SAVE used to save the data.
• To device. The To device is the device used for the duplicate volume. Enter a device name, or specify *DEVGRP to use a device in the same group as the original device where the data was saved.
• To volume identifier. The To volume identifier is the volume to use for the duplicate volume. You can enter the name of a volume; *SCRPOOL to select a volume from the Robot/SAVE scratch pool; or *MOUNTED to use the volume that currently is mounted. Note: If you are using an Automated Media Librarian (AML), the only valid value is *SCRPOOL (scratch pool).
• File expiration date. You can specify an expiration date for the duplicate volume. Enter a date using your system date format. Enter *FROMFILE to use the same expiration date as the original volume. Enter *PERM if the duplicate volume is permanent, with no expiration date.

Contributed by Theresa Aleckson, Technical Consultant

How do your queries access Oracle, MySQL, SQL, and other databases?

Do you need to combine System i, UNIX, and Windows data all on one executive dashboard panel? Do you need to consolidate data from multiple databases in your network? Are you tired of being forced to transfer System i data from your DB2/400 database to a data warehouse so that it can be queried?

The basic i5/OS Query product allows you to access only your local DB2 data through the queries you write. IBM’s new Web Query tool also allows you to access your DB2 data, but it costs extra to use and connect to other databases. In addition, you have to go somewhere else for support for these connections. Other tools allow you to access DB2 data on your System i, but they do it from Windows or UNIX. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a System i-centered solution?

SEQUEL connects to remote databases—FREE
SEQUEL allows you to access DB2/400 databases, along with access to Oracle, MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, and other JDBC type 4 databases. SEQUEL makes it easy to create connections to these databases. Best of all, end users never have to know that they are viewing data from another system, or building a dashboard that presents data from multiple sources.

For example, you can combine data from Oracle, SQL Server, and DB2 into a single executive view (see Figure 1). With SEQUEL, your team can access other servers for no additional charge.

How easy is it to connect?
The SEQUEL Administrator makes it easy to set up connections to other databases. You just enter the system name, or IP address, along with a user ID and password. Once the connection has been configured, any

SEQUEL user can manually point to the defined database (see Figure 2). Or, users can set up their defaults so they always access the selected database. With SEQUEL, users can simply build a view and choose the files they want to use, without worrying where they are located.

How easy is it to add tables?
To see a list of tables you can query, simply click on the file list (see Figure 3). Just as you can with DB2 files, it’s easy to select the tables you need to create new views, tables, drill downs, summarized graphs, reports, and more from your non-System i data.

Our support team can show you how easy it is to use SEQUEL to solve your database access issues. Call us at 1-800-328-1000 to request a live demo or a FREE 30-day trial in your own network of databases. Or, you can download and view an archived presentation on this topic.

Contributed by Tom Huntington, Vice President of Technical Services

Help/Systems, the world’s leader in automated operations and business intelligence for the IBM System i, announces the acquisition of the eveLogic Group in both Europe and Asia Pacific. EveLogic has many years of experience working with Help/Systems to market and support Help/Systems products across Europe from its companies in the United Kingdom and France, as well as across the Asia Pacific region through its Australian subsidiary.

Janet Dryer, Chief Executive Officer of Help/Systems said: “We are very excited at the opportunity to add eveLogic to the Help/Systems family. EveLogic has an excellent reputation for its service and support and we look forward to building on this reputation as we go forward.”

Konrad Litwin, Managing Director of eveLogic, added, “This represents a fantastic opportunity to expand the Robot products to customers in every region of the world. Our emphasis has always been to provide the best products to automate each customer’s environment and to back that up with the best support in the industry. Going forward, our customers will continue to see the same level of local support from the same people they’ve come to know. It’s what we’ve always done, and will continue to do under the Help/Systems name.”

With this acquisition, Help/Systems plans to offer even more opportunities for its customers by establishing a stronger presence worldwide. That includes conducting Web-based seminars in the local language, a larger presence at trade shows and user conferences, more on-site training and support, and the opportunity for users to learn more about all Help/Systems products.

Jim Cassens, Help/Systems’ Vice President of International Sales, said, “I look forward to working with Konrad and his team in expanding our presence in the international marketplace. In addition, Help/Systems will continue to work with and support our other distributors located around the world.”

All my SEQUEL reports are printing duplex. How do I change that?
You can turn off duplex printing by changing the SEQUEL/SQLPRT1 printer file. Use the following Change Print File (CHGPRTF) command:

CHGPRTF FILE(SEQUEL/SQLPRT1) DUPLEX(*NO)

I want to use Robot/ALERT to send e-mail messages, but my System i is not configured as an e-mail server. Is there a way around this?
Your System i doesn’t have to be an e-mail server for Robot/ALERT to send e-mail messages. If you use Robot/GUIDE for Automated Vendor setup, you simply specify the domain name or IP address of your SMTP e-mail server in the Outbound TCP/IP Host field. If you are using a two-way e-mail connection, specify the domain name or IP address of your POP3 e-mail server in the Inbound TCP/IP Host field.

I use Robot/SCHEDULE. When I set up a reactive job, it runs as soon as it gets the completion code for its prerequisite job. I would like the reactive job to wait a little while before it runs. How would I set this up?
You can attach OPAL code to the reactive job to do this. The OPAL must be submitted before the reactive job runs. Here’s an example that would delay the job for one minute. This code checks that the reactive job is not in a delayed status and then adds one minute until it will be submitted.

Users are raving about Robot/SCHEDULE’s new job monitors

Robot/SCHEDULE Job Monitors are designed to help you identify job schedule problems. You specify the jobs you want to monitor for the following Job Monitor events:

* A job that runs too long

* A job that completes too fast to have run properly

* A job that starts later than its scheduled time

The Robot/SCHEDULE 10 job monitors help you monitor critical jobs for specific events such as jobs that run too long, complete too quickly, or start later than scheduled. (Click on the thumbnail above to enlarge.)

When a Job Monitor event occurs, Robot/SCHEDULE can end the job automatically and notify you by sending a message to the job’s message queue; sending a text, e-mail, or pager message via Robot/ALERT; or sending a status to the Robot/NETWORK Status Center.

If the message queue specified on the Robot/SCHEDULE Control Options panel for a job is a message queue monitored by Robot/CONSOLE, the Job Monitors also can interface with Robot/CONSOLE.

Contributed by Jeanne Thiesfeld, Technical Consultant

In 2008, U.S. Daylight Saving Time begins on March 9 and ends on November 2. Whether you change the time manually or have the system change the time automatically, the most important thing to keep in mind is that Robot/SCHEDULE must be inactive when the time change is made.

Two ways to set up the time change
Basically, there are two ways to accomplish the time change in Robot/SCHEDULE.

1. Create a CL program to end Robot/SCHEDULE, change the time, and restart Robot/SCHEDULE. (You can set up a Robot/SCHEDULE job to call this program.) This approach is explained in the Help/FACTS “Using Robot/SCHEDULE to automate Daylight Saving Time change.”

Note: You can modify the program to restart additional products so they pick up the time change. Products that benefit from this include: Robot/ALERT, Robot/AUTOTUNE, Robot/CLIENT, Robot/CONSOLE, Robot/MONITOR, Robot/NETWORK, and Robot/REPORTS.

2. Use the QTIMZON system value to make the change. With this approach, you need to create two Robot/SCHEDULE jobs to make Robot/SCHEDULE inactive during the time change. Download the Help/FACTS “Using Robot/SCHEDULE with the QTIMZON System Value” to get the details.

Important note: If you use the QTIMZON system value, IBM has issued the following Program Temporary Fixes (PTFs) that add updated time zone descriptions. After you apply the appropriate PTFs for your OS level, you can change the QTIMZON system value to the new value for your region. Continue to check with IBM in the event that future PTFs become available.

* i5/OS V5R4M0: PTFs SI26040 and SI25990

* i5/OS V5R3M0: PTFs SI26039 and SI25991

There are no changes for the QTIMZON system value in V6R1M0.

If your system uses a Hardware Management Console (HMC), you might need to apply additional fixes.

Unless specifically mentioned above, other Robot products are not affected by the time change. In addition, SEQUEL, ABSTRACT, ESEND, and EASY VIEW are not affected by the time change.

Contributed by Jeanne Thiesfeld, Technical Consultant