System i users and experts will meet June 17 - 20

This summer, Help/Systems, the world’s leader in System i Software Solutions, will host Camp Help/Systems, an opportunity for System i users to learn more about automated operations and business intelligence. Scheduled for June 17-20, 2008, at the Oak Ridge Hotel and Conference Center in Chaska, Minnesota, Camp Help/Systems offers users the most current System i information in a friendly and fun environment.

Camp Help/Systems brings together a unique mix of technical professionals and popular speakers. Users who attend can choose from a variety of sessions on a wide range of topics, including the latest in System i news from IBM experts, techniques for using Help/Systems products, and new ways to integrate their professional and personal lives. Among those presenting are Dr. Frank Soltis, the creator of the System i architecture; Richard Dolewski, an expert in disaster recovery; and Kent Milligan, a specialist in System i database topics. Users also can enjoy the antics of Stevie Ray, a well-known improv comedian and corporate trainer.

In addition, users have the opportunity to meet with other attendees and learn from their experiences.

To augment the Camp Help/Systems experience, users can take two full days of pre-camp workshops on June 16 and 17 that will provide in-depth training on Robot/SCHEDULE, Robot/CONSOLE, and SEQUEL.

Camp Help/Systems reflects Help/Systems’ ongoing commitment to the education of the System i community. For more information, contact Katie Carnicom at 1-800-328-1000. Or, visit www.helpsystems.com/education/camp/ to download a brochure or register online.

Do you work with complex data requests in SEQUEL? You do if any of these situations sound familiar:

* The records you want to select are dependent on values in another record

* You need to compare records in a file to other records in the same file

* You build work files and query them to accomplish the data request

What you might not realize is that you can use subqueries help with these complex requests. Using a subquery, you can nest a SELECT statement to make additional comparisons in the WHERE or HAVING clauses. A subquery can return one value, or a list of values, for comparison.

Let’s look at an example using some data from the SEQUELEX/ORDHEAD file. This file contains one record per order. Figure 1 (below) shows a small subset of the data.

Subqueries that return one value
You can use a subquery to return a single grouped (summarized) result that you can compare to data values in a primary record.

For instance, you can find all the orders (ORDNO) whose Retail Value (ORVAL) is greater than the average for the entire Order Header (ORDHEAD) file as easily as this:

SELECT cusno, ordno, orval

FROM sequelex/ordhead

WHERE orval > (SELECT AVG (orval) FROM sequelex/ordhead)

ORDER BY cusno Asc, ordno Asc

After SEQUEL calculates the average retail value for the records in the file, it compares each retail value against the average and returns a row only if its retail value is higher than the average.

Subqueries that return a list of values
Sometimes you want your query to compare a value against a list of values. You may have used the IN comparison to test a field or an expression result against a list of values.

But, what if the situation is a bit more complicated? Suppose you have a list of customers and you want to see which ones have backorders. Not only do you want to see the backorder (an OTYPE of B), but also if the same customer made other purchases that are not back-ordered. The following statement won’t be enough.

WHERE OTYPE=”B”

This statement returns only orders that have a backorder, as shown in Figure 2.

We actually want to see all the order records, including the order types of R and O, for customers with backorders.

You can use the following query to select all orders for customers who also have a B order-type record.

SELECT cusno, ordno, orval

FROM sequelex/ordhead

WHERE cusno IN (SELECT cusno FROM sequelex/ordhead WHERE otype=”B”)

It’s easy to build subqueries
ViewPoint makes it easy to build a subquery. The WHERE clause Expression Editor provides a list of subquery comparisons under the WHERE/HAVING section of the Function list.

Contributed by Sheryl Quinlan, Technical Consultant

Is there a report that shows my Robot/SCHEDULE security setup?
Yes, if you are running Robot/SCHEDULE 9.25 (or higher). Here’s how:

* Make sure the ROBOTLIB library is in your library list

* Go to a command line and enter CALL RBT400

This command generates a report listing Robot/SCHEDULE’s current security setup.

How can I tell which libraries and objects Robot/SAVE is encrypting?
It’s easy:

1. Go to the Robot/SAVE Main Menu and select option 4 (Reports Menu).

2. When the Reports Menu displays, select option 1 (System Reports).

3. Print the report titled “Library and IFS Objects Selected for Encryption Report.”

Robot/SAVE generates a spooled file (RBS441P) listing all libraries and objects that are either set up for encryption globally, or are encrypted only for a specific backup set.

Can Robot/SPACE generate a list of duplicate objects on my system?
Yes. Create a Storage Audit for all libraries and objects. Add the task “List Duplicate Library Objects.” Make sure you select “Print Results of this task” to create a spooled file with the results.

How can I tell SEQUEL to calculate the last day of the current month?
Use this statement:

CVTDATE(YEAR(Current Date),MONTH(Current Date),01)+1 month - 1 day

Updated! Are Help/Systems products compatible with i5/OS V6R1?
Help/Systems is committed to making its products compatible with the new release of i5/OS. We began shipping V6R1-compatible code for most products at the end of April 2008. For more information, download the new Help/FACTS, “Compatibility information for Help/Systems products moving to i5/OS V6R1 (IBM i 6.1)” or contact technical support.

Robot/SAVE’s Guided System Restoration process is now even easier to use. If you are using Robot/SAVE 11.15 (or higher), you have access to several improvements:

• Volume ID and Sequence number now display the Guided System Restoration Procedures panel. (Note: You set restoration sequence values on the Library Save Information panel. This allows you to identify which libraries are the most important to get you up and running. Then, Robot/SAVE can automatically restore your core libraries first.)
• Select Sort (function key 9) now allows you to sort by Volume ID.
• Print Report (function key 8 ) is a new option that prints an audit report showing the libraries selected and not selected for restoration and the volume(s) where they reside. You can use the report in advance of a disaster recovery (DR) test to verify the libraries that will be restored. You also can use this report to satisfy your auditors, to practice and fine tune your selection criteria, or to keep track of what is selected in a real Guided System Restoration.
• View (function key 11) is another new option that shows the Volume IDs required to restore each of the libraries in the list. The Volume ID in the Volume column is the volume where the library begins. By pressing function key 11, you can see if the library spans more than one volume.
• Restore Existing (function key 22) selects only the items that were on your system at the time of the last backup for restoration. If you press function key 22 and return to the Guided System Restoration Procedures panel, you can locate libraries with high sequence numbers that should not be restored at the DR site, such as test libraries or other non-essential items. This can save you precious time in the restore process.
• Message clarification. When you back of out the Restore All (function key 21) or the Restore Existing (function key 22) options, the message now reads, “Restore cancelled. Select/deselect items and press Enter to begin.”

The net effect of these changes is that it is easier to modify what will be restored.

Contributed by Theresa Aleckson, Technical Consultant

SEQUEL views can be regrouped or drilled into to provide new insights

SEQUEL ViewPoint allows you to view the data in your databases in different ways. When you create a view by using a function that groups (summarizes) data, you automatically create views that can be “drilled into” to see the supporting detail. Views that include functions, such as SUM(), MIN(), MAX, COUNT(), or AVG() let you drill into the displayed results.

Note: This feature requires fields to be added to the Dynamic Drill Down Field list. This list is stored in a file (SEQUEL/VPTDYNFLTR) that you can maintain easily using ViewPoint Administrator, or a green screen command line with UPDATE, INSERT, or DFU.

Drilling down from the summary level to the detail is easy. When you right-click on a result, you can select from two options: Regroup or Show details.

Regroup
The Regroup option lets you sort the entire result set and re-summarize it by one of the many fields. You can run this process repeatedly without any changes to the view.

The Regroup Data window lists all fields from all files used in the view that are also defined in the Dynamic Drill Down Field List. If no fields from the starting view exist in the Dynamic Drill Down List, a dialog displays allowing you to list all fields for the view. Just place a check next to all the fields for which you want to regroup the data.

Right-click on BMXCARTON and choose to regroup the data.

If you choose to regroup using the state field (left) and press the OK button, a second window opens displaying the new results (right).

Show Detail
This option shows the supporting detail for the selected grouped record, allowing you to drill-into the data that created the summary information. Right-click on a specific line, select “show details,” and select the data you want to see from the detail of that line.

Again, you can run this process repeatedly without any changes to the view.

In this example, right-click on Illinois and choose “Show details” and name to display customer detail.

SEQUEL filters the original data set to display customers in Illinois.

Contributed by Carlo Panzarella, Technical Consultant

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.”

Expands job monitoring, comparisons, and more!

Help/Systems, the world’s leader in automated operations and business intelligence software for the IBM System i, announces the release of Robot/SPACE 3.0, the newest version of its software that automatically monitors and manages IBM System i disk space. Robot/SPACE eliminates disk storage crises by notifying users of potential trouble and provides tools for quickly finding disk storage problems.

Robot/SPACE job monitoring has been expanded to allow users to monitor the storage allocated by their QTEMP libraries and spooled files for active jobs on their system. All three job monitors can track detail information for every threshold exception, and can be configured using Robot/GUIDE.

With Robot/SPACE 3.0, users can compare two collections from the same collection group and list the libraries, objects, IFS directories, IFS files, output queues, or file members that have changed from one collection to the other.

Robot/SPACE 3.0 includes role-based security to authorize users for using specific product functionality or accessing specific data. The administrator can add, edit, delete, and copy roles, as well as assign users to specific roles.

Users can use On-Demand Reporting to quickly create ad hoc reports of collected records. These reports can be saved as an HTML, text, or PDF file for viewing, printing, or distributing.

For more information about the new release, contact your Help/Systems Regional Sales Manager at 1-800-328-1000 (U.S. and Canada), or your local distributor.

Related PDFs that may of interest

1. Robot/SPACE 3.0 Enhancements

2. Robot/SPACE 3.0 Comparison Checklist

3. Instructions for converting from Robot/SPACE Version 2.0 to Version 3.0

New product addresses the need to manage System i security policies

Help/Systems, the world’s leader in automated operations and business intelligence software for the IBM System i, announces the release of Robot/SECURITY, the i5/OS security monitoring and auditing package. In today’s business climate, System i security is vital. Robot/SECURITY is the only security software that combines five critical System i security tools in one package to help users develop a complete security strategy for their System i.

Profile Exchange authorizes users to assume the authority of another user profile temporarily. Administrators define alternate user profiles that are assigned special authorities. When users need a different authority level, they can exchange to an alternate user profile, assume the necessary authority, complete their tasks, then return to their standard authority level.

Exit Point Monitoring controls who is allowed to access the System i through server exit points. Robot/SECURITY monitors selected exit points and helps control access to the system. Users define which exit points to control and the level of management needed.

The Security Audit checks system security settings and compares them to industry best practices. Users can audit system value settings, user profiles, network attributes, servers, libraries, files, commands, programs, directories and other objects for proper private and public authorities, and set authority policies for their company. A comprehensive set of reports provides a complete audit record.

QAUDJRN Monitoring provides real-time monitoring of the security audit journal. Robot/SECURITY monitors for authority failures, user profile changes, invalid password attempts, and system value changes, and notifies the user when potential security problems occur.

The Forensics Analysis Utility is a PC tool that consolidates data from several sources, including Robot/SECURITY profile exchange and exit point monitoring, the system audit journal (QAUDJRN), the system history log (QHST), QSYSOPR and other message queues, and other Help/Systems products, to help users research system security activity by user, job, or date.

Robot/SECURITY makes it easy to implement, audit, and maintain security policies, while providing the flexibility users need to take full control of their System i security procedures.

For more information, visit www.helpsystems.com/ops/security.html.