02
Sat, Nov
2 New Articles

Newest RSF Release from Bug Busters Increases System Availability, Integrity

High Availability / Disaster Recovery
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

With RSF Release 9.0, administrators can change the layout of physical files while in use.

Bug Busters Software Engineering has announced Release 9.0 of its RSF and RSF-HA applications for IBM i. 

RSF provides an advanced managed-file-transfer layer for IBM i. RSF-HA is a complete high availability and data replication solution for the IBM i platform, bringing users more power at less cost than the competition, according to the company. Release 9.0 updates both the base and HA versions of RSF. 

With Release 9.0, you can change the layout of physical files while they're in use! This release also introduces several HA performance and functional improvements.

Change File While Active 

The new Change PF While Active (CHGPFRSF) command lets you change the layout of a physical file with minimal disruption. The file is fully available during the change, except for a few moments at the end when the new format is installed.

Adding a new field or otherwise changing the record layout of a large production file has always been a challenge. Native tools, like the Change Physical File and ALTER TABLE commands, run for a long time and do not allow updates to the file until the operation is complete.

By contrast, the new CHGPFRSF command makes changing the layout of large files practical. During the change, reads, adds, updates and deletes to the file are fully supported, as are operations such as adding, clearing and reorganizing members. CHGPFRSF changes the file format in the background, preserving all user changes made during the update process.

This new feature is available in both the base and HA versions of RSF.

Faster Role Swap

With each release, RSF has improved the speed and efficiency of HA role swaps. A role swap occurs when the backup machine becomes the production machine, either during a test or as a result of a real problem with the primary machine. With this release we introduce the concept of a standby journal. When replicating your system, having a standby journal in place on the target machine can speed up the process of swapping the target into production, should the need arise.  RSF now creates and manages standby journals for you, keeping the receivers small and trim until such time as the machine is swapped into production and the standby journal takes over as the production journal.

HA Improvements

Several key enhancements to high availability processing are provided, including:

  • A new tool to find and delete orphan objects.
  • The ability to specify the default job name for library replication tasks.
  • The ability, when ending replication jobs, to wait until the requested jobs have ended.
  • More flexibility when specifying objects to include or omit from replication.
  • Automatic handling of libraries with cross-dependent logical files.
  • Faster handling of PF triggers and constraints.
  • Automatic target release detection, making it easier than ever to replicate between systems with differing OS release levels.
  • A new, easy way to change the synchronization attributes for all of your defined items at once.
  • A new command that makes it easy to delete a journal and all of its associated pieces.

For more details about these and other enhancements included in RSF 9.0, visit:

http://www.bugbusters.net/rsf_new.htm.

Complete Solution

RSF 9.0 Base Version makes inter-system communication, file transfer and object distribution a snap.

  • Send and retrieve objects and spooled files securely.
  • Send email and text messages from any program or command line.  Attach objects and spooled files to email messages with ease.
  • Pass through to other machines securely and easily.
  • Send objects to many machines in the time it takes to send to just one.
  • Industry standard Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption supported.
  • Change the layout of a physical file while it's in use.

RSF-HA 9.0 includes all of the base version function and allows you to replicate everything on your system:

  • Libraries
  • IFS directories
  • User profiles
  • System values
  • Network attributes
  • Authorization lists
  • Configuration information
  • Data queues
  • Object-level authorities
  • Spooled files
  • Message queues
  • Data areas
  • And more...

Two-way mirroring is supported, allowing updates to occur to the same files on multiple systems simultaneously. For more details about features added to each release of RSF, please see: http://www.bugbusters.net/rsf_new.htm.

Competitively Priced

The RSF High Availability feature is licensed separately. This complete solution is available for a fraction of the cost of traditional HA implementations.

Free Trial

Free 30-day trials for RSF 8.6 can be downloaded from www.bugbusters.net.

MC Press Online's staff of reporters and editors are trained professionals who share a background in journalism and have a passion for technology. Many have been in the IBM midrange industry for more than 20 years and have a keen sense of what's important to IBM i and Power Systems users. If you have a news tip, story idea, or press release, email it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: