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IBM Refreshes iSeries Software

Analysis of News Events
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When IBM announced its eServer i5 models last week, it did more than deliver new hardware to iSeries customers. It also enhanced many of the software products that those customers already use. The enhanced products will ship on June 11, the same day that the i5 servers will leave IBM's loading docks.

Since the enhanced products run on current iSeries servers, they could make life a little easier for thousands of companies. With that in mind, let's examine the software side of IBM's big announcement.

i5/OS Up Close

As I explained in my article last week, i5/OS V5R3 (or simply i5/OS) is the next-generation release of the OS/400 operating system. While it is the only release of OS/400 that runs on the i5 servers, it is also supports the AS/400 170, 270, 7xx, and iSeries 8xx systems. Customers running OS/400 V5R1 or V5R2 can upgrade to i5/OS in a single step. Users of earlier OS/400 releases must upgrade first to V5R1 or V5R2, then upgrade to i5/OS.

While I briefly reviewed the new features in i5/OS V5R3 last week, there is more to be said about the operating system. Here are the other enhancements that existing iSeries owners will gain when they upgrade.

  • Expanded Windows and Linux support. While current OS/400 releases only support virtual disks of up to 64 GB for Linux logical partitions (LPARs) and integrated Windows servers, i5/OS supports up to 1 TB virtual disks for both operating environments. In addition, i5/OS boosts the maximum disk capacity that a Linux LPAR can support from 4 TB to 64 TB. The maximum capacity for Windows servers rises from 2 TB to 32 TB. On the management front, iSeries Navigator can now start up and shut down Linux LPARs and can create, link, and delink virtual disks from those LPARs.
  • Additional iSeries Navigator enhancements. Speaking of iSeries Navigator, the management tool gains dozens of new and updated functions in i5/OS. There is no easy way to summarize these enhancements, so click here to access detailed information about them from IBM. Or read MC Mag Online's article in this issue about the iSeries Navigator enhancements.
  • A more flexible Operations Console. Under i5/OS, the Operations Console gains functions that aid in the recovery or debugging of console problems. In addition, the Remote Control Panel can now connect directly to secondary LPARs rather than having to connect through the primary LPAR. If the Console fails, i5/OS will automatically reactivate it. Administrators can also identify which PC is controlling the Console and switch control to another PC.
  • More powerful Performance Management for iSeries (PM iSeries). Under older OS/400 releases, PM iSeries allows users to collect performance data only about LPARs running OS/400. In addition, the tool collects data only at the LPAR level, which forces users to manually collate results from each LPAR to get a cross-system view of performance. In the third quarter of this year, however, the i5/OS version of PM iSeries will be able to collect performance data on LPARs running any supported operating system. It will also create cross-system views of performance across all LPARs. Click here to learn more about this enhancement.
  • Expanded WebSphere enablement. If you upgrade your current iSeries to i5/OS, you will receive a free license to WebSphere Application Server (WAS) Express just like customers who purchase a new i5 server. Moreover, you will receive two releases of WAS Express: Version 5.0 and 5.1. The later release complies with the Software Development Kit for Java Technology Edition 1.4, which supports many of the new functions in the latest release of WebSphere Development Studio for iSeries.
  • Other enhancements. Under i5/OS, the integrated IBM HTTP Server can administer instances of WebSphere Portal Express Edition and WebSphere Application Server Base Edition that are running on the iSeries. In addition, the integrated Print Services Facility for OS/400 (PSF/400) now supports TruType and OpenType fonts as well as the newest IBM InfoPrint printers. Finally, DB2 UDB for iSeries gains a wealth of new capabilities, some of which I mentioned last week. IBM has posted a link to a detailed document about these enhancements on its DB2 UDB for iSeries Web site.

While i5/OS offers many benefits, its value will largely be determined by the number of software vendors who support it. Fortunately, over 250 vendors have already tested their products on i5/OS and have issued statements of support. Click here to see a list of those vendors and to find out if yours are among them.

Licensed Programs Get a V5R3 Facelift

While i5/OS V5R3 may be IBM's main software attraction, the company has also tweaked several iSeries licensed programs. This includes Backup Recovery Management Services, which I discussed in last week's article, and the following programs:

  • iSeries Access Family. While IBM is not shipping a new release of this product, it is enhancing the current release. Among the many changes, customers will find that iSeries Access for Web now lets users access 5250 applications and system screens via WebSphere Portal Express and Express Plus for Multiplatforms. The product also supports the conversion of iSeries print files to PDF files. If you use iSeries Access for Windows, you will note that the latest release has additional data providers. These include a provider for Windows .NET applications and OLE DB providers for SQL-only and record level access-only operations.
  • Infoprint Server for iSeries. This program receives a substantial number of enhancements under V5R3. The enhancements include intelligent output routing and support within PDF files for encryption, 2D barcodes, and full-color images. As part of the full-color support, users can import GIF, TIFF, JPEG, and BMP images into iSeries print files. For more information, check out the latest Redpaper on Infoprint Server.
  • DB2 Query Manager and SQL Development Kit. In its V5R3 release, this product gains data type support for binary, varying binary, and larger decimal numbers. The SQL precompilers also contain numerous ILE RPG enhancements, including support for qualified subfields and array data structures. By the way, Query for iSeries also gains support for the same data types as well as for binary large objects and user-defined types. You can also run queries against partitioned tables.
  • Advanced Job Scheduler. Among its numerous enhancements, this product enables users to schedule jobs from wireless devices and email automatic notifications about the status of jobs to specified recipients.

Besides enhancing the above programs, IBM improved the following licensed programs: CICS Transaction Server for iSeries, DB2 Universal Database Extenders for iSeries, and the XML Toolkit for iSeries. If you want to dig into the details on all the licensed program enhancements, click here to get a PDF version of the full announcement. The Infoprint Server details are in a separate announcement that you can access by clicking here.

When to Upgrade?

While i5/OS V5R3 and the latest licensed program releases offer numerous enhancements, they still represent an evolution rather than a revolution in iSeries software. As such, many iSeries customers could decide that the V5R3 enhancements do not give them enough reasons to upgrade now. However, there is a reason why customers may want to upgrade sooner rather than later: to prepare their applications and IT staff for an upgrade to the eServer i5 series. In many cases, customers will find that they can get more CPWs for their dollars by upgrading to the i5 instead of upgrading within the iSeries 8xx model family. Since the i5 models require i5/OS, getting acquainted with the new release could make financial sense.

Naturally, this raises the issue of hardware pricing and its impact on software decisions. I'll tackle that issue next week, when we'll dive into the pricing and packaging of the i5 series, so stay tuned.

Lee Kroon is a Senior Industry Analyst for Andrews Consulting Group, a firm that helps mid-sized companies manage business transformation through technology. You can reach him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

LEE KROON
Lee Kroon is a Senior Industry Analyst for Andrews Consulting Group, a firm that helps mid-sized companies manage business transformation through technology.
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