29
Fri, Nov
0 New Articles

Why Waste Money and Kill Trees When Using Spool File Management Best Practices Preserves Both?

Analysis of News Events
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

Save money on printing, but for a limited time, save on BCD's 2010 year-end promotion.

Written by Chris Smith

We don't have detailed demographics on all our MC Press Online readers, but my guess is there aren't too many who were working on computers in the early 1960s when IBM coined the term "spool file." The acronym stands for Simultaneous Peripheral Operation On-Line (SPOOL), but folklore has it that the name actually was conceived after the term "spool" came into widespread use, since a spool is what is used to wind magnetic tape.

 

Before multitasking was invented, computers could run only one job at a time. So if you wanted to print a job, it would consume the computer's full time until the printing finished. Printers were slow compared to CPUs, so operators would offload the job onto a magnetic tape drive, which was considerably faster than printing it. When the processing job was finished, the tape "spool" would then be removed from the computer and mounted onto a tape drive attached to a printer.

 

This, of course, was way before my time (ahem), and even if I had been alive, I would not have been working around complicated electronic equipment, such as computers. I would have been dreaming about girls. But for the benefit of the historians in the group, the IBM-360 family of computers was announced in April 1964.

 

Fast-forward to 2010 and consider how we handle spool files today. They are still needed to relieve work on the central computer, but we don't generally offload them to magnetic tape. What we do with them today, however, should be just about anything except print them. Let's face it. When it costs 6 cents a page to print a document, and you're printing 20,000 pages a month, you're really inviting someone to sneak up behind you and accuse you of not only wasting company resources, but, nowadays, wasting the world's resources as well. Think of all the trees! By the way, the 20,000 pages will cost about $1,200. At today's rate of inflation, that figure is probably already higher.

 

Wouldn't it make more sense instead of printing the spool file to convert the document therein to, say, a PDF file and email it to the recipient? Now you're thinking smart (well, smarter). Let's see, do you think there might be an application or two out there for the System i that could do that? Looking in the MC Press Online Buyer's Guide, we see there are more than 150 listings for document management/contact management/imaging solutions. Among the more familiar names in the industry offering solutions are IBM Lotus, ACOM Solutions, Help/Systems, Quadrant, RSS Software, S4i, inFORM Decisions, Pluta Brothers, Computer Keyes, Seagull Software, looksoftware, Business Computer Design (BCD), RJS Software, and many others that could be mentioned (visit the Buyer's Guide for a complete list of companies with whom MC Press Online is familiar).

 

One product that has been around for more than a decade and has a large install base is Catapult from BCD. The company spent nearly the entire year in 2007 completely rewriting Catapult from top to bottom and then did an extensive beta program before releasing V7 in spring 2009. V7.6 is currently available for download and free trial from the BCD Web site. The speed of V7.6 is impressive. Depending on the number of spool files being processed, it can be up to 40 times faster than Catapult V6.

 

The application's user interface has been significantly improved, and the program is not only more stable today but has been re-engineered to integrate with future technologies, including new operating systems, according to BCD. Among improvements in the product is a complete redesign of the Grab Rule Editor to make grab-rule maintenance simpler and more intuitive. Grab Rules are Catapult's user-defined selection criteria that specify which spooled files to download, how they will be distributed and to whom, and what format the files will take: Adobe PDF, Rich Text Format (RTF), plain text (ASCII), TIF, HTML, XLS, etc. Catapult also can download reports in various formats, including data format (without page breaks and blank lines), report format (with breaks and blank lines), and rich format (with breaks, line spacing, format tags, and overprinting). It will auto-file and auto-index reports and documents into organized folders within BCD's Nexus Enterprise Content Management solution, thus permitting unlimited search indexes based on content.

 

For those unfamiliar with Catapult, it is a document and report management solution that reviewers have described as a PC and System i client/server application to allow users to print, fax, email, publish to the Web, and archive spool files from System i and PCs. It gives users an added ability to extract reports, and even parts of reports, before converting them to different file formats. It supports adding graphical form overlays for creating professional-looking reports. It interfaces with a number of BCD products, including the report-mining tool, EZ-Pickin's, which permits the automatic extraction of data into Excel, Access, Word, or other applications. Here is what the person in charge of the new rewrite had to say about the effort:

 

"We spent over 2.5 person-years rewriting Catapult from the ground up," said Duncan Kenzie, president of ExcelSystems Software Development, the technical development arm of BCD. "We developed the client component in Microsoft C# .NET and the System i component in native ILE code so it would be fully compatible with IBM i and modern Windows environments," he said. "The new version is exceptionally stable and scalable. We are seeing exponential improvements in speed to distribute spool files.

 

"For example," Kenzie told us upon release of the beta in 2008, "it now takes only 1.46 minutes to process 1,000 spool files on our [System] 520 compared to 42 minutes in V6. We have also completely redesigned the entire user interface, including the console and the Grab Rule Editor, to improve the flow when creating new distribution rules and to establish clearer links between related functions. Selecting spool files visually is now much more powerful, too.

 

What do users say about Catapult, and why is it popular? For one thing, its automated distribution features can save users time. More important, it can save money by dramatically reducing printing and mailing costs, with many users reportedly saving thousands of dollars per month in printing costs, says BCD. Its security features prohibit unauthorized users from creating grab rules to look at data they don't have permission to view. And log data that shows who distributed what documents to whom can be saved to show a complete audit trail of data access. So it's HIPAA- and SOX-compliant. No programming is needed to use Catapult, and its polling functions don't impact IBM i resources because work is offloaded to the PC for splitting, archiving, or emailing spool filed reports.

 

The Catapult solution works fine alone, but its capabilities expand greatly when used as part of BCD's integrated solution suite that includes Nexus Portal, EZ-Pickin's, Spool-Explorer, WebSmart, and ProGen Plus. It's interesting to note that even WebSmart can be used together with Catapult to create a Web front-end to existing RPG report programs creating spool files. WebSmart brings up the existing report and activates Catapult commands that convert and distribute the spool files.

 

License fees for Catapult range from $4,250 to $10,500 based on model and processor, but as loyal readers of TNT know, we often try to guide you to something free or at least give you a tip to find a discount. Request a price quote from BCD, or download Catapult, by January 31, 2011, and lock in savings of 15–30 percent! Confirm your order no later than March 15, 2011, for the discount to be included in your order. Note that BCD's 2010 end-of-year discount applies not only to Catapult but to most BCD products, including Presto, WebSmart PHP, WebSmart ILE, Clover Query, Spool-Explorer, EZ-Pickin's, and ProGen Plus. Ho ho ho!

 

Editor's Note: Portions of this article appeared first in the February 28, 2008, issue of MC TNT Tips and Techniques as "Better Spool File Management Can Result in Big Savings."

as/400, os/400, iseries, system i, i5/os, ibm i, power systems, 6.1, 7.1, V7,

Chris Smith

Chris Smith was the Senior News Editor at MC Press Online from 2007 to 2012 and was responsible for the news content on the company's Web site. Chris has been writing about the IBM midrange industry since 1992 when he signed on with Duke Communications as West Coast Editor of News 3X/400. With a bachelor's from the University of California at Berkeley, where he majored in English and minored in Journalism, and a master's in Journalism from the University of Colorado, Boulder, Chris later studied computer programming and AS/400 operations at Long Beach City College. An award-winning writer with two Maggie Awards, four business books, and a collection of poetry to his credit, Chris began his newspaper career as a reporter in northern California, later worked as night city editor for the Rocky Mountain News in Denver, and went on to edit a national cable television trade magazine. He was Communications Manager for McDonnell Douglas Corp. in Long Beach, Calif., before it merged with Boeing, and oversaw implementation of the company's first IBM desktop publishing system there. An editor for MC Press Online since 2007, Chris has authored some 300 articles on a broad range of topics surrounding the IBM midrange platform that have appeared in the company's eight industry-leading newsletters. He can be reached at 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: