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IBM i QuickTip: Time to Install Cume PTFs for i 6.1 or i 7.1?

Posted on by Joe Hertvik

Looking at IT Jungle’s latest System i PTF Guide, I noticed the following new cumulative PTF groups have been released for the IBM i 6.1 and 7.1 operating systems. i 6.1 – 2122 – Released around May 1, 2012 i … Continue reading →

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IBM i QuickTip: Adjusting IBM i Access After an Upgrade

Posted on by Joe Hertvik

After my latest IBM i 6.1 upgrade, some of my users started getting CPF9E17 messages (Usage limit exceeded  – operator action required) when starting a Personal Communications green-screen session (PC5250). The problem was that in addition to the software license keys IBM … Continue reading →

Posted in IBM i Tech Info, opinion | 1 Comment

Admin Alert: The Right Way to Delete IBM i User Profiles, Part 1

Posted on by Joe Hertvik

IT Jungle just published part one of my two-part article on how to properly delete IBM i user profiles. It’s a primer on how to get the most out of the deletion process including: What you need to do in … Continue reading →

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IBM i QuickTip: When IBM i Image Catalogs Fight Replication Software

Posted on by Joe Hertvik

When we performed two IBM i 6.1 upgrades off Image Catalogs in the last week, we observed an interesting phenomena. Sometimes the system would refuse to load or verify our image catalogs. We’d either get a message that the image … Continue reading →

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IT Jungle: The EU Used Software Ruling and How it Affects IBM i Customers

Posted on by Joe Hertvik

Alex Woodie has a nice piece in IT Jungle about the early July European Union court ruling that opened the door for customers to resell vendor software. While this ruling doesn’t have any effect in the US, Alex looks at … Continue reading →

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IBM i Quick Tip: Copy and Paste in IBM i Access for Windows 7.1 Green Screens

Posted on by Joe Hertvik

My shop just migrated from System i Access for Windows V5R4M0 to IBM i Access for Windows V7R1M0, and we’re still looking at the differences between the two programs. One of the small things I noticed is the difference between Copy and … Continue reading →

Posted in IBM i Tech Info | 4 Comments

Easy Fixes: First Thing to Try for Internet Explorer Problems

Posted on by Joe Hertvik

I am constantly amazed by the simple fixes that you sometimes can apply for Windows problems. Take Internet Explorer for example. Over the course of the last week, I’ve found one simple fix that was either recommended to solve or … Continue reading →

Posted in Misc | 1 Comment

Oracle (and everyone else) Cannot Block EU Software Reselling…What Does it Mean for IBM i?

Posted on by Joe Hertvik

Here’s the money quote that may soon effect every software purchaser in Europe, the US, and around the world. Downloaded software can be resold just like software on physical media can, the Court of Justice of the European Union has … Continue reading →

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IT Jungle: Fixing IBM i Access Personal Communications 7.1 & More

Posted on by Joe Hertvik

IT Jungle has just posted my new article on how to fix the Personal Communications package that comes with IBM i Access for Windows 7.1, when the Run the Same function won’t work correctly on Windows 7.  I also take … Continue reading →

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IBM i QuickTip: Running Robot/Schedule Jobs on an Irregular Schedule

Posted on by Joe Hertvik

Like many IBM i shops, we use Help/Systems’ Robot/SCHEDULE software to automatically submit batch jobs and run batch job streams on a regular basis. We recently discovered a valuable SCHEDULE parameter that allows us to configure jobs to run on … Continue reading →

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LinkedIn QuickTip: Always Put a Description in Your LinkedIn Status Updates

Posted on by Joe Hertvik

When posting a status update that contains a Web site link on your LinkedIn account, always put in a short description introducing the Web site content. Don’t rely on the text in the Web site to tell readers what’s in the link … Continue reading →

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IBM i QuickTip: Signing On With Numeric User Profiles and Passwords

Posted on by Joe Hertvik

Carole Woodbury (@carolwoodbury) just tweeted one of my favorite IBM i password tips. As a rule, IBM i doesn’t allow you to enter numeric passwords. But you can sign on with a numeric password if you change your password to start … Continue reading →

Posted in IBM i Tech Info | 1 Comment

IT Jungle: In-Depth on Help/Systems Buying Safestone

Posted on by Joe Hertvik

From IT Jungle, here’s more in-depth information about the Help/Systems acquisition of UK-based Safestone Technologies that I blogged about last week. Among other facts, here are some gems you may want to read about in this Tim Prickett-Morgan article. This … Continue reading →

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From the Admin Alert archives: Checking Cache Battery Status on IBM i Systems

Posted on by Joe Hertvik

As I’ve written about in several Admin Alert columns for IT Jungle, IBM uses batteries in its IBM i disk controllers to provide caching for its disk drives. The batteries’ useful life is about 2.5 – 3 years. To avoid … Continue reading →

Posted in Hardware, IBM i hardware maintenance, Power hardware | Leave a comment