Keeping AS/400 Database and IFS in Sync

[Guest.Visitor]

You have all heard of a SKU/Item Mster File on the AS/400. Pretty well everyone has them What we are looking to do however is start storing pictures on the IFS, with a file name equal to the SKU#.jpg. So here is the catch/problem. We want to have a field on the SKU master, on the AS/400 that says Picture Y/N. Is there any automatic way of, when a picture file is save to a specific directory on the IFS, that using the file name (SKU#) update the SKU master file and set the flag to a "Y", and conversly, if deleted it changed the flag to a "N". We are on V4R5. Any Ideas ? Thanks David

[Guest.Visitor]

What use is to be made of the Y/N field; If it's a programmatic use, could you not have the program look for the picture; possibly a subroutine that programs call to determine if a picture exists in the IFS. JAT bobh

[GlenKerner]

You could of course have a batch job that constantly checks to see if any new pictures have been added. Then when one if found update the SKU master. How important is it to have the file updated immediately? The other option is to have the application that is using the pictures automatically check for one and if one is found use it, if not use a standard "no picture found" picture. This shouldn't take long to do and it will eliminate the need to modify the SKU master.

[Guest.Visitor]

Have you had a look at using data-link data types that allow the file the hold a reference to a blob (image). There is also a server you can start that manages the integrity of the data-links. I believe the data-links can be contrained so that the objects can only be changed via the file reference. There's some documentation online in one of the redbooks I think.

[David Abramowitz]

V4R5 allows BLOBS such as JPG files to be a part of DB2/400. Since your application ties back to existing programs this may not be possible. You might want to consider Ultimedia APIs. These APIs, can tie your SKU to a particular JPG. If the JPG gets deleted, you can program the return code from the API to set the flag in your product file. The only problem I see here is setting the flag to "Y" once a new picture is available. Dave

[R.Daugherty]

"V4R5 allows BLOBS such as JPG files to be a part of DB2/400. Since your application ties back to existing programs this may not be possible." I think it'd be better to establish a new file anyway indexed by item number to hold the BLOB's which would also provide a de facto synchronized Y/N flag. But if he was going to be able to do that he wouldn't be looking for essentially a triggered directory.... (Let's see. How do I get an operating system to check that when it creates a file entry in a directory, it'd better check to see if it's a special directory, the directory where upon creating any new file its to update the has_picture field to 'Y' indexed by the file name minus the extension in the DB2/400 file ItmMas in the ProdLib library of the QSYS file system. Nothing hard coded here. mmmmmm... Linux is open source. Yeah, that's how I'll do it.....) I don't understand the need for a flag anyway (much less modify Item Master to add it... can you imagine.) Cannot a file not found error be detected and the file name to retrieve be replaced with perhaps a default item class image, and if that's not found replaced with a default item image? Ralph ralph@ee.net

[J.Pluta]

But if he was going to be able to do that he wouldn't be looking for essentially a triggered directory.... I wonder if there isn't an exit program somewhere for IFS access... Joe

[Guest.Visitor]

A triggered directory, or an Exit program is exactly what I am looking for. We have about 75,000 SKU's going out to 100+ customers (stores actually) attached on a VPN through a 56k dial-up. I asked a few more questions of my boss and what we want is to be able to send to the stores a flag to say if the picure exists or doesn't on a hourly "POLL" process. They will be using this flag to detmine if they should try and retrieve the picture on their PC application. It is really a speed issue. So having a trigger of some sort fo the IFS to update whether a record has file has been added/deleted. With BLOBs the object is stored, i believe, within the AS/400 database, and would not be accessible from a Web Server.... Idealy we want to be able to store a "LINK" to the object in the AS/400 data file and when a file is added or changed in the IFS it add/updates a record in this "LINK" file..... Thanks for all you thoughts so far. David

[Guest.Visitor]

Idealy we want to be able to store a "LINK" to the object in the AS/400 data file and when a file is added or changed in the IFS it add/updates a record in this "LINK" file..... Thats what Data Links are specifically for. They have link from the table to the the IFS David

[G.Gaunt]

David wrote: You have all heard of a SKU/Item Mster File on the AS/400. No I haven't. What is it?