Install IBM i over a Network File System (NFS) server using virtual optical media and enjoy the freedom of automation!

Written by Dan Boyum and Dave Snyder

The IBM i Network Install process uses virtual optical devices within a Network File System (NFS) network for installation. With new enhancements in IBM i 6.1, users now have the ability to perform installations and operating system upgrades across their networks to other IBM i partitions. In addition, users can also load PTFs or restore data via a Virtual Media Image (VMI), all without having to manually FTP the data to additional partitions. This huge advance in the IBM i installation realm will provide users with even more efficiency and flexibility in managing today's complex system environments.

Why should you use IBM i Network Install? It's quick, easy, and efficient.

Centralized remote logging can be directly utilized with Linux's built-in syslog logging facilities.

Written by Max Hetrick

An important part of Linux system administration is dealing with system logs. Even if you aren't watching or reading logs on a daily basis, when you're troubleshooting problems, logs are usually the very first thing you turn to when troubles arise. Having logs in one centralized location on a network simplifies the task of locating them, plus gives you one place to create backups of logs if desired. The default Linux logging facility, syslog, provides you with the basic tools necessary to send logs to a remote server for collection.

Early notification of missed processes is the key to staying on top of SLAs.

Written by Tom Huntington

One of my slogans is "little problems become big problems if left alone." When managing our service-level agreements (SLAs), we are concerned with notification and reporting that keeps us informed about the status of critical processes or an unknown event that can cause other processes to not finish on time.

Discover how easy it is to view Windows and UNIX logs from one central console.

Written by Tom Huntington

As we automate more and more of the data center, we realize that just because something is automated doesn't mean that we will never have to deal with it again. Eventually, some of these automated tasks are going to fail. When they fail, you need to be able to view the logs for these events. You may need to sign on to the server, and you may need to provide reports to your management team, too.

How do you monitor your IFS directory growth?

Written by Tom Huntington

You recently added another new application to your IBM Power Systems servers (AS/400, iSeries, System i) that uses IFS directories to store data. You already had Domino information in the IFS, not to mention System i Access data. The IFS area continues to evolve and take up more and more of your disk space. Now, the big question is this: Do you have the tools needed to monitor and track the growth of IFS directories on your system?

Let's look at some emulator options that will help you expand your horizons with other OSes.

By Tom Snyder

When I first started working with the AS/400, we supported two means of providing green-screen access to the server using SNA over Twinax: dumb terminals and PC Support with an emulator card. The fun of dealing with controllers, ports, switches, line terminators, and emulator cards is now a thing of the past for the most part, thanks to TCP/IP. With standardized network communications, you can easily provide IBM i green-screen access to practically all of the operating systems on your network.