Boot Camp Training

IBM i System Administration

If you are looking to train your talent in IBM i System Administration, this is your solution. The IBM i Systems Administration Boot Camp provides a convenient way to train new talent in your organization. This series consists of 14 video lessons. Watch this video for an introduction.

Meet the Speakers

Video Overview

IBM i Operating System Introduction and Overview

Speaker: Larry Bolhuis

Topics

  • Brief History of IBM i and Power Systems
    • Dates
    • Version History with associated hardware history
    • System Names
    • Communications past (Twinax BiSync T/R SNA/SDLC FDDI IPX)
    • Modern use cases
  • System concepts
    • Differences between IBM i and other systems
      • Integrated System
      • Main Storage (not memory)
      • IPL (unique to system)
      • PTFs (IBM i fix pack)
      • The Machine Interface
      • Everything is an object?
  • Single level Store
  • File Systems
  • Libraries
  • Messages and Message Queues
  • Printers, Output Queues, and Spooled Files
  • Integrated File Systems
  • Storage Pools
  • Integrated Database (DB/2)
  • Security
    • Object ownership
    • Hard typing
  • Review of interfaces to the System
    • Command Line use and Command construction
    • QSH and qp2term and other shells.
    • Menu structure
    • IBM Navigator for i Web Interface
    • Review of iSeries Access (Historical, brief)
    • Access Client Solutions (the new, modern tool)
  • Security Basics
    • User Security
    • Limited User
    • Profile types
    • Group Profiles
  • System Security
    • System Values
    • Password rules
    • Auditing

Basic Power Systems Hardware Overview

Speaker: Larry Bolhuis

Topics

  • Relationship of physical hardware to operating system resources
  • Physical, Partitioned, vs virtual deployment
  • Understanding port numbering and identifying hardware
  • Tape Libraries and Tape Drives
  • Optical and RDX drives
  • Virtual Interfaces
  • Disk controllers and Raid
  • Internal storage vs SAN
  • Printers and output queues
  • Hypervisor

File Systems

Speaker: Larry Bolhuis

Topics

  • Security model
  • The Root (IFS)
    • Case sensitivity
  • The library file system, files, and members
  • QOpenSys
  • QNTC
  • QFileSvr400
  • QIBM
  • QDLS and its limitations
  • User Defined File Systems (UDFS)
  • NFS
  • Netserver
  • Samba

IBM i Work Management

Speaker: Rohit Sharma

Topics

  • Starting/submitting jobs
  • User Profiles
  • Library Lists
  • Subsystems
  • Class of services
  • Routing programs
  • Workstation entries
  • Job queues
  • Workload capping
  • Performance
  • Spool files
  • OutQs
  • Memory pools
    • Machine pool
    • Base pool
    • Interactive pool
    • Spool pool
    • Shared
    • Private pools
  • Job Types
    • Batch jobs
    • Interactive Jobs
    • Batch immediate
    • Prestart vs Autostart
    • Writers
  • Ending jobs
    • End job vs end job abnormal

Starting the System

Speaker: Clark Heiser

Topics

  • Methods to initiate IPL
    • IPL manual vs auto
  • A/B/D mode IPL
  • Abnormal IPLs
    • Causes
  • CHGIPLA
  • Custom Startup jobs
  • System-level SRC codes and the Control panel / HMC

Setting Up the System

Speaker: Larry Bolhuis

Topics

  • Intro to the system console (ACS)
    • When to use system console
    • Which consoles are available
    • Which consoles does your system have
  • System resource allocation
    • ASP
    • Memory pool allocation
  • Systems Values
    • Allow object restore
    • User profile password level
    • Auditing values
    • Append jobs
    • Number of jobs initially start
    • Date and time
    • CCSIDs
    • History log size
    • QLIMIT SECOFR
    • System and user library set defaults
    • System security level
    • QPRFADJ
  • Selecting a controlling subsystem
  • Subsystems to start
  • TCP/IP interfaces and servers to start
  • Network attributes
  • Setting the database name
  • Migrating from a previous system
    • Retrieve system information
    • Update system information
  • Host table entries and DNS
  • Domain information
  • Exit programs

IBM i Virtual Optical and Virtual Tape

Speaker: Andrew Grant

Topics

  • Concepts
    • Performance differences
    • Compare virtual tape and optical devices to physical tape, devices, and libraries
    • Network-based virtual optical
    • Storage
  • Creating Image Catalogs
  • Creating devices
  • Populating image catalogs
  • Managing a virtual device and storage
    • Initializing previously used virtual tapes
  • Save and restore considerations
    • New cloud storage solutions

IBM i Networking

Speaker: Wayne Bowers

Topics

  • Line Descriptions
  • TCP/IP Interfaces, creating, starting, VIPs, VLANs, naming
  • Routing
  • Starting/Stopping and maintenance of services and Defaults
  • Bridging, Aggregation, VLANs
  • Packet filtering
  • High-level monitoring how-to
  • SSL TLS
  • IPV4 vs IPV6

IBM i Security Basics

Speaker: Carol Woodbury

Topics

  • Security Concepts
    • Object-centric vs data-centric security
      • Data and column encryption
      • Row column access control
  • User Profiles
    • Passwords
    • Group Profiles
    • Special Authorities
    • User ID/Group ID
    • Initial program
    • Job description
  • Security system values
    • System security level
    • Password level (10 chars vs. 120 chars)
  • Authorization Lists
  • Adopted authority
  • Limited users
  • Single Sign-on
    • Kerberos and EIM concepts
  • Auditing concepts
    • Audit Logs
    • Generated columns
  • Public authority
  • Authority collection support (7.3)

CL Programs, Commands, and Using SQL to Manage Your System

Speaker: Max Valdman

Topics

  • CL Program basics
    • Identify variables
    • Identify subroutines
    • Control flow
    • Monitor for messages
    • ILE CL vs OPM
  • Where to store CL programs and source
  • How to find correct source for CL program or command
  • How to retrieve source when you cannot find source
  • How to edit and compile CL
  • Modify and deploy a startup program
  • Create your own command
  • SQL Basics (SQL References)
  • Demo: Use CL and SQL to determine PTF and group levels

Installing IBM i and Licensed Program Products

Speaker: Clark Heiser

Topics

  • No-charge vs additional charge LPPs
  • Obtaining – intro to ESS, registering, selecting, download options
  • License keys
    • Obtain
    • Install
  • Building image catalog and virtual optical
    • Maintenance considerations – delete or leave?
  • GO LICPGM
    • Difference between programs and options
    • Installing LPPs
    • Save/restore/deletion of LPPs
    • Saving and restoring LPPs from another system
    • Installing secondary language
  • Accepting license agreement
  • Passport advantage

PTF Installation and Maintenance

Speaker: Rohit Sharma

Topics

  • Overview of PTFs, purpose, and use
    • How to figure out what is installed
    • CUMes and included groups
    • Dependent groups
    • Co-requisites and Pre-requisites
  • Perm and Temp, A and B sides
    • Ramifications of perm vs temp apply on product upgrades
  • PTF groups
    • Fixing group status “not applied”
    • Why are groups listed twice?
  • Obtaining PTFs
    • Fix Central overview
  • GO PTF Menu
    • Option 8 vs INSPTF
  • Loading, applying, and removing
    • Finding the QJOBMSGQFL landmine
  • Firmware updates — OS vs HMC
  • Recovering from a failed load or apply
  • Querying PTF and Group Levels with SQL services

Analyzing and Understanding Disk Space Utilization

Speaker: Valerie Smith

Topics

  • Monitoring
  • Reporting
  • RtvDskInf / RtvDirInf data collection
    • SQL on the retrieved data
  • IFS shell commands, find, du, ls
  • Disk cleanup “usual suspects”
    • Journal entries
    • Save files
    • Virtual tape and virtual optical
    • Deleted record space (RGZPFM)
    • Temporary object space

Practical Management of the System – Daily Care and Feeding

Speaker: Larry Bolhuis

Topics

  • Hands-on Practical Examples
  • Key throughout is to know what is normal for your system
  • Work Management
    • Verify that your jobs are running
  • Problem Management
    • Any new open problems
  • User Management
    • Disabled users

This bootcamp is being provided at no charge to COMMON members through a generous sponsorship from Fortra. Learn more about Fortra at https://www.fortra.com/solutions/ibmi-as400.


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Bootcamp Access

To access the bootcamp and recordings, please make sure you are logged in with your COMMON account, then click on the link below.

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