The as400 i Series (previously known as AS/400) is a transaction processing behemoth used by the world’s most powerful organizations across a range of industries, including banking and financial services, manufacturing, retail, logistics, insurance, and healthcare.
IBM I series as400 continues to be a leader in critical data management, with a three-decade record of robustness, security, and dependability. Over 3,000 platform solutions are supported by IBM I which is backed by over 2,500 independent software suppliers and a recognized network of IBM Business Partners. The IBM Iseries as 400 operating system also has leading vendors of enterprise resource planning solutions and industry-specific core systems.
In comparison to rivals Windows Server and Oracle’s Exact data, IBM I offers considerable dependability savings. Reduced downtime and greater dependability translate into increased customer satisfaction and retention for modern organizations depending on vital systems to conduct immediate transactions, such as banks and other financial sector corporations.
What is as400 I Series?
The AS400 I series, formally called the “IBM iSeries,” but still known as AS/400, is a mid-range server meant for small companies and departments inside big corporations and has since been reconfigured to function effectively in dispersed networks with Web applications. The AS400 I series uses the PowerPC CPU, which has a limited instruction set computing technology. OS/400 is the name of its operating system.
An Overview of the AS400 I Series System
AS400 I series has a long history dating back to 1988. IBM had previously introduced System38 in 1979, along with a comprehensive product range that included System3, System32, System34, and System36. Later, AS400 was released with the OS OS400, which allowed applications created for System34 and System36 to be transferred to AS400.
If you’re not familiar with this technology, you might be wondering what AS stands for. It stands for ‘application system,’ and it gets its name from the fact that it is based on programs rather than the processor.
RPG was the initial language supported by this system, and as the system evolved, other versions of RPG were added. It is currently available in a variety of packages, including RPG IV, OVM, and ILE.
AS400 I series variants and variations
In the year 2000, AS/400 I series was renamed I Series. In 2006, the iSeries was renamed IBM System i.
All System I and p series devices were redesigned and re-launched as IBM Power Systems in 2008. The system I i5/OS 2008 Power System IBM I 1988 AS400 OS400 2000 iSeries OS400 2006 System I i5/OS 2008 Power System IBM I.
Applications for the AS/400 I series
Data warehousing is a term that refers to the process of storing information. The AS/400 iseries, with its many gigabytes of RAM and terabytes of hard disc capacity, may be used to store massive volumes of corporate data for data mining.
Development of Java applications: The ibm i series as400 may be used as a development system thanks to its tightly integrated Java virtual engine and new IBM tools for creating commercial Java applications.
Serving on the Internet and through e-commerce: ibm i series as400 can manage Internet serving for a moderate-sized firm since it comes with a Web server and programs built to support e-commerce (taking orders, tracking orders, giving customer care, dealing with partners and suppliers) as well as firewall capabilities.
Services for corporate groupware: It’s meant to swiftly offer a firm sophisticated e-mail, project file sharing, whiteboards, and electronic collaboration, assuming Domino and Notes are integrated with the system.
Take a Look inside the IBMi (AS400)
Despite its user-friendliness, IBM I has a sophisticated internal design. Hardware, software, security, a database, and other components are all incorporated within it. The IBM i series as400, now known as IBM Power, is a sophisticated, one-of-a-kind machine that is incredibly versatile and capable of incorporating new technology. The IBM I am built with software and hardware that are kept distinct so that changes in one do not influence the other.
The Machine Interface (MI), which is a software programming interface between the application, the operating system, and the hardware, allows this to happen. The AS/400 I series possesses discrete software and hardware components in this way. In reality, the operating system in AS/400 I series/IBM power systems has an integrated as400 database, thus the user does not need to install anything independently.
The IBM I file system is an integrated file system (IFS). This means that data saved on AS400 may be accessed by applications developed on other file systems such as PC, UNIX, and so on.
IBM i’s Evolution from AS400 To iSeries
Despite the numerous disagreements and lack of interest in humans, technology has its own charm. The IBM I system’s most notable characteristic is that it was built from the ground up to be object-oriented. To clarify, IBM I regards everything as an object, but Linux treats everything as a file, even printers.
RPG, assembly language, C, C++, Pascal, Java, EGL, Perl, Smalltalk, COBOL, SQL, BASIC, PHP, PL/I, Python, and REXX are among the languages supported by AS400/IBMi.
C, C++, COBOL, RPG, FORTRAN, and CL can only be used in the same executable and call methods written in any of the other ILE languages.
Synon Accelerator, LANSA, IBM Rational Business Developer Extension Uniface, GeneXus, and CA Plex are among the other tools supported (formerly AllFusion Plex). Let’s check which thing makes the As400 very special.
- Key features of the IBM I Object-based kernel – Every file/device is treated as an object by AS/400 I series or IBM I OS, as we previously explained. This clearly says that IBM I OS differs from other operating systems in terms of functionality. One of them is single-level storage, which ensures business system stability and security.
- Offerings of integrated components include – The IBM I series is unique in that it includes many essential functions and features. Web application servers, web services servers, a file system, DB2, I RDBMS, and other items are available. This integrated system is exceptionally reliable and efficient since it can handle over 300 functions, including backup, recovery, communication, operations, and security.
- Administrator interface – If you’ve ever used Windows or Linux, you’ve probably noticed that there are a number of tools that you can use to help you manage your system better. You can utilize IBM series as400 autonomic technology to conduct various low-priority activities on an IBM I system.
- Power VM – The inclusion of Power VM in all IBM power systems eliminates the need for a significant amount of hardware. This simplifies administration while also lowering your energy expenditures. Power VM is a workload-minimization technology that helps clients save expenses while also improving overall performance, availability, flexibility, and energy economy.
- Solution for virtualizing firmware – When it comes to VMware, XEN, or Hyper V, the main disadvantage is that they are software-based rather than firmware-based. This frequently leads to a drop in productivity. To truly understand what efficiency means, you’ll need a firmware virtualization solution, and the IBM i series as400 is the one-stop shop.
- IBM Director Multiplatform – This product provides a single Web-based console for systems monitoring of heterogeneous systems, and it is part of the iSeries Virtualization Engine.
- Enterprise Workload Manager for iSeries (EWLM) – EWLM helps enterprises enhance service-level management and capacity planning by monitoring computing resources, response times, and transaction flow. (See the article “Exploiting EWLM’s Power” for further information on EWLM.)
- IBM Grid Toolbox – by linking systems and resources through a single management interface, IBM Grid Toolbox may assist businesses in constructing more secure, resilient infrastructures based on open standards.
- On/Off Capacity on Demand (On/Off CoD) – The iSeries system has a non-disruptive way of activating additional processor capacity. Reserve Capacity on Demand and Trial Capacity on Demand has been added to the On/Off CoD services.
- DLPAR – Many clients are using LPAR to consolidate several servers onto fewer iSeries servers, allowing them to save money on IT. Unused processor capacity on IBM i series as400 servers may now be automatically redistributed depending on business needs thanks to new features like uncapped partitions.
- Support for virtual Ethernet LANs enables high – Speed connectivity between LPARs and Windows servers. Multiple operating systems can share 1 GB virtual Ethernet communication routes on iSeries platforms. Virtual Ethernet segments can be dynamically formed and removed. For security or traffic segregation reasons, access to a virtual LAN section might be limited.
- Virtual I/O – This allows partitions to share physical resources like storage, adapters, and devices. Multiple partitions can share physical I/O resources on a server, and each partition can use virtual and physical I/O devices at the same time. Administrators may also use virtual I/O to create new partitions without having to install physical I/O adapters to the system.
As400 iSeries Capabilities
The whole text of the article is as follows: The AS400 i series platform’s native operating system, IBM I OS/400 (formerly known as IBM I), was the only operating system supported on the original AS400 I series hardware. Many of the AS/400 I series’ most advanced capabilities are implemented in the operating system rather than the platform’s underlying hardware, which has changed dramatically over time.
Unlike UNIX and its descendants, where “everything is a file,” IBM I considers everything to be an object (with built-in persistence and garbage collection).
SSP, AIX, Linux, Microsoft Windows 2000, and Windows Server 2003 are among the guest operating systems that later generations of hardware can handle. While OS/400, AIX, and Linux are supported by Windows. From OS/400 V3R6 to V4R4, SSP guests were supported through emulation utilizing the operating system’s Guest/36 facility, which is different from the System/36 Environment compatibility layer, which required System/36 software to be recompiled.
The IBM iSeries as400 is still in use today. Power processors are used in IBM Power systems, which support IBM I AIX, Linux, and Lotus Domino. Internal single-processor blade servers (IXS) or externally connected multiple-processor blade servers (IXS) are both supported by Windows (IXA and iSCSI). Not only that, but the AS400 i-series has a number of other essential qualities that have helped it become so successful.
People also read: What is As400 ERP Software?
Other noteworthy characteristics of AS/400 I series:
1. Partitioning in a logical way
Logical Partitioning, often known as LPAR, is a unique feature of IBMi, also known as the AS/400 iseries. It allows you to run different operating systems on a single IBM System I device. LPAR is designed to run several operating systems on different partitions. This prevents one operating system from using another’s memory or resources.
Each LPAR is assigned a portion of system resources, including memory, hard disc space, and CPU time, based on a weighting mechanism that decides where unused resources are allocated at any particular time. IBM I AIX and Linux are the operating systems supported by the LPAR scheme.
2. Integration of software
DB2 database management system, menu-driven interface, multi-user support, non-programmable terminals (IBM 5250) and printers, security, communications, client–server, and web-based applications are all included in current IBM I series as400 Power systems. API integration allows access to many secret programs on AS400 I series systems. The IBM I System requires software that is incorporated and integrated into the underlying operating system.
3. Client-Server Support in Common
The enhanced IBM I series as400 computers now enable standard client–server technologies like ODBC and JDBC for accessing the database from client applications like Java, Microsoft.NET languages, and others.
4. The AS400 i series Assurance of Reliability and Security
Since its inception, OS400, the operating system of AS400 iseries servers, has featured five security settings with values ranging from 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50. Though the value 10 settings has been deprecated and deleted from the most recent IBM I system, the other four values remain and are utilized in accordance with business requirements.
Here’s what all of the values show:
- Level 10: It offered no protection at all. Signing into a terminal session did not need a password. As a result, this level has been deactivated.
- Level 20: It offers sign-on password security, which means that once users are logged in, they have access to all of the system’s objects. It was once the system’s default configuration.
- Level 30: Provides users with object authority. Users require access planning and implementation at the object level.
- Level 40: In all IBM I series as400 systems, this level is now the default setting. It protects the integrity of the data and separates the user and system domains. All queries made through unauthorized interfaces are not permitted.
- Level 50: Enhances the integrity protection features to fulfill the “C2” security standards of the US Department of Defense.
It is suggested that enterprises use the highest security settings since this ensures that data is protected in an impenetrable manner. Well, that relies entirely on your system and software capabilities. Make sure that your program runs on the OS with level 40 security settings, which is the default on every system.
IBM I series as400 Is Here To Stay Today and Tomorrow:
Many technocrats see the AS400 I series as400 as dead and antiquated, however, given the facts and features, the system’s usefulness in its current shape cannot be overlooked. Although it has lost a lot of value over time, it is still one of the most important systems for businesses, manufacturing, banking, and other industries. In reality, new RPG programmers interested in pursuing a career in the IBM I series as400 should not be disheartened because this system has historical roots and is evolving with us.
All versions of the hardware and operating system have been updated to include nearly all of the most recent features and technologies, providing more than any other system. Even the IBM I series as400 cloud is acquiring market share and giving many other cloud platforms a run for their money.
The recent announcement by Google and IBM to operate power systems on the Google Cloud has simply demonstrated that cloud-based power systems are a must for many businesses.
Businesses are being encouraged by IBM to migrate their RPG code to Java/J2EE. Many clients have benefited from Programmers, and IOS assistance with smooth transitions.
