Leveraging native IBM i tools, the IFS and sftp
(a technical presentation available for purchase)
Achieve automated, secure and deterministic transmission of IFS stream files and Db2 extracts
to banks, trading partners, even USPS... directly from the IBM i platform,
to any receiving IP address using just CLP and sftp over OpenSSH
See below for option to purchase this technical presentation
(currently on v7)
**purchase includes downloadable updates and new versions for 3 years**
Important - The keys that enable immediate download (directly after purchase) are emailed to the PayPal Account holder used with the purchase (and to a second email address if you are logged in to tegratecs.com under a different email address).
Purchase Offer (includes updates)
Abstract
First we’ll provide tips for handling IFS permissions more conveniently, so that we can securely store the
extracted data. Then we’ll review the relatively few steps involved with setting up and running sftp over SSH
file transmits. Next we'll dig in a littler further to cover parameterizing scripts and monitoring for
errors.
sftp over SSH is always a great choice for sending files
directly from IBM i, because with it you automatically get encrypted authentication and data traffic flow to any
IP address or URL that has an sftp server behind it. As one final bonus, sftp over SSH will never fail
without letting you know! This includes detectiion of connectivity issues and network or internet time-outs.
We’ll touch upon
several application examples, such as USPS international mail, Positive Pay and ePayments. Any of which can provide a good example of vendor or customer requirements
that necessitate the use of CLP for soft-coding of IFS folder and file names based on data set, date or status etc. Custom folder and file naming also facilitates creation of a sturdy application that will be auditable and more easily verified, and often one that requires less support resources.
This will segue into various techniques for transferring Db2 data to the IFS using native
IBM i tools and methods such as external data structures, LFs, CPY*F, and SQL exception join. Also, we’ll
touch upon our favorite techniques for maintaining and/or demonstrating equivalency between the extracted data and
the Db2 application data, a capability which comes in handy during testing and error recovery.
Table of Contents
IFS Security
sftp over SSH Client Setup
Extract Deliverable
Soft-coding IFS Objects with CLP
Db2 for i Application Files, Defining and Populating for Productivity