IBM i 7.5 - Base Enhancements

Created by Scott Forstie on Fri, 02/04/2022 - 09:04
Published URL:
https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/6553888
6553888

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IBM i 7.5 - Base Enhancements

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You are in: IBM i Technology Updates > IBM i 7.5 - Base Enhancements
 
IBM i 7.5
Enhancements
Let's Create

Note: The announcement materials for IBM i 7.5 can be found here.
The remainder of this landing page intends to make it easy to see the supporting detail for these enhancements.

Db2 for i Enhancements 
Note: The following Db2 for i enhancements are delivered by Db2 for i PTF Group SF99950 Level 1.
image-20220207070838-1
Db2 for i - Functional enhancements
  • Boolean added to SQL, which includes:
    • New BOOLEAN data type
    • New Boolean scalar functions
    • New Boolean aggregate functions
    • New Boolean predicates
    • New Boolean constants
    • New Boolean comparisons
    • New Boolean assignments
    • Extensive Embedded SQL Support for Boolean
    • JSON Boolean support
    • XML Boolean support
    • Updated CL commands and APIs that include column or field specific detail
    • Updated the most popular database access programming methodologies
  • RESTRICT ON DROP
  • TRY_CAST specification
  • RUNSQLSTM command - MARGINS(*SRCFILE)
  • New HTTP functions based in QSYS2
    • QSYS2.HTTP_PATCH() & QSYS2.HTTP_PATCH_VERBOSE()
    • New response header format option for verbose HTTP functions
Db2 for i -  Database Engineer enhancements
Db2 for i -  Performance enhancements
 

IBM i Services (new)

IBM i Services (enhanced)

 

Db2 for i - Services (new)

Db2 for i - Services (enhanced)

Security
Passwords
DCM
Networking
IBM Navigator for i
The function usage ID QIBM_NAV_ALL_FUNCTION has been changed to default setting *DENIED. With this change, user profiles that previously were allowed to access IBM Navigator for i functions may now be restricted.  To allow user access, refer to the Function usage ID table at IBM Navigator for i - Function usage IDs.

General Operating System

Compression with the ZLIB algorithm
  • New default for ASYNCBRING parameter
  • RSTUSRPRF USRPRF(*ALL) eases restrictions
  • Progress message for IFS restore is enhanced
Networking enhancements
Work Management enhancements
Globalization enhancements
  • Added support for CCSID 1379. This CCSID adds more support for Traditional Chinese and includes some Simplified Chinese support.
  • CCSID 1377 conversion update to support Hong Kong Traditional Chinese mixed host enhancements for HKSCS (Mapping is HKSCS-2008 to Unicode 38064 (Unicode 5.2) level).  
  • CCSID 1388 conversion update to support Simplified Chinese DBCS- GB 18030 Host with UDCs and Uygur extension (Mapping is GBK-2015 to Unicode 50352 (Unicode 8.0) level).
  • Added CCSID 1210 to provide limited support for UTF-EBCDIC. For more information, see UTF-EBCDIC.
  • The IBM default mapping support for CCSID 1399 to and from Unicode converts 5 characters differently than Microsoft does in its default support. This can cause problems for customers that have both operating systems in their environment. For more information on how to address this, see Alternative CCSID 1399 conversion.
     

System Administration  

General Enhancements

IBM Navigator for i
 
Navigator
The new Web based Navigator continues to be enhanced as we strive tohelp the IBM i Administrator manage and update their IBM i systems.
 Navigator
  
The following new features have been added to IBM Navigator as part of this delivery:

  • Angular & PrimeNG upgrade - may change column layout of some tables
  • SMTP properties
  • New Audit Journal support:
    • View bar chart of audit journal entry counts for one day
    • View graph of audit journal entry counts for a week
    • View detailed information for each entry type in a table
NOTE: The function usage ID QIBM_NAV_ALL_FUNCTION has been changed to default setting *DENIED. With this change, user profiles that previously were allowed to access IBM Navigator for i functions may now be restricted.  To allow user access, refer to the Function usage ID table at IBM Navigator for i - Function usage IDs.
For additional details see the IBM Navigator for i home page
IBM Access Client Solutions V 1.1.9
Significant updates for ACS as part of this release. 
  • Systems can now be defined into Groups. Create groups to arrange your systems in logical groupings.
ACS Groups
  • Ability to close the Description area (right column) on the main ACS interface 
  • Customize the description for the 'Hardware Management Interface ' values that can be defined for each system configured. 
  • Run SQL Scripts now supports Tabs. Each connection (window) now has the ability to have many tabs where you can have separate SQL Scripts open and being edited. This provides a very nice way to easily work on many files. You can even drag and drop a folder with select SQL files into a new Run SQL Scripts window, and a new tab for each file is opened. 
ACS Run SQL Scripts Tabs
For more details on the complete list for enhancements see the Access Client Solutions Home Page

Application Development

General App Dev Updates 
  • The Call (CALL) and Call Bound Procedure (CALLPRC) commands now allow expressions to be passed as parameters and allow you to specify type and length for each parameter.
  • New ILE C/C++ built-in functions for atomic memory access are added in this release. In a program with multiple threads, you can use these functions to atomically and safely modify data in one thread without interference from another thread.
  • Call Services Program Procedure API (QARUCLSP) raises the number of parameters up to 248.  
  • OPTION(*EVENTF) was added to selected program commands  
Integrated File System

Integrated File System Exit Points

Two new exit points are supplied in this release: QIBM_QP0L_OBJ_CLOSE and QIBM_QP0L_OBJ_OPEN. A new file system attribute, 'Run exit program', controls whether the exit programs registered to these exit points will run when a file system object is opened or closed. An exit program can perform application-specific processing when the object is opened or closed, such as verification, conversion, or removal of temporary objects.  This support is enabled for the root, QOpenSys, user-defined, and QDLS file systems.  More information can be found in the IBM i Documentation for these exit points:

Integrated Web Services Server - Rest API Engine
The Rest API engine integrated in to the operating system has significantly improved its access logging capabilities.  These new capabilities now allow users to have very detailed views of who, what, when, and where when it come to the usage of Rest APIs for IBM i.  The following provide details on how to configure the IWS support for these new features: 
For the latest details on IWS, see IWS home page
Rational Development Studio - RPG Updates!
The RPG Language continues to be updated and enhanced to meet the needs of the modern RPG developer.  The following updates have been added:
  • New opcode SND-MSG allows you to send an informational or escape message
  • New opcode ON-EXCP allows you to monitor for a specific error message in a MONITOR group
  • New opcode DATA-GEN generates a structured document, such as JSON or CSV, from an RPG variable
  • New opcode FOR-EACH begins a group of operations that iterates through the elements of an array, %LIST, or %SUBARR
  • New IN operator to determine whether an item is in an array or %LIST, or in a range
  • LOTS More...
For a complete list please see What's new in 7.5 for RPG page
Hardware and I/O Enhancements
IBM i 7.5 supports new offerings for Power (updated to add content from 2022-07-12 Announce)
  • IBM Power S1014 (9105-41B)
  • IBM Power S1022 (9105-22A)
  • IBM Power S1022s (9105-22B)
  • IBM Power S1024 (9105-42A)
  • IBM Power L1022 (9786-22H)
  • IBM Power L1024 (9786-42H)
  • New Enterprise NVMe U.2 Devices
  • #EJ2A -- PCIe4 x16 to CXP Converter adapter
  • #EJ1X -- Storage Backplane with four NVMe U.2 drive slots
  • #EJ1Y -- Storage Backplane with eight NVMe U.2 drive slots
PowerHA 

IBM PowerHA SystemMirror for IBM i 7.5 with HA version 5.1.2 brings several enhancements to the PowerHA portfolio, including:

  • A simplified single edition offering.
  • Reduced data transfer during resynchronization with Geographic Mirroring Compression (This enhancement will be available June 24, 2022).
  • Ability to configure PowerHA to switch many IP addresses in a single device CRG without custom exit programs with a new configuration object type, *IPA.
  • Integrated switchover progress monitoring with enhanced notifications when action is required.
  • Numerous performance improvements

Note: PTF SI78996 (plus language PTFs) is a required PTF for PowerHA on IBM i 7.5.

For more information on these enhancements and to get started, see the IBM PowerHA SystemMirror for i wiki page.

Db2 Mirror for i

Mixed Release Support

  • Support for running one node at IBM i 7.4 and the other node at IBM i 7.5.
  • Enables the ability to keep the business online while you enable IBM i 7.5.
  • The IBM i 7.4 nodes should have the latest Db2 Mirror for i group PTF and Db2 for i group before upgrading the other node to 7.5
Db2 Mirror Versioning Services
  • These services are tools that can be used to help manage differences between the two nodes.
  • Through the ADD_MIRROR_VERSION procedure you can add your software function to a list that is replicated with the other node.
  • Using the MIRROR_VERSION_LIST view you can view the entries that have been added.
Active Read-Only Mode
  • Designate one node as a read-only node and take advantage of real time replication without the risk of a change being replicated back
  • All replicated objects are designated as read-only
  • In the event of a failure, the read-only node can take over and become the active node.
Backup, Recovery and Media Services for i (5770-BR1) 

Backup and restore enhancements

  • The SAVBRM command parameter has the new default of ASYNCBRING(*YES)
  • Backup control group support for IFS backups using SAVACTOPT(*ALWCHKPWRT) and SAVACTOPT(*ALL).
  • Backup control group entry support for Save active message queue library.
  • RSTLIBBRM has been enhanced with the STRJRN() and SELECT()parameters.
  • RSTOBJBRM has been enhanced with the STRJRN() parameter.

Report and BRMS log enhancements

  • Recovery report (QP1ARCY) steps have been enhanced to include cloud recovery support for Network Install Using Network File System(NFS) and using DSI VTL iSCSI attached devices.
  • PRTRPTBRM has been enhanced with an EXPDATE() parameter to select which records to include in the report.
  • DSPLOGBRM has been enhanced to support OUTPUT(*OUTFILE)and OUTPUT(*OUTSTMF).

Media services enhancements

  • WRKMEDBRM has been enhanced to select multiple From locations and multiple Media class names.
  • WRKMEDBRM has been enhanced to support OUTPUT(*OUTFILE)and OUTPUT(*OUTSTMF).

Policy Enhancements

  • WRKPCYBRM *SYS option for BRMS to include all messages that occur during BRMS command processing in the BRMS log.
  • WRKPCYBRM *RCY option for check the size of the restore.
  • WRKPCYBRM *BKU option for automatic virtual volume attributes.

SQL Services

  • BRMS is introducing SQL Service interfaces as a new way to view, order, and subset BRMS information.

Security Enhancements

  • The default for the BRMS shipped database is changing from *PUBLIC *USE authority to *PUBLIC *EXCLUDE.
  • The default authority for BRMS shipped functional usage is changing from default authority *ALLOWED to *DENIED. Use the SETUSRBRM command as a starting point to grant system operators and administrators access to BRMS functions and components. Then use the functional usage model to customize access by user.
  • The default for BRMS APIs assigned functional authority is changing from *ALLOWED to *DENIED.
  • The data authority for BRMS shipped flight recording is changing from data authority *RWX to *WX.

API and Exit Program Enhancements

  • Reclaim Media (Q1ARCLMED) API gives users the ability to programmatically reclaim a single tape volume.
  • Change Control Group Attributes (Q1ACHGCGA) API enables users to change programmatically the control group attributes.
  • Control Group exit program support for new format BKUI0200.

Hardware Support

  • Added support for Ultrium 9 (LTO9) tape drives and media.
  • Added support for DSI VTL iSCSI attached devices.

Internal Use Only

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Document Information

Modified date:
28 April 2024

UID

ibm16553888

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