Exercise 2.2: Connecting to an iSeries system

Before you begin, you must complete Exercise 2.1: Configuring a connection to an iSeries system.

After you configure a connection to an iSeries system, you can easily connect and expand your new connection to reveal your subsystems. Subsystems are pre-defined filters grouping the various types of remote resources that can be explored in the remote system. There are four subsystems.

iSeries Objects
A PDM-like group, allowing access to libraries, objects and members.

iSeries Commands
Contains predefined commands and allows you to create command sets each of which contain one or more often used commands. When run, all commands in a command set are sent to the remote system and executed, and the results are logged in the iSeries Commands log view.

iSeries Jobs
Allow you to see various jobs, subset by job attributes, and to perform a number of operations on those jobs.

IFS Files
Allow you to explore folders and files in the Integrated File System of the remote iSeries system.

Remote Systems view with iSeries connection

To connect to an iSeries system:

  1. In the Remote Systems view, your new connection is expanded to reveal your subsystems. The iSeries Objects subsystem is the subsystem you will use most often! It is very similar to PDM, in that it allows you to access objects in the QSYS file system, and perform actions on those objects.
  2. Notice the first three entries under the iSeries Objects subsystem are named after the PDM options, because they have similar capabilities:

    You also have more entries to work with under the connection itself and you can see from these entries that Remote System Explorer goes well beyond PDM! It allows you to explore iSeries jobs and commands and the IFS file system.

    Now let's work with a library in your library list and add the library that you'll be using in this tutorial:

    1. Right-click iSeries Objects and click Properties on the pop-up menu.
      iSeries Objects Properties
    2. Select Initial Library List on the left pane.
    3. Type RSELABXX where XX is a unique number in the Library field and click Add.
      Set Initial Library List
    4. Click OK.

      This will add the library RSELABxx to your library list every time you use this connection.

      Note:
      You can also change your library list using the pop-up menu items Add Library List Entry or Change Current Library on the Library list folder in the iSeries Objects subsystem. These changes are only valid until you disconnect.
  3. Expand the Library list folder.
    Expand Library List

    Now the connection will be activated and you will be prompted for a user ID and password.
    password window

  4. Enter your user ID and password.
  5. Select the Save user ID check box.
  6. Select the Save password check box.
  7. Click OK.

    As you know, you can use the properties of any of the subsystems to set connection information such as adding a library to a library list.

    Back in the workbench in the Remote Systems view you will see the libraries in your job's library list.
    Remote Systems view with libraries in the library list

    Notice that the s400a folder now has a small green arrow in the icon to indicate it is an active connection.

    For each library, you can right-click and select from a number of actions. For example, there is an action to create a new source file within the selected library. Common actions like delete, move, copy, etc. are valid for all kinds of objects.

You have connected to an iSeries system and now you are ready to begin Exercise 2.3: Viewing and accessing objects in the Remote System Explorer perspective.