AS 400 question...not sure if this is where I should post

[sinnedam]

can someone give me some info on these things..I see lots of jobs that require experience with them, and other than setting up client software to connect to one, i have little knowledge about them (os, hardware, network connectivity, production) are they command line bases OS's?


also could you suggest a good site for a newbie, for learning the system?
Thanks

 

[imported_Kiwi]

IBM sold a lot of dedicated RPG systems called "System 38" and "System 36", back when the early Mini-Computer (mid-size, not medium power) industry got started. These were not really up to the level of DEC's well-known mini- products, but fairly popular. RPG is a simple programming language that was (AFAIK) just used with these "almost mini's".

The AS 400's are closer to being Mini's, and replaced both of their "System" series. They were introduced in the early 1980's, and I believe are still being sold. They started out using a proprietary OS that was straight command line style. The growth of the PC industry took away the bottom end first, then the mid-level, part of the market that the AS 400 was aimed at, quite rapidly. Almost no one other than the founders of Compaq, and Michael Dell, seemed to be able to predict the extent of the desktop computer revolution.

DEC is no more, having been swallowed up by Compaq, prior to its merger with HP. If the current AS 400 has a graphical interface now, I haven't heard about it, but I did end up being retired some while back, well before I was ready for it, and have been out of the news loop for "Enterprise Computing", so I'd be unlikely to know.

:disgust:

 

[thirdeye]

I have not fond memories of my AS/400 class in college

I was happy I passed with a "D"

Only insight I can give is it sucks, and I've yet to find anyone who enjoyed working on them.

 

[MrBaseball]

Im also looking for Iseries info online. This is what I have found so far.


Iseries Info Center

TechTarget

Setting up Printers

AS400 Printing Notes

 

[codehack2]

My company is the largest iSeries (AS/400) customer that IBM has today.... what are you looking for? Being brutally honest ...without a solid base of AS/400 (iSeries) experience you will have a tough time applying for and getting an AS/400 job. Most of our iSeries guys were internal transplants from the mainframe (s/390) or are ex-IBM'ers. Same goes for our IBM business partner/VAR. AS/400 marketable experience is a tough skill to get off the street for two reasons 1) AS/400's are very expensive and not generally available outside of larger business or universities 2) the technology changes like crazy and you have to be current to be market competitive.

About the system...

It is a command line driven OS (OS/400), but are also capable of running linux. IBM also produces a Graphical UI management tool that is bundled with the "Client Access" Software. Since the switch from CISC to RISC CPU's, they have been based on the IBM Power architecture. The most recent is iteration, i5, runs on the IBM Power5 chip. (Generally the same chip as in the MAC's)

CH2