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IBM Power Systems (AS/400) System Administration Training

Master Work Management, Enterprise Security Architecture, BRMS Backup Recovery, and LPAR Operations on IBM i

4.9(1,250 students)
50 Hours
Advanced
IBMAS400IBM iSystem AdministrationWork ManagementBRMSSecurity
IBM Power Systems (AS/400) System Administration Training

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Course Overview

This comprehensive training course delivers deep technical mastery over the operations, security, and infrastructure management frameworks of the IBM i operating system. Tailored for infrastructure engineers, security officers, and systems administrators, this course bridges legacy AS/400 system mechanics with modern IBM Power Systems engineering. Participants will dive into Work Management parameters, security compliance configuration (including QAUDJRN monitoring), advanced storage pools, and enterprise Backup, Recovery, and Media Services (BRMS). The program also covers systems updates using Program Temporary Fixes (PTFs) and system virtualization through the Hardware Management Console (HMC).

Who Should Learn

Systems Administrators and Infrastructure Engineers managing enterprise IBM Power Systems configurations
IT Operations Specialists and Production Support Analysts handling daily batch queues, devices, and print spools
Information Security Officers responsible for implementing object-level access boundaries and compliance auditing
Mainframe Administrators transitioning into IBM i server environments running mission-critical backend systems

Prerequisites

  • Familiarity with fundamental operating system concepts like processes, job queues, user privileges, and storage blocks
  • Basic experience navigating command-line interfaces or running automated scripting syntax

Learning Outcomes

Configure and fine-tune custom Subsystems, Job Queues, and Memory Pools to maximize work management flow
Administer enterprise security profiles by defining user groups, object authorities, authorization lists, and adopted authority loops
Deploy, activate, and roll back system patches utilizing Program Temporary Fixes (PTFs) and Group PTF bundles
Architect automated corporate backup, retention schedules, and bare-metal disaster recovery blueprints utilizing IBM BRMS
Configure secure local and remote system connectivity using IBM i Access Client Solutions (ACS) and secure TCP/IP routes
Monitor real-time system performance data, analyze disk space storage usage, and manage active subsystem exceptions
Implement automated system startups, initialize manual or automatic IPL modes, and handle System Reference Codes (SRCs)

Course Curriculum

1Module 1: IBM i Hardware Architecture & Navigation Mastery
5 topics
  • Infrastructure Trajectory: Demystifying the journey from AS/400 and iSeries to modern Power10 hardware running IBM i
  • Single-Level Storage: Analyzing memory allocation and object-centric storage boundary constraints
  • Navigation Essentials: Working with the command line interface, library search lists (`*LIBL`), and system objects
  • Access Frameworks: Configuring and managing IBM i Access Client Solutions (ACS) and 5250 terminal emulation instances
  • Integrated File System (IFS): Navigating directories, root folders, and managing file shares via NetServer
2Module 2: Advanced Work Management & Job Control
5 topics
  • Subsystem Architecture: Customizing controlling subsystems, routing entries, and runtime environments
  • Managing Job Lifecycles: Tracking Interactive vs. Batch processing, executing `SBMJOB`, and tracking active jobs via `WRKACTJOB`
  • Workload Scheduling: Configuring the native job scheduler to trigger routine background maintenance scripts automatically
  • Output queues: Structuring printer definitions, managing spooled files (`WRKSPLF`), and configuring output queues (`OUTQ`)
  • Memory Tuning: Allocating hardware resources across private and shared memory storage pools
3Module 3: System Initialization (IPL), Values & Maintenance
5 topics
  • Initial Program Load (IPL): Executing Manual vs. Automatic IPL sequences and configuring system values via `CHGIPLA`
  • Control Panel Analysis: Interpreting hardware hex System Reference Codes (SRCs) and managing states using the HMC console
  • System Values Mastery: Auditing environmental configurations, time zones, allocation parameters, and data restore safety lines
  • Message Automation: Configuring system queues (`QSYSOPR`, `QSYSMSG`) and mapping alert escalation loops
  • History Logs: Querying and extracting chronological operational event streams using the `QHST` tracking log
4Module 4: Enterprise Security & Auditing Architecture
5 topics
  • Security Configuration Levels: Enforcing data security profiles from baseline Level 20 up to hardened Level 50
  • User Profile Engineering: Authoring user access slots, password rules, explicit group boundaries, and special authorities
  • Access Protection: Engineering explicit object authorities, configuring Authorization Lists, and securing IFS branches
  • Privilege Escalation Controls: Investigating security configurations, preventing vulnerabilities, and evaluating Adopted Authority vectors
  • System Auditing Framework: Building, activating, and reviewing the Security Audit Journal (`QAUDJRN`) to trace unauthorized entries
5Module 5: Storage Optimization & Database Utilities
4 topics
  • Disk Allocation Arrays: Managing Auxiliary Storage Pools (ASPs), solid-state arrays, and SAN storage allocations
  • Storage Diagnostics: Extracting volume data properties using `RtvDskInf` and writing SQL analysis scripts over data dumps
  • Disk Housekeeping: Cleaning up obsolete save files, managing journal receivers, and executing deleted record space compression (`RGZPFM`)
  • Data Integrity Logging: Configuring local data journaling operations to preserve operational database tracks
6Module 6: Enterprise Backup & Disaster Recovery Frameworks (BRMS)
4 topics
  • Backup Strategies: Designing complete structural preservation plans combining full system saves (`SAVSYS`) and incremental writes
  • Media Management: Initializing, inventorying, and managing physical tapes, tape libraries, and high-speed Virtual Tape Devices
  • BRMS Deployment: Architecting enterprise automation rules inside Backup, Recovery, and Media Services (BRMS)
  • Disaster Recovery Routines: Simulating step-by-step bare-metal recovery workflows using automatically generated recovery guides
7Module 7: Patch Deployment & Software Lifecycle Management
5 topics
  • Program Temporary Fixes (PTFs): Decoding the functional differences between individual patches, cumulative packages, and group PTFs
  • Patch Analysis: Tracking patch execution statuses across temporary, permanent, side-A, and side-B software nodes
  • Acquisition and Stage Operations: Staging installation libraries using cloud platforms, image catalogs, and virtual optical arrays
  • Applying Fixes: Loading and executing live updates via the `GO PTF` automation dashboard, and handling package drop faults
  • License Management: Adding and tracking Licensed Program Products (LPPs) via the `GO LICPGM` interface control map
8Module 8: Capstone Enterprise Infrastructure Operations Simulation
5 topics
  • Scenario Ingestion: Assuming complete administrative ownership of an un-optimized, un-audited multi-partition production system
  • Hardening Phase: Redesigning user profile layers, implementing strict dynamic auditing journals, and securing sensitive libraries
  • Performance Tuning Phase: Modifying custom subsystems, reshaping memory pools, and automating scheduled job streams
  • Resiliency Implementation: Setting up a virtual tape drive catalog and executing a fully managed backup cycle via BRMS
  • Final Audit: Generating system health scorecards, proving compliance logs, and demonstrating successful scratch restores

Certification

Achieve the SkillSurf Certified IBM i Systems Administrator credential upon passing the comprehensive systems architecture exam and successfully executing the live disaster recovery capstone lab simulator.

Frequently Asked Questions

An Initial Program Load (IPL) is the IBM i platform term for booting the operating system. The modes determine which copy of the microcode is loaded: Mode A uses the permanent, stable system copy; Mode B boots from the temporary copy where new patches (PTFs) are tested; and Mode D boots from external installation media like tape or optical drives for bare-metal disaster recovery.
A Subsystem is a single, isolated runtime environment on IBM i where the system allocates explicit memory pools and execution priorities to process work. By building dedicated subsystems for interactive users, background batch jobs, and communication servers, administrators ensure that a massive, long-running batch job cannot drain CPU and memory resources away from frontline interactive terminal operations.
While standard CL save commands execute individual manual or scripted backup operations, BRMS (Backup, Recovery, and Media Services) provides an automated enterprise management framework. It tracks tape inventory across tape libraries, manages media expiration schedules, automates incremental or full-volume backups, and generates a dynamic, step-by-step recovery manual needed to reconstruct a corrupted system from scratch.