Next, the new Navigator for i browser-based interface. “New Nav” as it’s fondly referred to first became available in Technology Refreshes (TRs) IBM i 7.3 TR11 and IBM i 7.4 TR5. At that time, it wasn’t the default, and you had to access it using the URL http://your-system-name:2002/Navigator/login. But as of IBM i 7.5 and IBM i 7.3 TR12 and IBM i 7.4 TR6, New Nav has officially replaced Heritage Nav (the politically correct term for the old, and quite frankly ugly, previous Navigator for i interface). Now, using the URL http://your-system-name:2001 or clicking on the Navigator for i feature in Access Client Solutions (ACS) will launch New Nav.

One of my goals is to show you how to take advantage of this new and improved interface. If you happen to be on a system that is still using Heritage Nav, I encourage you to upgrade as soon as possible, not only to take advantage of the examples I’m going to show you but also to distance yourself from any vulnerabilities that may be identified in the future but not fixed (since Heritage Nav is no longer supported by IBM). To keep up to date with information regarding New Nav, see https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/6483299.

IBM i Services

I’ll be using IBM i Services extensively in this book, so I suggest that you bookmark a couple of websites. One is the support page that lists all of the services that are available as well as the release/Technology Refresh in which they were introduced: https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/1119123

Services are categorized by the area of the system to which they pertain—for example, Journal Services, PTF Services, Security Services, etc. (Hint: Sometimes I find it easier to find the service I’m looking for by searching the webpage using a specific term rather than attempting to find the service in its category.) If you click on the name of a service, you may be taken to an intermediate page that lists any updates to the service along with a link to its IBM Information Center page. If no updates, you’ll be taken directly to the service’s page on the IBM Information Center, which details the purpose of the service, the output that will be generated, and, at the very bottom of the page, an example of using the service. An added benefit: if you want to use the SQL example they’ve provided, you can easily click on the icon in the upper right corner of the box containing the example to add the SQL to your clipboard!

New and enhanced services are being provided with each new version of IBM i but also with most, if not all TRs. Here’s one website that helps me keep track of the enhancements: https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/1116645/