Krunkthemadman
Member
Let me start by thanking contributing members in some of the older AS/400 threads I found. I have read through and continue to look through these forums and others.
I have been pouring over the system builders guide found here:
http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/redpapers/pdfs/redp0042.pdf
Ok, so here's where I'm at now. I've had this system sitting in my shop for the past 2-3 years. The machine and all of the extras for it were acquired from a guy in town that used to teach RPG and Cobol at the local community college. Thinking about it, he probably still has the cabinet full of books for this unit. I powered it on and tinkered with it a couple of nights after getting it, but aside from that it's sat unplugged and dormant ever since. At some point I did enough investigating to have ordered a network card for the thing. To add to this, I found the document I had scribbled the main password and account info for it on.
As of right now, I'm off work following an operation last week (nothing major) so I have some time off that I'm stuck around the house. I've been thinking about getting a friend to move this thing to my office so I can hook it up and tinker with it. (I'm on restrictions for lifting right now.)
Pictures of what I have can bee seen in my Photobucket album.
http://s1020.photobucket.com/user/KrunkTheMadMan/library/AS400
So, here's what I am wondering. I was given a couple of tapes with the system, the guy said one of them was the main backup. I'm looking to find out how I would go about seeing what's on the tape(s) without actually restoring it. Are there any resources out there for getting a full system (all options) tape or is this unheard of. Next, let's say I have this thing up and running and I find out it has most of the available options installed on it, what do I need to do to do a full backup, something I can bare metal restore from?
Thanks for the responses, I had posted one or two replies to this post throughout the day, but neither have been approved yet. For some reason after coming back to this forum after about a year away, it's like I'm a new member on probation.
So just to update: I did manage to get the machine in the house, I got a terminal hooked up, I managed to lock the QSECOFR account, I managed to find out the tape drive is malfunctioning, I was able to get it booted into IPL B mode, I found out that I need the system password, and I'm now in the process of trying to get the system booted in Normal mode and log in with the now unlocked (I hope) QSECOFR account.
Please forgive me for the post being worded in a way that may seem incomprehensible. Part of the problem is that I'm not an IBM guy, in the 6 years I worked as a network admin I only ever had limited dealings with our AS/400 system. I guess some understanding of IBM jargon would help, but I'm at a shortage on that. My questions pertaining to backup and restore have a lot to do with my background, I don't like to tinker with something that I could kill beyond repair. I don't mind wading off in a system that I can restore, but with the age and condition of this thing, restoration media is not readily available. Of course, after all I've done tonight, I now know that the tape drive is non-functional at best, and it managed to cut a groove on the center roller of the backup tape I have.
I have been pouring over the system builders guide found here:
http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/redpapers/pdfs/redp0042.pdf
Ok, so here's where I'm at now. I've had this system sitting in my shop for the past 2-3 years. The machine and all of the extras for it were acquired from a guy in town that used to teach RPG and Cobol at the local community college. Thinking about it, he probably still has the cabinet full of books for this unit. I powered it on and tinkered with it a couple of nights after getting it, but aside from that it's sat unplugged and dormant ever since. At some point I did enough investigating to have ordered a network card for the thing. To add to this, I found the document I had scribbled the main password and account info for it on.
As of right now, I'm off work following an operation last week (nothing major) so I have some time off that I'm stuck around the house. I've been thinking about getting a friend to move this thing to my office so I can hook it up and tinker with it. (I'm on restrictions for lifting right now.)
Pictures of what I have can bee seen in my Photobucket album.
http://s1020.photobucket.com/user/KrunkTheMadMan/library/AS400
So, here's what I am wondering. I was given a couple of tapes with the system, the guy said one of them was the main backup. I'm looking to find out how I would go about seeing what's on the tape(s) without actually restoring it. Are there any resources out there for getting a full system (all options) tape or is this unheard of. Next, let's say I have this thing up and running and I find out it has most of the available options installed on it, what do I need to do to do a full backup, something I can bare metal restore from?
Thanks for the responses, I had posted one or two replies to this post throughout the day, but neither have been approved yet. For some reason after coming back to this forum after about a year away, it's like I'm a new member on probation.
So just to update: I did manage to get the machine in the house, I got a terminal hooked up, I managed to lock the QSECOFR account, I managed to find out the tape drive is malfunctioning, I was able to get it booted into IPL B mode, I found out that I need the system password, and I'm now in the process of trying to get the system booted in Normal mode and log in with the now unlocked (I hope) QSECOFR account.
Please forgive me for the post being worded in a way that may seem incomprehensible. Part of the problem is that I'm not an IBM guy, in the 6 years I worked as a network admin I only ever had limited dealings with our AS/400 system. I guess some understanding of IBM jargon would help, but I'm at a shortage on that. My questions pertaining to backup and restore have a lot to do with my background, I don't like to tinker with something that I could kill beyond repair. I don't mind wading off in a system that I can restore, but with the age and condition of this thing, restoration media is not readily available. Of course, after all I've done tonight, I now know that the tape drive is non-functional at best, and it managed to cut a groove on the center roller of the backup tape I have.
Last edited: