RE: Restore QSPL to get back spool files

How's this?

 If you're going to suck data out of a database only to format 
 it into reports so that you can save them as *FILES* on disk 
 catalogued in another database you may as well have fun doing it.

Our COLD storage requirements increased dramatically when stored reports
were rewritten from Unix text output or AS/400 spool files to PDF's.  Same
extracted data -- lots more extraneous crap archived with every file.  Yes,
report files are compressed in COLD.  That the reports take up less space on
the COLD server than they did on the host is not really the issue, for me.
How much space would they take up as rows in the original tables?

My point has been that COLD systems have a specific purpose.  Many folks are
just looking to hang onto invoices or month end reports for reference -- not
as digitally stamped copies for an audit.  Some folks use COLD to archive
things that don't require COLD's standards or controls.  If you recall this
thread started with:

>During an upgrade last night, some of the 
>spool files on a V5R2 system ( I 
>believe, including the outq's ) were lost.

...and became a discussion about how to back up spool files.  If you've got
business-critical reports on your system you should consider other
techniques for saving reports or preserving the source data before dumping a
boatload of spool files into COLD.

-Jim

-----Original Message-----
From: Brad Jensen [mailto:brad@xxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2004 5:22 PM
To: 'Midrange Systems Technical Discussion'
Subject: RE: Restore QSPL to get back spool files




> If you're going to suck data out of a database only to format 
> it into reports so that you can save them as images on disk 
> catalogued in another database you may as well have fun doing it.
> 
> -Jim

COLD systems store the reports as ASCII or EBCDIC not as images. 

Most COLD systems will extract and build a database key on columns 
(including combinations of columns) or key-per-page for invoice and 
PO numbers and such. The result being that you can key in an invoice 
number (or screen scrape it from the AS400 application)
and in a split second bring that document up on the screen, 
complete with form overlay, and email, print or fax it.

The PC server COLD systems don't store blanks lines - as  matter of
fact the typical report takes up 10% of the space it takes on the AS400,

after removing blank lines and doing paged-zip compression.

With digital timestamping, the difference between paper and the digital 
file, is that you can prove the digital file (such as a cold report, a 
scanned image,  or audio or video recording) existing on a certain date,

and has not changed since. You are never certain with paper.

Sarbanes-Oxley is making this an issue for publicly traded companies.

Customer service makes it an issue for other companies.

The problem with being able to generate a new copy of the invoice 
from historical data at a later date, is that this makes every moment 
of control of the database a critical issue from the auditing
perspective.

Storing and retrieving a static document that can be digitally validated
Removes the need for infinite trust or infinite control.

Brad Jensen
www.elstore.com