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Ibm as/400

This box has probably been powered off for 14 years as the last log entry I can find is 1995 until mine. If there is a battery in there it should be dead. I'm going to try to beg IBM and worst they can do is say no. I think the licenses are are actually tied to the cpu and not the owner but, who knows.

Can one just set the date back before its too late and keep going ?


For the Service Processor error it looks like error code 00000022 Service Processor request rejected.

Any thoughts on that ?

How can I display my license key ? The commands I've heard mentioned dsplickey don't exist in my version.
 
As I understand it, the hardware password is tied to the CPU. Software licences were tied to the hardware prior to about v4r5 (can't quite remember if it was earlier or later). After then the OS licence could be transfered to the new owner of the box, or as we did when buying a new box, just got IBM to transfer the licences from the old one ot the new one.

I've never tried moving the date back (usuaully because we had many scheduled job entries and those jobs would end up being re-submitted). If you want to try it though, run the following command:

WRKSYSVAL QDATE

(if you change QDATE for *ALL, you will see a whole plethora of system values you can 'play' with).

00000022 Service Processor request rejected.
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Hmmm, not enough info I'm afraid. You may find more info in the QSYSOPR message queue (DSPMSG QSYSOPR) or the system log (DSPLOG). Look for messages that follow on from the IPL. I wouldn't worry too much about this error though if the machine is generally working. Each time I IPL my machine, it logs a controller failure error simply because I haven't got the console cable plugged in (simply because it is more convenient to access it via its ethernet port instead).

How can I display my license key ? The commands I've heard mentioned dsplickey don't exist in my version.
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Your asking now... By about 1995/6 we'd moved to v3r2, then quickly progressed to RISC v4r1. You could try checking for other commands that would display the licence keys. Rather than typing the full command, type part of the command and follow it with an asterisk.
i.e. enter DSP*
You will be presented with a list of all the commands that start DSP. Try scrolling through the list for one that displays licence details. I'll see if I've got any old docs that details v2 commands.
 
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DSP* has nothing for licenses at all unfortunately. There is a menu for showing licenses but, it doesn't show any for the OS and doesn't seem to show actual keys anyway. I supposed it doesn't show the OS since well technically the OS isn't licensed anymore.

Should this box be keeping time when totally unplugged ? Time and date is always set to when it was unplugged when I power it back on. I sort of supposed time would be the reason for the batteries.

Also, this 70 days thing keeps saying 70 days remaining even though I bypassed the password three days ago. Could it be a Y2K issue messing with the service processor ?

Here's the job info on that service processor error. From job SCPF, user QSYS, from program QWCIDIOR. I don't know if that helps at all.
 
leaknoil said:
DSP* has nothing for licenses at all unfortunately. There is a menu for showing licenses but, it doesn't show any for the OS and doesn't seem to show actual keys anyway. I supposed it doesn't show the OS since well technically the OS isn't licensed anymore.
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Ahhhh... I think the old brain cells are starting to kick in! It's coming back to me now. The licences were handled differently on the old CISC boxes. You should be able to install OS upgrades up to v3r2 without any problems. However, if for any reason you need to do a scratch OS install, you would need the MULIC (Model-Unique Licensed Internal Code) tape that IBM provided specifically for that box. Those tapes where often found in a plastic envelope in the back of the machine.


Should this box be keeping time when totally unplugged ? Time and date is always set to when it was unplugged when I power it back on. I sort of supposed time would be the reason for the batteries.

Also, this 70 days thing keeps saying 70 days remaining even though I bypassed the password three days ago. Could it be a Y2K issue messing with the service processor ?
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Yes, the box should keep the correct time even when powered down. It sounds to me that the time stopping when powered down is due to dead batteries. This would tie in with the bypass countdown still showing 70 days 3 days later. Until you get the bypass password sorted, I wouldn't replace the batteries or advance the system date. ;)

Here's the job info on that service processor error. From job SCPF, user QSYS, from program QWCIDIOR. I don't know if that helps at all.
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Not much help... SCPF is the Start Control Program Function system job that starts other jobs during IPL and QWCIDIOR is the "START XPF DISPLAY IO ROUTINE". That's about all I can find for this. At first I thought maybe your terminal wasn't configured to be the main console (device id 0 plugged into port 0 of the twinax controller), but on second thoughts I realised that you wouldn't be able to do a manual IPL if the console wasn't configured correctly.
 
While I remember... you also used to get a FULIC (Feature-Unique Licensed Internal Code) tape for some models. I never did find out exactly what the differnce was between that and a MULIC tape.:whatthat:
 
SteveH said:
Those tapes where often found in a plastic envelope in the back of the machine.
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I did find a tape labeled "IBM Test Tape" stuffed in under the front cover. Any idea how to run it ?


SteveH said:
Until you get the bypass password sorted, I wouldn't replace the batteries or advance the system date. ;)
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Too late. Batteries already replaced and time changed. Done it a few times and still says 70 days in the error message. I haven't tried setting it after the 70 days though. Doesn't seem worth the risk just to answer my curiosity.
 
leaknoil said:
I did find a tape labeled "IBM Test Tape" stuffed in under the front cover. Any idea how to run it ?
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I must admit to never having used a test tape. They usually found their way into the IT junk box, never to see the light of day again. :rolleyes:

Too late. Batteries already replaced and time changed. Done it a few times and still says 70 days in the error message. I haven't tried setting it after the 70 days though. Doesn't seem worth the risk just to answer my curiosity.
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Strange... maybe the service processor errors you mentioned have something to do with the time not advancing while powered off and the bypass message being stuck at 70 days. Does it appear to keep time whilst powered up?
 
SteveH said:
I must admit to never having used a test tape. They usually found their way into the IT junk box, never to see the light of day again. :rolleyes:

Strange... maybe the service processor errors you mentioned have something to do with the time not advancing while powered off and the bypass message being stuck at 70 days. Does it appear to keep time whilst powered up?
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So far it keeps perfect time when running. I just noticed that it also stops keeping time when the OS isn't running even if it is still plugged in. I thought it was just when totally unplugged.
 
Its Y2K. I got adventurous and started playing with the date. Change the date to 99 or less and it keeps time fine even off, the system processor error goes away, and so does the 70 days for the password message. Now even the os shows up in the licenses.

I figured out how to run the accounting program as well. They are lucky I'm an honest guy. This should have been thrown in the chipper.

I would imagine later versions of os/400 fixed all this. If what I've read is right it will actually be licensed up to v3r2. Now if I could only find a copy.

edit: ok the 70 days thing still pops up just not every boot anymore. It also appears much less frequently in the logs.
 
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leaknoil said:
I just picked up a as/400 system. I don't have any idea where to begin with it so, I'm asking some preemptive questions before I bother setting it all up.

The people that sold it to me were not only not helpful they were hostile. Seriously, they were real a**es. Came out of a rebar factory. I don't expect making rebar your whole life makes you a better person. These people were really unhappy.

Anyway, so it looks just like this minus the floppy drive

920913.jpg


I didn't get the key and its in the 'secure' position. That going to bite me ? Are they generic keys like many other manufacturer's gear ?

Ok, so here's this big tan box. AFAIK, the only out is a single db25. It also came with a small IBM box called a 5394-01B. It has a 1.44mb floppy drive and an on/off switch. The back has a db25m and three large round 2 pin connectors.

I also got a few infowindow terminals. Three different styles but, most have a db25 and a db20 ? connector. I didn't count the smaller connectors pins. Looks about 20-18 and I'm too lazy to run back down stairs right now.

There are a ton of cables that came with this. None of which make much sense. Most related to the large 2 pin DIN style connector. I even got a couple strange heavy duty molded things that go from db25 to more of the 2pin things. Unless I'm missing it the cpu has none of these 2 pin connectors on it.

There is no chance I will ever get any question answered from these people. Passwords are out of the question if it has them. I am pretty sure they will hurl rebar at me if I try and go back. I don't think they like outsiders in their little rebar kingdom.
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any idea where i can get a hold of one of these in toronto? anyone know a vendor? thx
 
I found mine off Craigslist. I'm not sure it will be easy to find other CISC boxes but, the newer PowerPC ones are all over ebay Some aren't priced that crazy but, most are. I'd like to get a PPC one but, I'll wait for one to come along locally and hopefully free.
 
Now here is an awesome as400. I'd never pay what they are asking and it would cost a fortune to ship to California but, that is just so cool looking. Even cooler then the Sunfire 10k racks. Seriously may be the best looking standard rack coverings I've seen. I know its just some plastic but, its still pretty damn sexy.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120475120970
 
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Chuck(G) said:
Ya gotta love the black-and-orange color scheme. Just the thing for Halloween... :)
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I think you could easily fit a gypsy fortune teller behind that rear piece. Just a coin slot and when the coin goes in the orange slides down revealing her. That is even better. Probably more useful then the as400 as well.
 
Creideiki said:
If you still need any help using OS/400, The Operating Systems Handbook has a section on OS/400. I found TOH to be an immensely useful item when diddling about in VM/CMS and MVS. Also it was my intro to OpenVMS.

The AS/400 looks like a pretty interesting machine, and I really want to try one out sometime (however it's not on the top of my list of "I want to try").
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Very cool book. Thanks for pointing me to it. I just got a Minivax 3100 the ovms stuff will help with too. I may actually try and track down a hard copy. I can only read pdf's so long. Maybe I should buy one of those new Barnes and Nobel nooks for my pdfs
 
NeXT said:
I think it would be more of a minicomputer.
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Yes, named exactly that. But if you remember the System/34s that the AS/400 would have also replaced (mainly they were a replacement for System/36s) there is no way you would call them ¨minicomputers¨. I even called its 5250s ¨Hernia Terminals¨.
 
Just received an 9401 this morning, the small, black and sexy P03 model. Although I craved for one the last... 16 years, now that I got it I have to find me a twinax terminal or an emulation card, just to know if it IPLs. Wonder if the seller even knows the QSECOFR pass. But wait, there is more, I'm expecting another 9401, the 150 model this time. I'll keep you posted!
In the meantime, if there is someone else crazy enough to collect old AS/400s here in Greece, let us come out of the cracks I say!
 
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