Speed is critical when serving APIs and web pages from IBM i. How can we measure our speed? The IBM HTTP Server (powered by Apache) for i can log the speed of each request, but this capability needs to be turned on. Default values in the Apache access log include the request’s URL, the HTTP status code, size of the response in bytes, and the user agent (e.g. browser type), but not how long the request took. Let’s see how to add the timing.
To make our IBM i servers more secure, our system administrator has configured our SSH services to require public key authentication rather than password-based logins. To comply with this security policy, we also set up our Visual Studio Code for i connections to use SSH keys. This article explains how to set up an SSH key with Code for i.
One of PHP’s strengths is that each PHP job or process cleans itself up after every request. This makes PHP very reliable and stable. On occasion, though, an extension may have a bug that leaks memory or causes other problems over time. If that happens, PHP’s FastCGI settings provide a solution.
Having just celebrated the 35th anniversary of the origins of the IBM i platform, it’s time to celebrate another milestone: the fourth year of iChime, the online meeting of IBM i friends begun by Charles (Charlie) Guarino in 2020 as a way to stay connected during the pandemic.
While installing packages from IBM’s original open source repository, ibm, users may encounter errors, including: [Errno 12] Timeout on: ftp://public.dhe.ibm.com/software/ibmi/products/pase/rpms/repo/repodata/repomd.xml: (28, ‘Connection time-out’) Trying other mirror. Error: Cannot retrieve repository metadata (repomd.xml) for repository: ibm. Please verify its path and try again. [Errno 14] FTP Error 451 – server did not report OK, got 451 Trying other mirror [Errno 14] FTP Error 550 – Access denied: 550 Trying other mirror
If you believe you have found a bug or other issue with the Code for IBM i extension, you can post it to the Code for i issue tracker. The maintainers are very good about resolving issues. In fact, with Code for IBM i it’s always worth checking for (and applying) updates before reporting an issue.
Code for IBM i has been moving quickly. As the popularity of this Visual Studio Code extension has grown, updates and enhancements have arrived regularly. If you encounter a bug or issue, installing the latest update may resolve it. Updating Code for i requires only a restart of VS Code. Here are some details to clarify how to restart as well as how to roll back the update, if desired.
I had to chuckle when someone at a recent conference seemed surprised that PHP was still a vital force in web and API development. He hadn’t heard much about PHP lately at conferences. My explanation: “It’s reliable and the major problems have been solved.” I continued: “There’s a significant PHP update each year, plus monthly fixes. It’s evolving steadily, with attention to backward compatibility, all changes discussed in the open, easy to manage, no surprises.”
A few months after we published the article Apache for IBM i: Where to Find Documentation, astute reader Paul Nicolay of Cegeka shared yet another hard-to-find Apache resource with us. Paul recommends IBM Support’s IBM HTTP Server for i PCI Compliance page for organizations following the stringent PCI DSS security standard for accepting card payments. In addition to confirming that Apache on IBM i is a PCI-compliant web server, the page lists the IBM i PTFs required to fix known vulnerabilities.
I’ve admired Patrick Behr’s work in the IBM i community for many years. One of the most talented IBM i developers I know, he draws on an impressively broad range of skills to build future-minded solutions to today’s business challenges. That’s why I’m delighted to announce that Patrick Behr has officially joined Seiden Group’s team of technical consultants. In addition to his excellent technical and business skills, his commitment to mentoring and advocating for the IBM i community make him the perfect fit for our team.