This section concerns the scenario, where you want to install InterFormNG2 on Windows and still be able to process spooled files coming from a connected IBM i machine e.g. via monitored output queues.

The reasons why you would want to go with this setup could be:

•You want to limit the workload or disk usage on the IBM i to a minimum.

•You want to be able to use driver print for one or more printers and still be able to print onto an output queue of an IBM i.

•Java 17 (which is required in order to run InterFormNG2) is not possible to install on the IBM i. Java 17 is only an option on OS400 V7R4 and newer. Java 8 on IBM i is required for this setup to work.

•For calling user programs you are happy to be able call .bat files on Windows instead of CL programs on IBM i. (Execute native OS Command).

Even though you only want to run InterFormNG2 on Windows, you still need to install InterFormNG2 on both Windows and on the IBM i platform, but only a small part of InterFormNG2 need to run on the IBM i.

The installation of InterFormNG2 on Windows is covered in the section: Installing InterFormNG2 on Windows

The installation of InterFormNG2 on IBM i is covered in the section: Installing InterFormNG2 on IBM i

After the installations you need to prepare both installations:

Prepare the Windows installation

On the Windows installation you need to change the contents of the file, application-default.properties. The file is on the Windows platform found in "C:\Program Files\InterFormNG2". Here you need to add the line below (after taking a back up of the file):

enable.as400.functionality=true

If you also want to run the IFORMNG2/NG2CMD command on the IBM i, then you also need to add the line enable.as400.commandLine=true to the same configuration file. You should also consider firewall settings if the IBM i is to be able to contact the InterFormNG2 server, if you want to be able to run the command, IFORMNG2/NG2CMD.

Now you need to stop and start the InterFormNG2 service on the Windows machine.

When the service is running again you need to sign on to InterFormNG2 as an administrator.

You need of course to enter a license code.

You also need to setup a connection to the IBM i machine via the global system settings. Here you should ensure, that InterFormNG2 is able to connect to the IBM i.

Prepare the IBM i installation

For the IFORMNG2/NG2CMD commands to trigger the other server you also need to setup the connection via the configuration file, ng2CommandAPI.properties, which is described in the section, Setup InterFormNG2 AS400 command API.

As described in the linked section it might be a good idea first to ensure, that you can do a http connection before switching to https. The http connection requires, that http is specified both in the ng2CommandAPI.properties configuration file and in the application-default.properties configuration file on Windows.

You should also configure InterFormNG2 services on the IBM i. This is done via the command: IFORMNG2/IFORMNG2

Here you need to select option 91. License and here insert the license code with the matching end date and license type.

You also need to select option 92. NG2 installation and configuration and here the normal configuration should be:

IBM I Queue Monitor  . . . . . . > *INACTIVE     *ACTIVE, *INACTIVE, *SAME 

NG2-Server (Output generator)  . > *INACTIVE     *ACTIVE, *INACTIVE, *SAME 

CommandLine to NG2 . . . . . . . > *ACTIVE       *ACTIVE, *INACTIVE, *SAME 

The IBM i Queue monitor should only be activated, if you intend to use the Spool2xml module.

The NG2-Server should be *INACTIVE as you intend to run InterFormNG2 on the Windows platform.

The CommandLine to NG2 should be *ACTIVE, if you want to be able the use of the IFORMNG2/NG2CMD command.

A change of any of these settings require a restart of the IFORMNG2/IFORMNG2 subsystem.

For IBM i without Java 17

You cannot run the InterFormNG2 core if Java 17 is not installed on the IBM i. If however Java 8 is installed, then it is possible to run the TOOLSHED2 jobs of InterFormNG2 which enables the use of the IFORMNG2/NG2CMD command.

In order to be force the TOOLSHED2 jobs to run under Java 8 you need to change a data area. The data area is: IFORMNG2/TOOLSJAVA8.

You can display the contents of this data area with this command:

DSPDTAARA DTAARA(IFORMNG2/TOOLSJAVA8)

The default value is 'N'. If you change this data area into 'Y', then the TOOLSHED2 jobs will run under Java 8 instead of Java 17.

You can set this data area to 'Y' with this command:

CHGDTAARA DTAARA(IFORMNG2/TOOLSJAVA8 *ALL) VALUE('Y')

If you then restart the IFORMNG2/IFORMNG2 subsystem the TOOLSHED2 jobs will run under the specified Java version.

You can verify which Java version the jobs are running under from the command, WRKACTJOB and here use option 5=Work with for the TOOLSHED2 job with the JVM-com function:

And then select option:

45. Work with Java Virtual Machine, if active

Then you can see the Java version on the upper right corner.

This is running under Java 17.0.12: