As an overview, I wanted to start with a few thoughts on the IBM i platform and some of the recent changes that have taken place to make the platform more capable in today’s cloud-centric environment. This isn’t meant to be a technical overview, but more a few thoughts on some of the security-related capabilities of the platform that have been deprecated, added, or have changed in the past few years.
IBM i (iSeries/AS400)
When one thinks about the iSeries, there’s a good chance that images of green screens and 3270 terminals may come to mind. This may have been the case in the past, but there has been a lot of change in recent years. The IBM Power platform has been largely modernized and IBM has invested a lot of time and money into making the IBM i platform more relevant in today’s market.
The IBM i platform was originally conceived as a complete solution, with everything an organization needed to get up and running and all built in. This was great for the average company, as they didn’t need to worry as much about third party applications and security patches and were able to focus more on their business.
IBM i cloud (iSeries/AS400) Cloud Security platform has shifted a bit in recent years to an “open” platform that is more flexible and extensible. This has allowed for the platform to be more easily integrated with third party applications and solutions.
The IBM i platform has a number of capabilities that make it an attractive platform for hosting applications and data in the cloud.
Some of these capabilities include:
– Built-in security features
– A robust operating system
– A proven database
– Built-in networking capabilities
– Flexible storage options
– Virtualization capabilities
– Scalability
As the IBM i (iSeries/AS400) Cloud Security platform has shifted to being more open, there has been a focus on making the platform more secure. IBM has invested a lot of time and resources into making the platform more secure. Some of the security-related changes that have been made in recent years include:
– The deprecation of the Data Administration Security Server (DASS)
– The introduction of the IBM i Access Client Solutions
– The inclusion of OpenSSL in the operating system
– The addition of user-defined encryption keys
– The introduction of IBM i Authorized Program Analysis Report (APAR)
It has a lot to offer in terms of security. The platform has a number of built-in security features that can be used to secure data and applications. In addition, the platform has a number of security-related capabilities that have been added in recent years.
