AS/400 Report Downloader
Frequently Asked Questions

General:

How do I extend the AS/400 Report Downloader’s evaluation period?
How is the user's access to spool files controlled?
Why does the Downloader create a user profile?
How do I know which version of the Downloader (TCP/IP or SNA) to use?
Can I have both the SNA and TCP/IP versions on the same AS/400 at the same time?
How do I install the Downloader software?
How do I use an Excel or Word macro to automatically process the downloaded report data?
How do I use an Excel or Word macro to strip out unwanted page headings?
 

TCP/IP Version:

What if there's a firewall on my AS/400?
How do I start the main server program on the AS/400?
How do I get the Downloader server program to start automatically?
What does it mean when I get the message "connection is forcibly rejected…"?
How do I check to see if the main server program is active?
How do I stop the main server program?
What TCP/IP ports does the Downloader use?

SNA Version:

What's a router?
What's AnyNet?
How do I enable AnyNet?

Use the TCP/IP version of the AS/400 Report Downloader if your PC is attached to the AS/400 with Ethernet, Token Ring, PPP, SLIP or the Internet and you're using native TCP/IP support (rather than a router, like NetSoft's or Rumba's.)

If your PC is connected to the AS/400 with twinax cable, or if the PC is using the NetSoft or Rumba router to communicate with the AS/400, use the SNA version of the Downloader.

Yes.  The two versions can coexist on the same AS/400.   The SNA version is kept in library VBSPL, the TCP/IP version in library VBTCP.

You start by inserting the installation CD or diskette (1) into your PC.  Click on "Run..." on the Start menu.  Find the program "Setup.exe" on the drive containing the Downloader installation media.  Double click the Setup.exe program to select it and then click "OK".  Follow the on-screen instructions to install the PC portion of the Downloader.
When the PC portion of the installation process is complete you'll be prompted to install the AS/400 portion of the software.  You only have to install the AS/400 portion of the Downloader software once per PC.
When you've installed the Downloader you may access the accompanying documentation (Readme.doc in MS Word format or Readme.txt in plain text format).  This documentation tells you all about using the Downloader.
 

The Downloader can invoke a macro to complete processing over the spool file data. You must create and store the macro statements ahead of time, usually in a template document or spreadsheet (like "Normal.dot" or "Personal.xls".)  You can use Excel's or Word's macro recorder to generate your macro statements if you wish.  Just load a spool file to Excel/Word, start the macro recorder and perform the steps that you would like to capture.  Then turn the macro recorder off.   The next time you process the same type of report you may invoke the macro by name directly from the Downloader.
 

The following code copied into a Word macro will search for the word "Page" and strip out that line and the next:
-------
    'Go to upper left corner...
    Selection.HomeKey Unit:=wdStory
 
    'Set search parameters...
    Selection.Find.ClearFormatting
    With Selection.Find
      .Text = "Page"
      .Replacement.Text = ""
      .Forward = True
      .Wrap = wdFindContinue
      .Format = False
      .MatchCase = False
      .MatchWholeWord = False
      .MatchWildcards = False
      .MatchSoundsLike = False
      .MatchAllWordForms = False
    End With
 
    'Find the first occurrence...
    Selection.Find.Execute
 
    Do While Selection.Find.Found = True
      'Remove two heading lines...
      Selection.HomeKey Unit:=wdLine
      Selection.MoveDown Unit:=wdLine, Count:=2, Extend:=wdExtend
      Selection.Cut
      'Find the next occurrence...
      Selection.Find.Execute
    Loop
 
    Selection.Find.ClearFormatting
    Selection.HomeKey Unit:=wdStory
------

This code will strip out two heading lines in an Excel spreadsheet:
-----
Dim lRow As Long
Dim sRange As String
 
    'Turn off error checking...
    On Error Resume Next
    Err.Number = 0
 
    'Go to upper left corner of sheet...
    Range("A1").Select
 
    'Look for first occurrence of the word "Page"...
    Cells.Find(What:="Page", After:=ActiveCell, LookIn:=xlFormulas, LookAt _
        :=xlPart, SearchOrder:=xlByRows, SearchDirection:=xlNext, MatchCase:= _
        False).Activate
 
    'If found, remove that row and the next...
    Do While Err.Number = 0
      'Get the row number...
      lRow = ActiveCell.Row
      'Format a range expression...
      sRange = CStr(lRow) & ":" & CStr(lRow + 1)
      'Select the two-row range -- all columns...
      Rows(sRange).Select
      'Delete the rows and move the rest of the rows up...
      Selection.Delete Shift:=xlUp
      'Look for the next occurrence of "Page"...
      Cells.FindNext(After:=ActiveCell).Activate
    Loop
 
    'Back to upper left corner...
    Range("A1").Select
    Err.Number = 0

-----

A "firewall" is security software that blocks unauthorized access to your AS/400.  In order to run the AS/400 Report Downloader you must open certain TCP/IP ports (note that the Report Downloader uses full AS/400 system security to control access.):

• Port 17850 is used by the main server program.  This port must be opened.
• Ports 17851 through 17950.  When a user starts the Report Downloader the main server program  will look for an available port between 17851 and 17950.  You must at least open port 17851.  If you expect multiple concurrent users you should open more ports beginning with port 17852 through the number of concurrent users you expect.

All TCP/IP client/server applications run through ports on your AS/400.  Telnet runs through port 23, smtp run through port 25, pop3 runs through port 110, etc.
In TCP/IP client/server applications, the active server program, listening on the port, is responsible for security.  The AS/400 Report Downloader uses regular AS/400 system security to prevent unauthorized access.
You can view the ports that are being used by active TCP/IP servers by keying NETSTAT *CNN at an AS/400 command line.  Press F14 to see port numbers used.

You may decide that you want the Downloader’s main server program to always be active, and you would like it to start automatically without any operator action.  You may do so by including the commandVBTCP/STRDLOAD in CL program QSTRUP in library QGPL.
The QSTRUP program is always called by OS/400 at the end of an IPL (indeed, this is how your various subsystems get started.)
The source code for QSTRUP is located in QCLSRC in library QGPL on most AS/400s.  If you do not find the source code for QSTRUP, you may retrieve the program's source code with CL command RTVCLSRC (retrieve CL source).

PLEASE NOTE:  All AS/400 system level TCP/IP support must be completely initialized and started before the Downloader's main server program may be started.  If you're going to use the QSTRUP program to start the Downloader, you should place a DLYJOB DLY(1200)   (delay job for 20 minutes) CL command in your QSTRUP source code.  Place the DLYJOB command after the statements to start subsystems and TCP/IP and before the command to start the Downloader main server program.

This message usually means that the Downloader's main server program has not been started.  If you've been using the Downloader in the past and now you're suddenly experiencing a problem, this is probably the cause.  Use CL command

VBTCP/CHKDLOAD

to check the status of the Downloader main server program.  Use command

VBTCP/STRDLOAD

to start the Downloader main server program.

You may check the status of the main server program with CL command:

VBTCP/CHKDLOAD

You'll receive a message displaying the status of the main server program.
You can also look directly into the subsystem QSYSWRK and look for the main server program (job named DLOADERSRV) as well as spawned server programs (jobs named DRPT17xxx.)

You may stop the Downloader main server program with CL command:

VBTCP/ENDDLOAD

Alternately, you may allow the main server program to be terminated when the QSYSWRK subsystem is ended.

A router is connectivity software that establishes a connection between a PC and an AS/400 over an SNA supported link.
The router software that comes with IBM Client Access is really a NetSoft product.

"AnyNet" is IBM supplied software support for running SNA communications over a TCP/IP connection and vice versa.  AnyNet support allows you to  use applications software that was written for an SNA platform (like APPC) over the new TCP/IP types of links (like Ethernet and Token Ring).  Many mixed-mode (like half twinax and half Ethernet) environments use AnyNet to keep application software consistent across both platforms.

There are three steps to enabling AnyNet:

•  Change  your AS/400's network attribute for allowing AnyNet to *YES with CL command:
CHGNETA   ALWANYNW(*YES)
• Create a virtual APPC communications controller with CL command:
CRTCTLAPPC  CTLD(APPCOVRTCP)   LINKTYPE(*ANYNW)   RMTCPNAME(TCPIP)
• Vary the new controller on with CL command:
VRYCFG  CFGOBJ(APPCOVRTCP)  CFGTYPE(*CTL)  STATUS(*ON)