For companies who rely on the System i for operations, it may come as a surprise that most of what is needed to comply technologically is already sitting in their computer rooms. IBM's i5/OS comes equipped with tools for securing, monitoring, and logging built right into the operating system.
Built-in Security
The System i provides excellent object level security features to control access to resourceswho can read a particular file, for example. These security features are built into every System i system, whether you use them or not.
The System i can provide field-level security as well. You may need tools to supplement the System i security, such as restricting access during certain time periods, or allowing users to read a particular file but not to download it. Take the time to learn what you have, and how it can be used for your organization.
Built-in Logging
Also provided with the System i are excellent logging facilities to track the activity occurring on the systemthe System History Log, Message Queues, and Journals, just to name a few. Many activities are automatically logged, such as when particular users sign on and off, and you can enable additional logging for many other types of activities as well. These logs provide a detailed accountability to what is occurring on the System i. These logs can be monitored proactively to identify potential problems, or post-mortem to trace a particular problem.
Built-in Monitoring
Lastly, in the area of monitoring, the System i provides good tools for keeping tabs on the health and status of your systemincluding security related events. System i Navigator can monitor messages and logs for specific events and notify an administrator when a particular condition occurs. Depending on your needs, you may want to supplement the System i monitoring tools to provide additional features, such as problem escalation, or scheduling of specific types of alerts to different groups of people.
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