ObjectConnect Overview
ObjectConnect provides an efficient way to copy objects from one IBM i operating system to another without additional disk space to store an intermediate copy of the objects that are being copied.
ObjectConnect includes a set of control language (CL) commands. The ObjectConnect commands initiate a copy from one system, acting as ObjectConnect client, to the target system, acting as an ObjectConnect server. The ObjectConnect server accepts the ObjectConnect client’s connection request and restores the objects which are sent from the ObjectConnect client system.
ObjectConnect commands are closely related to the save and restore commands and support most of the same parameters. Table 1 shows a list of the ObjectConnect commands and the associated IBM i save and restore commands. Using the ObjectConnect commands describes the functions that are performed by each command. The online command help describes the parameters for each command.
| ObjectConnect commands | IBM i save and restore commands |
|---|---|
| Save Restore (SAVRST) | Save Object (SAV), Restore Object (RST) |
| Save Restore Object (SAVRSTOBJ) | Save Object (SAVOBJ), Restore Object (RSTOBJ) |
| Save Restore Changed Objects (SAVRSTCHG) | Save Changed Object (SAVCHGOBJ), Restore Object (RSTOBJ) |
| Save Restore Library (SAVRSTLIB) | Save Library (SAVLIB), Restore Library (RSTLIB) |
| Save Restore Doc/Lib Object (SAVRSTDLO) | Save Document Library Object (SAVDLO), Restore Document Library Object (RSTDLO) |
| Save Restore Configuration (SAVRSTCFG) | Save Configuration (SAVCFG), Restore Configuration (RSTCFG) |
To use the ObjectConnect, you must have ObjectConnect (5770-SS1 option 22) installed on both the source and target systems. The systems must be connected with Network communications supported by IBM i systems. There are three connection types supported by ObjectConnect:
- TCP/IP: When the source and target system are connected by ethernet connections with TCP/IP support, ObjectConnect can use the TCP/IP protocol to transfer the objects. This is referred to as ObjectConnect over IP. See TCP/IP setup for more information in setting up TCP/IP connections.
- SNA: When the source system communicates with target system using Systems Networking Architecture (SNA), ObjectConnect sends objects over SNA network. If virtual OptiConnect is configured between the source and target system, ObjectConnect operations will attempt to use OptiConnect first. This is referred to as ObjectConnect over SNA. See Configuring Enterprise Extender communications for the IBM® i system for more information in setting up Enterprise Extender connections. If you are using virtual OptiConnect, see OptiConnect for more information.
- Db2® Mirror: ObjectConnect can also be used in a Db2 Mirror environment, referred to as ObjectConnect for Db2 Mirror, and uses System Object Replication Network Redundancy Group (NRG) to send the objects. This provides better performance in a Db2 Mirror environment. See Db2 Mirror Planning and setup if you are using Db2 Mirror.
Note: In a Db2 Mirror environment, ObjectConnect for Db2 Mirror is recommended since it provides better performance. Where TCP/IP ethernet is used, ObjectConnect over IP is recommended because it provides better security and performance than ObjectConnect over SNA.
