Planning setup for journals

The following topics provide information to plan configuration for journals. They provide information about each option that you can select for journal.

Disk pool assignment for journals
If you want to place the journal in a library basic disk pool, you must first create the library for the journal in the disk pool. If you use a library basic disk pool, the journal and all the objects you are journaling to it must be in the same library basic disk pool.
Library assignment for journals
When you create a journal, you specify a qualified name that includes the library for the journal. The library must exist before you create the journal.
Naming conventions for journals
When you create a journal with System i® Navigator or the Create Journal (CRTJRN) command, you assign a name to it. If you plan to have more than one journal on your system, use a naming convention that links each journal with its associated receiver.
Journal and journal receiver association
When you create a journal, you must specify the name of the journal receiver to be attached to it. If you are using the Create Journal (CRTJRN) command to create the journal, the journal receiver must exist before you can create the journal.
Journal message queue
When you create or change a journal, you can specify where the system sends messages that are associated with the journal. In addition, you can create a program to monitor this message queue and handle any messages associated with the journal. The system also sends messages that are related to the remote journal function to this message queue.
Manual versus system journal-receiver management
When you create a journal with System i Navigator or the Create Journal (CRTJRN) command, you can select to have either system managed or user managed journal receivers.
Automatic deletion of journal receivers
If you choose system journal receiver management, you can also have the system delete journal receivers that are no longer needed for recovery. You can only specify this if you are using system journal receiver management.
Receiver size options for journals
A journal receiver holds journal entries that you might use for recovery and entries that the system might use for recovery. For example, you might use record level entries, such as database record changes, and file level entries, such as the entry for opening or closing a file. Also, the system writes entries that you never see or use, such as entries for explicitly journaled access paths, for SMAPP, or for commitment control.
Journal object limit
The journal object limit (JRNOBJLMT) parameter allows you to set the maximum number of objects that will be allowed to be journaled to the journal.
Minimized entry-specific data for journal entries
On the Create Journal (CRTJRN) and Change Journal (CHGJRN) commands, you can specify to allow for the deposit of minimized journal entries. This will decrease the size of your journal entries.
Customization of the journal recovery count
This topic is about using the Journal Recovery Count (JRNRCYCNT) parameter in the CHGJRN command to set the journal recovery ratio for each journal. The IBM® Navigator for i equivalent function is the Journal recovery count on the Journal Properties dialog box.
Fixed-length options for journal entries
You can use the Fixed Length Data (FIXLENDTA) parameter of Create Journal (CRTJRN) and Change Journal (CHGJRN) commands to audit security related activity for journaled objects on your system. The IBM Navigator for i equivalent function is Fixed length data to include on the Create Journal and Change Receivers dialogs.
Journal cache
Journal caching is a separately chargeable feature with which you can specify that the system cache journal entries in main storage, before writing them to disk. Journal caching is option 42 of the IBM i operating system.
Object assignment to journals
You can use one journal to manage all the objects you are journaling. Or, you can set up several journals if groups of objects have different backup and recovery requirements. Every journal has a single attached receiver. All journal entries for all objects being managed by the journal are written to the same journal receiver.

Parent topic: Planning for journal management