ACS Unlocked: Features, Automation, and Advanced Configuration

Presented By: Nathan Williams

On Wednesday, September 30th join Relion Solutions' Nathan Williams as he presents ACS Unlocked: Features, Automation, and Advanced Configuration.

IBM i Access Client Solutions (ACS) is the actively developed, fully supported replacement for the long-discontinued Client Access family, but most shops only ever touch its surface. We'll open with why that “actively developed” distinction is a security matter, not a marketing line, citing a handful of real, named vulnerabilities patched only in current ACS releases. From there, a fast tour of what ACS can do out of the box (5250 tricks, Data Transfer, SQL Scripts, IFS, System Groups for larger environments, and more), then underneath the GUI: how AcsConfig.properties actually works, what the install script is really doing to it, and how to drive ACS entirely from a command line…including automation that runs directly on the IBM i itself. We'll close with a candid, sourced look at ACS security configuration: what component restriction does and doesn't actually protect against, IBM's own recommended alternative, and how to get TLS/SSL genuinely working end to end.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the core components of ACS, how it differs from legacy Client Access, and where to obtain the current base package and Application Packs.

• Explain, with specific version and CVE references, why staying current on ACS is a security control and not just a feature-chasing exercise.

• Use AcsConfig.properties and command-line plugin syntax — including on-IBM i automation — to customize and script ACS beyond what the GUI or installer exposes.

• Apply IBM's Restrictions feature, rather than file-protection tricks alone, to enforce which ACS functions a given user population can reach.

• Configure ACS and the corresponding IBM i services for TLS/SSL-encrypted communication, and troubleshoot the most common gaps (ODBC, certificate stores, protocol/cipher settings).