When working at the Caché command prompt I sometimes want to run an operating system command on the server host. By prefixing my command line with ! or $ I can do this with ease. The following examples are from 2017.1 on Windows, but the feature is available on all versions and platforms:

Recently I was conducting a remote support session with a site. The desktop they were sharing with me was on a PC configured with German as the native language. Since my German is rather rusty, and virtually non-existent when it comes to computing terms, I was glad to be able to switch the Portal session into English.

This is done from the page that appears when you use the About link:

I recently helped a site investigate a problem that appeared after they upgraded their Windows instance of Caché from 2015.1 to 2017.1. A terminal session launched from the server's desktop cube was unable to run OS-level commands using the $ZF(-1) function. For instance, using the no-op command "REM" as follows:

write $zf(-1,"rem")

was returning -1, indicating that the Windows command could not be issued.

During a Caché system management training course today we discussed structural database integrity (a.k.a. physical integrity) and the tools InterSystems provides for checking integrity and fixing problems.

The colour scheme seems to have changed from green to blue, perhaps to be more in line with ISC corporate image.

Anything else new?

UPDATE: information has since been posted here.

A few years ago InterSystems announced a tool to help Caché system managers on sites with a large number of Caché instances. It was called Enterprise Manager.

When I recently searched for information about it I didn't have much success.

I still find it odd having to go to the DC homepage to get the "Create a New Post" button:

because it's not there when I'm reading a specific group, e.g. at the URL https://community.intersystems.com/group/atelier

If your application is raising <PROTECT> errors and you're finding it hard to work out why, here's a way to get additional information.

First, if auditing is not already enabled, turn it on:

Then use "Configure System Events" (highlighted above) and locate the event named %System/%Security/Protect. In the screenshot below I used the Filter field to do this (type "protect" - highlighted below - and press TAB):

In this recent post I highlighted the importance of a CSP session's Key property in enforcing the level of security your web application may be relying on, and in particular the need to keep the property value secret.