Set up i5/OS with a national language version

This topic describes the steps you need to take to properly install and configure a national language version on i5/OS™, with topics ranging from selecting and installing hardware, installing software, and configuring your environment to run in a globalized setting.

You can use this information as you install your own servers, and you can apply the principles when you develop applications for customers who are installing their own national language version on i5/OS.

The feature code identified when you order an i5/OS operating system is the language of your textual data and is called the primary language of the system. Any other language versions that you have ordered are called secondary languages. For secondary languages, the national language version consists of only the textual data for all licensed programs ordered. The program code is not contained in the secondary language version.

The primary language is the language in which the system is serviced and from which all language-dependent or cultural-dependent system values are initialized. In addition, other system objects and functions assume attributes based on the primary language. For example, messages appearing in the history log always appear in the primary language.

• How a language is displayed for i5/OS functions
  If you want information presented in a language other than the primary language of the server, you must first have a secondary language loaded. When a secondary language is loaded, you can display information in that language in any of three ways.
• Installation preparation and national languages
  IBM periodically creates program temporary fixes (PTF) to correct existing problems or potential problems within a particular IBM^® licensed program.
• Checklist: Globalization planning
  When planning to install a multilingual system, start by completing the Globalization planning checklist for globalization and multilingual support. The checklist consists of two parts, which should be completed sequentially.
• Order equipment and software
  To properly support a language or multiple languages on a single system, the appropriate hardware and software must be ordered and configured. These topics describe some considerations you should take into account when ordering your hardware and software.
• Hardware installation and national languages
  When installing or changing a device on your system, you must make sure that the device is configured correctly to reflect the keyboard ID that matches the character set and code page of the job CCSID.
• Software installation and national languages
  If your system will be communicating with systems using different languages, use care when specifying configuration names that will be exchanged with the remote system.
• Configure a national language version
  Use this information to configure i5/OS with a national language version in this topic.
• Scenarios: Set up i5/OS with a national language version
  Use these scenarios to better understand multilingual support.