When one downloads a VMARC'ed package, the downloaded file (let's call it FUBAR VMARC in honor of the ongoing US financial "crisis") ends up with the date and time the FUBAR VMARC file was created on your VM system. That makes it more difficult at a later date to download the same package and easily see if there are differences between the two files. It wouldn't be too hard write a new EXEC to compare the VMARC LIST output from the two VMARC files, but it would be a tool required to check another tool (VMARC).
Would it make sense to add new function to VMARC to provide capture of the date and time the FUBAR VMARC file was created (or last updated), and imbed that date and time within the VMARC file itself? With such a feature (perhaps via a new trailer record such as ":TLR" to complement the existing file ":CFF" header records), a new VMARC command (maybe called "RESTDATE"?) could be used to both confirm that the whole file had been downloaded (since the ":TLR" record would always be the last record) and be able to use DMSPLU to RESTore the DATE and time to that which had been saved in the ":TLR" record. "RESTDATE" is just an example operand keyword - better suggestions would be most welcome. Obviously, RESTDATE (or whatever) would have to be backward compatible -- just reporting something like: No ":TLR" record present; the file was created before yyyymmdd, or the file was truncated during download. (Where yyyymmdd was the date and time that the new support was added). Mike Walter Hewitt Associates Any opinions expressed herein are mine alone and do not necessarily represent the opinions or policies of Hewitt Associates. The information contained in this e-mail and any accompanying documents may contain information that is confidential or otherwise protected from disclosure. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, or if this message has been addressed to you in error, please immediately alert the sender by reply e-mail and then delete this message, including any attachments. Any dissemination, distribution or other use of the contents of this message by anyone other than the intended recipient is strictly prohibited. All messages sent to and from this e-mail address may be monitored as permitted by applicable law and regulations to ensure compliance with our internal policies and to protect our business. E-mails are not secure and cannot be guaranteed to be error free as they can be intercepted, amended, lost or destroyed, or contain viruses. You are deemed to have accepted these risks if you communicate with us by e-mail.
