VM:Secure is a Directory Maintenance program just like DIRMAINT. Unlike DIRMAINT, it is also an External Security Manager (ESM). If you use DIRMAINT, you would also need license IBM's RACF for VM (very expensive and VERY unfriendly for VM systems, it's ported from z/OS).
DIRMAINT uses IUCV messages to 'interact' with a requestor and (until recently) you would have to write an IUCV message trap, collect these message, and analyze them just to determine programmatically if your DIRMAINT command completed correctly (you would always get a return code of 0 from the DIRM EXEC because all it does is send an IUCV message to DIRMAINT). I believe a recent release of DIRMAINT does allow you to wait for the command to actually execute and returns a REAL return code indicating the success or failure of the command. DASD management with DIRMAINT has always been perilous. Anyone that has ever used DIRMAINT/DATAMOVE to move/resize a minidisk can tell you when DATAMOVE fails (which I recall happening a lot) it leaves things in a terrible mess requiring a lot of manual intervention to clear things up and put the source minidisk back. Another horrible design point of the DIRMAINT/DATAMOVE relationship is that DIRMAINT transfers the source minidisk to DATAMOVE in order for it to work on it. That means that nobody can be linked R/O to the source minidisk prior to starting to work on it, attempts to link the disk R/O after work has started will fail with an error since the disk "no longer exists", and if/when DATAMOVE screws up that disk will remain in limbo until you come along and clean things up. VM:Secure allows minidisks linked R/O to be operated on, keeps the source minidisk in it's place and ONLY updated the directory with the new minidisk definition AFTER everything has completed properly. If any users had R/O links to the source minidisk prior to the change, they are retained until ALL old R/O links have been released. If you think this is unimportant, just try resizing a publicly accessed minidisk (like MAINT 190/19E/19D) in a 24/7/365 shop. VM:Secure is a Computer Associates product. I'm not sure what you are developing, but keep in mind that many shops do not use ANY directory maintenance product like DIRMAINT or VM:Secure. If you are writing a product to perform "directory maintenance" functions I'd suggest your product do this by means of a tailorable user exit (preferably in REXX) and provide sample VM:Secure and DIRMAINT exits (and maybe an exit intended for shops that have neither). Michael Coffin, VM Systems Programmer Internal Revenue Service - Room 6527 1111 Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20224 Voice: (202) 927-4188 FAX: (202) 622-6726 [EMAIL PROTECTED] -----Original Message----- From: Jason Herne [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, February 23, 2004 2:05 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Use of DIrmaint What is VM:Secure, what kind of license, and why do you like it over Dirmaint? Thanks. - Jason Herne On Mon, 2004-02-23 at 14:12, Coffin Michael C wrote: > Hi Jason, > > IMHO Dirmaint is, and always has been, a dog! I use VM:Secure, I've > replaced DIRMAINT with VM:secure in more shops than I can count over > the past 20 years. :) > > Michael Coffin, VM Systems Programmer > Internal Revenue Service - Room 6527 > 1111 Constitution Avenue, N.W. > Washington, D.C. 20224 > > Voice: (202) 927-4188 FAX: (202) 622-6726 > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Jason Herne [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2004 4:39 AM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Use of DIrmaint > > > Hello all, > > > I represent a team of people working on a project to help make > z/VM easier to administer. One of our current problems is whether or > not to make use of Dirmaint. We would like to get a feel for how many > people like/use Dirmaint. If everyone could please respond and let me > know if you use or do not use Dirmaint (and why) I would greatly > appreciate it, thank you. > > - Jason Herne ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
