Re: Preventive z/OS maintenance, was: EPSPT vs. FIXCAT
From: Jürgen Kehr kehrjuer...@t-online.de One major idea behind this project is to apply as few PTFs as possible, but as many PTFs as needed. Jürgen, this is my understanding of the RSUmmyy. My memory could be rusty on this, but many moons ago customers were tired of peeking through too many PTFs delivered in SMCREC, SMCCOR, PUTmmyy recipients, and complained to IBM. As a result, RSUmmyy was developed in order to let customer select as few PTFs as possible, but as many PTFs as needed. Maybe I remeber wrong, maybe Kurt can shed some light on the historical development of PTFs delivery. What does your customer not like about RSUmmyy ? Walter Marguccio z/OS Systems Programmer BELENUS LOB Informatic GmbH Munich - Germany -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@bama.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
Re: Preventive z/OS maintenance, was: EPSPT vs. FIXCAT
On Fri, 18 May 2012 00:52:38 -0700, Walter Marguccio wrote: this is my understanding of the RSUmmyy. My memory could be rusty on this, but many moons ago customers were tired of peeking through too many PTFs delivered in SMCREC, SMCCOR, PUTmmyy recipients, and complained to IBM. As a result, RSUmmyy was developed in order to let customer select as few PTFs as possible, but as many PTFs as needed. What I remember is that RSU was changed so that customers would be able to apply all of the latest PTFs (FSVO Latest) with the understanding that they were all tested as a group. Because of the testing that was done at IBM, there is a better chance of fixing problems without introducing new ones. In practice, many customers choose to upgrade to an RSU level than the most current after receiving the latest HOLDDATA, thus providing an additional measure of safety. For information, see the CST website. The mission statement is at http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/z/os/zos/support/servicetest/mission.html -- Tom Marchant -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@bama.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
Preventive z/OS maintenance, was: EPSPT vs. FIXCAT
Hi Radoslaw, in your note you mentioned the idea to apply all (installable) PTFs. This idea leads me to the reason for opening this topic. I'm involved in an IBM project for preventive maintenance packages named CPMz. One major idea behind this project is to apply as few PTFs as possible, but as many PTFs as needed. In order to determine which PTFs are really needed in a specific environment, besides other subjects we include FIXCAT data. At that point one of our customers asked me where to find the CICS FIXCAT data. Because there is no specific category, I thought that there are no such FIXCATs for CICS, but now I know from the answers here where to find them. BTW: For this offering CPMz we although have a customer in Poland, if you like to hear more about this topic, you may give me a personal note. Am 17.05.2012 14:59, schrieb R.S.: W dniu 2012-05-17 14:29, Kurt Quackenbush pisze: [...] Stupid question: Applying service usually require IPL, which is some inconvenience even in Sysplex environment (for sure it is in monoplex). PTF usually require to review some actions, dependencies, etc. - everything with HOLDSYS(). With some exceptions applying service is not single little PTF, it;s not daily activity. It's rather some session - mass update, infrequent. So, it's reaaly good opportunity to apply all the PTFs, especially those from RSU. So the question is: Why doesn't one receive full pack of service? ShopzSeries allows to use SMPE reports to order only missing PTFs and only to the products installed. Isn't it good idea to have all the components up to date? -- Radoslaw Skorupka Lodz, Poland -- Freundliche Gruesse / Kind regards *Dipl. Math. Juergen Kehr * IT Schulung Beratung / IT Education + Consulting Elfbuchenstrasse 10 34317 Habichtswald Germany Tel. +49-5606-5337408 Fax +49-3222-9341387 Mobil +49-172-5129389 mailto:kehrjuer...@t-online.de mailto:kehrjuer...@googlemail.com -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@bama.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
Re: Preventive z/OS maintenance, was: EPSPT vs. FIXCAT
Jürgen In my humble opinion every piece of software installed should serviced, so I sustain the idea of aplying all PTFs. Disclaimers (exceptions): - One can have some software installed, but not used. - I'm not talking about PTFs in error, etc. - Up to date does not necessarily mean from yesterday, service can be seasoned (cured? matured?). Regards -- Radoslaw Skorupka Lodz, Poland P.S. I'd like to hear more about this, you have my e-mail address. W dniu 2012-05-17 17:38, Jürgen Kehr pisze: Hi Radoslaw, in your note you mentioned the idea to apply all (installable) PTFs. This idea leads me to the reason for opening this topic. I'm involved in an IBM project for preventive maintenance packages named CPMz. One major idea behind this project is to apply as few PTFs as possible, but as many PTFs as needed. In order to determine which PTFs are really needed in a specific environment, besides other subjects we include FIXCAT data. At that point one of our customers asked me where to find the CICS FIXCAT data. Because there is no specific category, I thought that there are no such FIXCATs for CICS, but now I know from the answers here where to find them. BTW: For this offering CPMz we although have a customer in Poland, if you like to hear more about this topic, you may give me a personal note. Am 17.05.2012 14:59, schrieb R.S.: W dniu 2012-05-17 14:29, Kurt Quackenbush pisze: [...] Stupid question: Applying service usually require IPL, which is some inconvenience even in Sysplex environment (for sure it is in monoplex). PTF usually require to review some actions, dependencies, etc. - everything with HOLDSYS(). With some exceptions applying service is not single little PTF, it;s not daily activity. It's rather some session - mass update, infrequent. So, it's reaaly good opportunity to apply all the PTFs, especially those from RSU. So the question is: Why doesn't one receive full pack of service? ShopzSeries allows to use SMPE reports to order only missing PTFs and only to the products installed. Isn't it good idea to have all the components up to date? -- Radoslaw Skorupka Lodz, Poland -- Treść tej wiadomości może zawierać informacje prawnie chronione Banku przeznaczone wyłącznie do użytku służbowego adresata. Odbiorcą może być jedynie jej adresat z wyłączeniem dostępu osób trzecich. Jeżeli nie jesteś adresatem niniejszej wiadomości lub pracownikiem upoważnionym do jej przekazania adresatowi, informujemy, że jej rozpowszechnianie, kopiowanie, rozprowadzanie lub inne działanie o podobnym charakterze jest prawnie zabronione i może być karalne. Jeżeli otrzymałeś tę wiadomość omyłkowo, prosimy niezwłocznie zawiadomić nadawcę wysyłając odpowiedź oraz trwale usunąć tę wiadomość włączając w to wszelkie jej kopie wydrukowane lub zapisane na dysku. This e-mail may contain legally privileged information of the Bank and is intended solely for business use of the addressee. This e-mail may only be received by the addressee and may not be disclosed to any third parties. If you are not the intended addressee of this e-mail or the employee authorised to forward it to the addressee, be advised that any dissemination, copying, distribution or any other similar activity is legally prohibited and may be punishable. If you received this e-mail by mistake please advise the sender immediately by using the reply facility in your e-mail software and delete permanently this e-mail including any copies of it either printed or saved to hard drive. BRE Bank SA, 00-950 Warszawa, ul. Senatorska 18, tel. +48 (22) 829 00 00, fax +48 (22) 829 00 33, www.brebank.pl, e-mail: i...@brebank.pl Sąd Rejonowy dla m. st. Warszawy XII Wydział Gospodarczy Krajowego Rejestru Sądowego, nr rejestru przedsiębiorców KRS 025237, NIP: 526-021-50-88. Według stanu na dzień 01.01.2012 r. kapitał zakładowy BRE Banku SA (w całości wpłacony) wynosi 168.410.984 złotych. -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@bama.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
Re: Preventive z/OS maintenance, was: EPSPT vs. FIXCAT
I agree with Radoslaw. Quite often, I am forced to plan for the unexpected, especially with IBM.DEVICE.* and IBM.COEXISTENCE.* FIXCAT categories, because there have been times when I have been the last to find out about new DASD or other equipment hitting the floor that may have pre-requisite maintenance. I will always apply all available maintenance for all installed products that I feel has seasoned sufficiently based on my expected maintenance cycle timeline. Picking and choosing what maintenance to apply will typically get you into trouble at some point especially if you have limited opportunities to implement said maintenance. If you have a weekly window, then you may operate on a different set of rules I guess. _ Dave Jousma Assistant Vice President, Mainframe Services david.jou...@53.com 1830 East Paris, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 MD RSCB2H p 616.653.8429 f 616.653.2717 -Original Message- From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:IBM-MAIN@bama.ua.edu] On Behalf Of R.S. Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2012 3:19 PM To: IBM-MAIN@bama.ua.edu Subject: Re: Preventive z/OS maintenance, was: EPSPT vs. FIXCAT Jürgen In my humble opinion every piece of software installed should serviced, so I sustain the idea of aplying all PTFs. Disclaimers (exceptions): - One can have some software installed, but not used. - I'm not talking about PTFs in error, etc. - Up to date does not necessarily mean from yesterday, service can be seasoned (cured? matured?). Regards -- Radoslaw Skorupka Lodz, Poland P.S. I'd like to hear more about this, you have my e-mail address. W dniu 2012-05-17 17:38, Jürgen Kehr pisze: Hi Radoslaw, in your note you mentioned the idea to apply all (installable) PTFs. This idea leads me to the reason for opening this topic. I'm involved in an IBM project for preventive maintenance packages named CPMz. One major idea behind this project is to apply as few PTFs as possible, but as many PTFs as needed. In order to determine which PTFs are really needed in a specific environment, besides other subjects we include FIXCAT data. At that point one of our customers asked me where to find the CICS FIXCAT data. Because there is no specific category, I thought that there are no such FIXCATs for CICS, but now I know from the answers here where to find them. BTW: For this offering CPMz we although have a customer in Poland, if you like to hear more about this topic, you may give me a personal note. Am 17.05.2012 14:59, schrieb R.S.: W dniu 2012-05-17 14:29, Kurt Quackenbush pisze: [...] Stupid question: Applying service usually require IPL, which is some inconvenience even in Sysplex environment (for sure it is in monoplex). PTF usually require to review some actions, dependencies, etc. - everything with HOLDSYS(). With some exceptions applying service is not single little PTF, it;s not daily activity. It's rather some session - mass update, infrequent. So, it's reaaly good opportunity to apply all the PTFs, especially those from RSU. So the question is: Why doesn't one receive full pack of service? ShopzSeries allows to use SMPE reports to order only missing PTFs and only to the products installed. Isn't it good idea to have all the components up to date? -- Radoslaw Skorupka Lodz, Poland -- Treść tej wiadomości może zawierać informacje prawnie chronione Banku przeznaczone wyłącznie do użytku służbowego adresata. Odbiorcą może być jedynie jej adresat z wyłączeniem dostępu osób trzecich. Jeżeli nie jesteś adresatem niniejszej wiadomości lub pracownikiem upoważnionym do jej przekazania adresatowi, informujemy, że jej rozpowszechnianie, kopiowanie, rozprowadzanie lub inne działanie o podobnym charakterze jest prawnie zabronione i może być karalne. Jeżeli otrzymałeś tę wiadomość omyłkowo, prosimy niezwłocznie zawiadomić nadawcę wysyłając odpowiedź oraz trwale usunąć tę wiadomość włączając w to wszelkie jej kopie wydrukowane lub zapisane na dysku. This e-mail may contain legally privileged information of the Bank and is intended solely for business use of the addressee. This e-mail may only be received by the addressee and may not be disclosed to any third parties. If you are not the intended addressee of this e-mail or the employee authorised to forward it to the addressee, be advised that any dissemination, copying, distribution or any other similar activity is legally prohibited and may be punishable. If you received this e-mail by mistake please advise the sender immediately by using the reply facility in your e-mail software and delete permanently this e-mail including any copies of it either printed or saved to hard drive. BRE Bank SA, 00-950 Warszawa, ul. Senatorska 18, tel. +48 (22) 829 00 00, fax +48 (22) 829 00 33, www.brebank.pl, e-mail: i...@brebank.pl Sąd Rejonowy dla m. st. Warszawy XII Wydział Gospodarczy Krajowego Rejestru Sądowego
Re: Preventive z/OS maintenance, was: EPSPT vs. FIXCAT
Agreed - We run a batch job **nightly** to pull back all PTF's that we hadn't yet received as well as hold data for each IBM Global zone we have. That way we have all maintenance for all products already in the system, can report on what is out there un fixed, as well as what is waiting to go on. No more running chains and downloading lists of PTF's multiple times. We can then choose what aging process to use when Apply time comes along. Jerry Whitteridge Lead Systems Programmer Safeway Inc. 925 951 4184 If you feel in control you just aren't going fast enough. -Original Message- From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:IBM-MAIN@bama.ua.edu] On Behalf Of Jousma, David Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2012 12:33 PM To: IBM-MAIN@bama.ua.edu Subject: Re: Preventive z/OS maintenance, was: EPSPT vs. FIXCAT I agree with Radoslaw. Quite often, I am forced to plan for the unexpected, especially with IBM.DEVICE.* and IBM.COEXISTENCE.* FIXCAT categories, because there have been times when I have been the last to find out about new DASD or other equipment hitting the floor that may have pre-requisite maintenance. I will always apply all available maintenance for all installed products that I feel has seasoned sufficiently based on my expected maintenance cycle timeline. Picking and choosing what maintenance to apply will typically get you into trouble at some point especially if you have limited opportunities to implement said maintenance. If you have a weekly window, then you may operate on a different set of rules I guess. _ Dave Jousma Assistant Vice President, Mainframe Services david.jou...@53.com 1830 East Paris, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 MD RSCB2H p 616.653.8429 f 616.653.2717 -Original Message- From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:IBM-MAIN@bama.ua.edu] On Behalf Of R.S. Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2012 3:19 PM To: IBM-MAIN@bama.ua.edu Subject: Re: Preventive z/OS maintenance, was: EPSPT vs. FIXCAT Jürgen In my humble opinion every piece of software installed should serviced, so I sustain the idea of aplying all PTFs. Disclaimers (exceptions): - One can have some software installed, but not used. - I'm not talking about PTFs in error, etc. - Up to date does not necessarily mean from yesterday, service can be seasoned (cured? matured?). Regards -- Radoslaw Skorupka Lodz, Poland P.S. I'd like to hear more about this, you have my e-mail address. W dniu 2012-05-17 17:38, Jürgen Kehr pisze: Hi Radoslaw, in your note you mentioned the idea to apply all (installable) PTFs. This idea leads me to the reason for opening this topic. I'm involved in an IBM project for preventive maintenance packages named CPMz. One major idea behind this project is to apply as few PTFs as possible, but as many PTFs as needed. In order to determine which PTFs are really needed in a specific environment, besides other subjects we include FIXCAT data. At that point one of our customers asked me where to find the CICS FIXCAT data. Because there is no specific category, I thought that there are no such FIXCATs for CICS, but now I know from the answers here where to find them. BTW: For this offering CPMz we although have a customer in Poland, if you like to hear more about this topic, you may give me a personal note. Am 17.05.2012 14:59, schrieb R.S.: W dniu 2012-05-17 14:29, Kurt Quackenbush pisze: [...] Stupid question: Applying service usually require IPL, which is some inconvenience even in Sysplex environment (for sure it is in monoplex). PTF usually require to review some actions, dependencies, etc. - everything with HOLDSYS(). With some exceptions applying service is not single little PTF, it;s not daily activity. It's rather some session - mass update, infrequent. So, it's reaaly good opportunity to apply all the PTFs, especially those from RSU. So the question is: Why doesn't one receive full pack of service? ShopzSeries allows to use SMPE reports to order only missing PTFs and only to the products installed. Isn't it good idea to have all the components up to date? -- Radoslaw Skorupka Lodz, Poland -- Treść tej wiadomości może zawierać informacje prawnie chronione Banku przeznaczone wyłącznie do użytku służbowego adresata. Odbiorcą może być jedynie jej adresat z wyłączeniem dostępu osób trzecich. Jeżeli nie jesteś adresatem niniejszej wiadomości lub pracownikiem upoważnionym do jej przekazania adresatowi, informujemy, że jej rozpowszechnianie, kopiowanie, rozprowadzanie lub inne działanie o podobnym charakterze jest prawnie zabronione i może być karalne. Jeżeli otrzymałeś tę wiadomość omyłkowo, prosimy niezwłocznie zawiadomić nadawcę wysyłając odpowiedź oraz trwale usunąć tę wiadomość włączając w to wszelkie jej kopie wydrukowane lub zapisane na dysku. This e-mail may contain legally privileged information of the Bank and is intended solely
Re: Preventive z/OS maintenance, was: EPSPT vs. FIXCAT
On Thu, 17 May 2012 19:33:17 +, Jousma, David wrote: Picking and choosing what maintenance to apply will typically get you into trouble at some point especially if you have limited opportunities to implement said maintenance. If you have a weekly window, then you may operate on a different set of rules I guess. In a sense, it also gets the vendor in trouble by enormously inflating the set of supported configurations. When the customer reports a problem and IBM support asks, Is your service current? the customer should be entitled to reply, I have applied service according to the IBM guidelines. W dniu 2012-05-17 17:38, Jürgen Kehr pisze: Hi Radoslaw, in your note you mentioned the idea to apply all (installable) PTFs. This idea leads me to the reason for opening this topic. I'm involved in an IBM project for preventive maintenance packages named CPMz. One major idea behind this project is to apply as few PTFs as possible, but as many PTFs as needed. ... -- gil -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@bama.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
