Re: Aldon's CMS Change Management Software -Reply

>- Aldon "gotchas" are relatively few, but they do exist
>  - Job logs tend to be cryptic when a compile or promote
>fails - all you see is a message about "Call to Aldon pgm
>XXXX failed"  but the WHY it failed isn't there.

If a promote fails, you don't use the job log, you use the promote report.
And you have to -read- the thing.  It does tell you, step by gruesome step,
exactly what went wrong.  But you can't just glance at it and figure it out.

They also have problems with physical files built under multi-format
logical files.  Getting one of these PFs to recompile takes some finagling.


>Upshot: I don't know how "locked down" your
>client's looking to make their shop, but people will fight
>any perceived "restriction" tooth and nail, saying "Aldon
>hampers my job performance" when it's really "Policies
>enforced via Aldon hamper my ability to anything I #%@$
>well please any time I want" - which, of course, is the
>whole point of change management to begin with.  Be
>prepared to be kind of unpopular!

We always have problems with people wanting free access to the production
environment.  And we keep telling them no, it doesn't help.  We have had
too many nightmares with a totally 'open' production environment where
multiple people were fixing the same program and kept fouling up each
others' changes.  You need to get an edict from The Top stating that this
is the way it will be, and if they don't want to use CMS, they'd better
find someplace else not to use it.

All in all, though, it's an excellent package.

--Paul E Musselman
PaulMmn@ix.netcom.com


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