Re: Managing PTF's...Strategy?

Jim asked:

*Snippage has occurred...*

>My own thoughts on [PTFs] are to keep current and perm apply after a week
>or so if all is well.
>
>Is it normal to run off IPLSRC B everyday ?
>
>Is it not more effecient to perm apply your ptf's ?
>
>How many have been burned by a perm applied ptf that was bad ?
>What was the solution ?

We normally run on IPLSRC B.  My opinion is that if we can spare the extra
storage space, we're better off with the PTFs temporarily applied, so, if
need be, we can remove one.  That said, we've seldom if ever -removed- a
PTF; we usually just apply a fixing PTF for anything that's broken.

We permanently apply PTFs just prior to loading a new release.

As for being more 'efficient' to run on IPLSRC A, I dunno.  I imagine it
works a lot like a library list, and the 'B' copy is first in the list so
the objects there are picked first.  What's the overhead for an extra
library in the search list?


>How about tape backup management, isn't it a bit risky to take backup
>tapes home with you
>escpecially when your not keeping them in a safe ?
>
>Everyplace else i've worked has had there tapes picked up by a service
>company ( not sure what exactly they do with them ) : )


Well, tapes off-site are better than tapes on-site, even if they're on
someone's living room bookshelf (and away from inquiring 5 year olds).

Someone mentioned that he had a close call...  Well, the tapes should go
off site as soon after they're created as possible.  And you should use a
backup/father/grandfather hierarchical scheme complicated enough so you can
go back to the previous month's end tape and recover.  Year end tapes
should be saved forever.

This means that someone's living room will get awfully crowded with tapes.

If you lose your backup tape for a single day it shouldn't totally destroy
your company.  As we've discussed here before, tape backups are just a
small part of disaster prevention:  what about documents?  What happens
when you lose the new orders that have just arrived in today's mail?
Announce to the world that they should re-order?

We have a service pick up tapes and take them away for safekeeping.  It's
cheap insurance, and is just as reliable as someone's living room.

Uh... who takes care of the backup tapes when the caretaker goes on
vacation?  How would you get to the tapes if he's away for 2 weeks and you
need to get one?

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


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