RE: Infocenter

Here's my annual rant on IC. I spent 2 hours with IC yesterday trying to be
proactive and research something. Never did find what I wanted and finally
gave up.

I read somewhere that V6R1 is the last release for Operations Console Direct
Attach ("OCDA"). As of V6R2 one has to switch to Operations Console LAN
Attach ("OCLA"), or HMC or some other console method. I was simply curious
as to what was involved in making that switch, even though I don't have to
do it for some time.

I looked at so many manuals that I forget which one this was in, but it was
in regards to hardware requirement for OCLA. The V5R4 version of the manual
said it only applied to the 8xx hardware boxes, not the 5xx boxes. The V6R1
version of the exact same manual said it only applied to Power 6 hardware.
I have a Power 5 520. What do I use? And that doesn't even address being
able to actually follow the requirements for OCLA. Or find help in a OCDA
to OCLA conversion.

It seems you can never find everything needed for something in a single
place in the IC, you've got to jump around continuously. Anybody else go in
circles in IC following links?

When all said and done, I couldn't even relocate where I read V6R1 was the
last release to support OCDA. Did I just dream it? I decided by the time
it was time for V6R2, I would either be on different hardware or the
consoles would change again. OCLA also gone? HMC still there? iTouch or
Blackberry now required?

It's as if IBM treats all that info in their manuals as a database and puts
it in 3NF. No repeating elements. A piece of info can only exist in a
single spot. And we are like end users with Query trying to do 'joins' to
bring together what we need.

Dang. Here I am all worked up and I'm leaving in an hour for the MAC
Championship football game. Go Cards!