I would disagree a little on the process of when to permanently apply PTFs.
I agree with you that if you have "test" PTFs on your system, you would NOT
want to perm apply them. You should know if you do have test PTFs on your
system, and I would bet that 99% of people don't have test PTFs on their
system. If someone is reading this note and they don't know if they have
them or don't have them, believe me you don't have them.
Before I load and apply the next Cumulative PTF package (and all the
groups), we always permanently apply all the PTFs on the machine. Then we
load the next Cumulative PTF Package (and all the groups). We do PTF
maintenance for almost all of our customers on a quarterly basis.
Therefore, I know that they have been running on the "B" side fine for the
past 3 or 4 months. I want to insure if we are to have a problem with the
installation of this new set of PTFs, I could reboot from the A side. So,
by coping the B side to the A side (which is what you are in essence doing
when your permanently apply your PTFs), I know that I can reboot the machine
and be running the same version of microcode that I was running before the
PTF installation.
Yes, it will save space, but space isn't really an issue on most of our
customer's machines now-a-days. I do it to have the ability to boot from
the A side in an emergency.
I am not saying this is the only right way to do this, but I do believe this
is a best practice in PTF management.
Pete
Pete Massiello
iTech Solutions
http://www.itechsol.com
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-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of rob@xxxxxxxxx
Sent: Wednesday, August 26, 2009 10:37 AM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: Re: PTF Save Files - Delete
Let me see if I understand this. Let's say you put on ptf SI12345. And
this ptf is to fix program QSYS/QABCDE. After you order it you have a ptf
save file called QSI12345. Now after you apply it temporarily you also
have another save file called QSI12345S1 or something which has a backup
copy of QABCDE in it. If you apply it permanently then you will lose the
QSI12345S1. (Which is one DARN good reason to permanently apply ptfs
prior to an OS upgrade or they will stay out there for all eternity.) Now,
you want to delete QSI12345 without permanently applying that ptf.
Is this what you are trying to do?
Why? Are you that desperate for disk that you are scrambling to get some
space by deleting these downloaded ptfs, yet, you have no interested in
getting back the space that permanently applying ptf's would give you?
Perhaps because you want to avoid an IPL? Or you are afraid that you
won't be able to back off a defective ptf?
Honestly, I never tell all ptf's to apply permanently (I may have test
ptf's and stuff on there and that really vexes IBM when you do that.)
until it's time for the OS upgrade. Then I do the APYPTF ... PERM. IPL.
Then start the OS upgrade. Yes, it's an extra IPL but frees up the disk
space from all the ptf backup files. Just query the data files created by
RTVDSKINF for save files on your system. It's a chunk.
But back to your question: Will deleting the downloaded ptf save files
prevent you from doing the APYPTF *perm in the future. No. Not anymore
than not having the CUME CD in the CD drive will stop you. Which it
won't.
I wouldn't mess with the ptf backup files like QSI12345S1 and stuff
though.
Not unless you've really got some old ones. I noticed some from several
releases ago - before I started the process of applying all ptf's
permanently prior to an upgrade.
Rob Berendt
midrange.com
