Re: If it ain't broke, don't fix it

As an ISV I deal with thousands of customers all over the world.

While this isn't the "norm"(not installing PTFs because nothing seems
"broken") I do find this is "standard" in quite a few shops. Either
because they got behind and the latest CUME "will take to long" or
something else.

When I get called for support and it's an OS issue that is solved by a PTF
(or broken by a PTF), that's all I can suggest and my hands are tied as an
ISV. There's really little I can do.

Especially with all the SSL updates recently that fix holes, break other
things, etc... we have a couple client side software packages that use SSL
and are mission critical to a lot of shops (for web services and email).
When something breaks SSL for them I'm the first person they call. I do
help, but sometimes I feel like I'm doing IBM's job for "free".

It's a gray area for support.. we don't charge for support for our
software, but when the issue is OS related (or requires a PTF or is broken
by a PTF) we're still not sure how to handle those things. And for know
just "get out the ketchup".

So there are two sides to this.. those that don't install PTFs and run into
OS issues later that require PTFs, and the PTFs that do break things after
installed.

"Some don't care, some don't know, and some don't care to know... " - Adam
Carolla

Brad
www.bvstools.com

On Mon, Aug 24, 2015 at 9:52 AM, John McKee <jmmckee3@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I did not want to pollute the thread "If you have SSDs, please read".

Some years ago, PTFs stopped being applied here. Much like "if it ain't
broke". We had an application that did screen scraping. Long gone. A
Client Access PTF broke the application. A somewhat critical application,
as it turned out. The SA may or may not have contacted the vendor of the
pc software. But, what was done was the PTF was backed out.

After that, no CUMEs were installed. Only PTFs identified by service
advisor.

Various people in command hierarchy, I have no idea how high up, set that
policy.

Potentially very dumb policy. That was why I was a little hesitant to
install PTFs suggested by Scott K that corrected errors with ssh. I am
glad I did, as the enhanced error handling made a number of transfers
performed subsequently a LOT nicer.

Clueless management too far removed from the system making policy
decisions.

"Don't confuse me with facts, I have already made up my mind".


John McKee
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