Re: Version of BPCS client for 6.1

Hello,

Many customers recieve ECS service from SSA Helpline. As to whether or not
your company personally have had it used, I have no idea, as you do not list
who you work for in your note. But in the example I was citing (a error
message which shows a particular line of code in error), unless you kept the
source on your system so that we could look up the line to find it's
contents, and then found the same line of code was still in current code and
was unchanged as to how it was invoked and under what conditions it was
invoked, ECSing your system would reveal nothing that a job log would not.
The process of coming to this conclusion by ECSing and comparing source is
slower by far, than by simply loading the latest code into the test
environment and reproducing the error to find the current line failing. And
if the error does not reproduce - voila - problem is resolved.

This is why, in most cases we will ask the client get to a current BMR
level, at least in the test environment, before Helpline will ECS onto a
system. Signing onto a system is generally not the first choice for problem
resolution, as it is often the slowest way to resolve a problem. (The modem
connections are not exactly speedy and sometimes a week is spent figuring
out why you can't connect, getting the proper modem phone number and the
like).

However, hundreds of customers do have their configurations set up on our
ECS AS/400 system, and it is used on a daily basis by Helpline to resolve
difficult issues, generally whenever other methods of problem resolution
fail. For issues requiring complex application set up, it often can lead to
quicker problem resolution - so the decision about whether or not ECS is
required is decided on a case by case basis. It is also very useful when
there are language barriers in having someone explain the problem, or in
having new users who are unfamiliar with the AS/400 and who can not provide
enough detailed information, for example. Sometimes in the case where
'nothing has changed and it just broke' this is the way we find out what did
change, or what is causing the error in a situation with timing problems.

Thanks

Genyphyr Novak
SSA


-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Robins <brobins3d@yahoo.com>
To: BPCS-L@midrange.com <BPCS-L@midrange.com>
Date: Tuesday, February 01, 2000 11:53 AM
Subject: Re: Version of BPCS client for 6.1


>>  In addition, if you are reporting a error such as an RPG or CPF message
>and
>>  it shows at a particular line of code, we can't match that to any code
on
>>  our system to see which line is failing unless you are at the same code
>>  level . . .
>
>I found this statement interesting.  One time, oh so many years ago, SSA
had
>us install a configuration necessary so they could dial-up and work
directly
>on our system (in a non-live database - or - our live database if no data
>was affected).  This was an approach they were beginning to use to help
give
>them visibility as to what was going on in a problem situation.  We never
>had call to request its use, did anyone else have this done?
>
>Bill
>
>

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