Re: PC's Locking up when in BPCS -- BPCS-L

Genyphyr,

In a message dated 2/22/00 11:04:16 AM Eastern Standard Time, novakg@ssax.com 
writes:

> The reason NT is better has nothing to do with the Task Manager allowing you
>  to kill the BPCS job. NT simply does not lock up in BPCS. Please read prior
>  threads defining what a 'lock up' is versus what is a simple application
>  'hang' on the PC. I still have found no reports of a real 'lock up' on the
>  NT platform. If you had a true lock up, the task manager would not even be
>  available because the keyboard does not respond. The PC lock up as 
described
>  on BMR43360 is non-application related, whereas a hang can always be traced
>  to some sort of application problem, usually on the server job.
<<snip>>

Well, let's not split hairs over what a lockup is.  I have the whole history 
of Micro$oft operating systems on various machines at the office (two of 
which are so old I can't even _GIVE_ them away!) and, after DOS, NT is the 
most stable because it allows you an out instead of giving a hard freeze 
where even the keyboard won't work -- at least most of the time.  I did not 
intend to imply that the task manager was the reason that NT worked better, 
merely that it was available.

BPCS is _FAR_ from the only software that runs better on NT than it does on 
the 95/98 suite.  NT (like OS/2 before it) seems to do a better job of 
isolating tasks from each other, so that memory "leaks" are less 
catastrophic.  Lotus SmartSuite, Visio, and ABC Flowcharter also run better 
under NT that they did under Windows 3.11 or 95/98.  Pretty good company to 
be sharing a problem with.  NT also seems to handle devices and their drivers 
better than the lesser forms of Windows, which is odd given that NT drivers 
are harder to come by and 95/98 are often called upon to support a more 
diverse hardware configuration sampling in the home arena than does NT, which 
is used primarily for businesses with more consistent hardware configurations.

While not technically a lockup, a non-respondent application is still a 
failed application, even if you can recover from it.  Contrary to your 
statement that most lockups are caused by server errors, my current client 
(full C/S, 6.1.00, latest patches) hangs several times daily and, with the 
exception of some poor code in ORD701B that's not checking SQLSTS and causing 
a couple of the lockups with a decimal data error, the server is not at fault 
over 90% of the time.

My client had a long conversation with Helpline over this today, and you guys 
are doing a fantastic (albeit late) job of trying to resolve this issue 
through the "OPS Runtime Service Pack" initiative.  Perhaps my original 
explanation of why NT works better was technically inaccurate.  But just 
because the system doesn't lock doesn't mean it's not the _SAME_ problem.  NT 
just isn't so picky...

Regards!

Dean Asmussen
Enterprise Systems Consulting, Inc.
Fuquay-Varina, NC  USA
E-mail:  DAsmussen@aol.com

"Jimi Hendrix was the first rocker on the Internet.  His modem was a purple 
Hayes." -- Anonymous
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