Re: In BPCS Version 8 is there a easy way to setup a TEST -- BPCS-L

Hello,

>From my reading of it, the post didn't ask how to load 2 versions of BPCS on
his PC - he said wants to go from a test to a live environment in the same
version.

V8 is very similar to 6.1.02 as far as configurations go. It is all
explained in the install document, which is available readily on OGS as well
as on the install CD - you don't even need to load anything - just download
it from the internet if you have OGS support.

We at SSA GT are quite familiar with how to set up multiple environments on
this product and any of our products, considering that we do that internally
every day on many systems, Unix, NT and AS/400. And in the installation
instructions (if you read them) it quite clearly explains how to set up a
test environment.

Just put in the new workstations settings for the test environment and away
you go. No need to have 2 icons. You can save the environment settings the
same way we do at SSA GT - use the 'Server Name' field to point to the name
of the environment which the settings will access. (Note that as long as the
IP address is correct, the server name field does NOT have to be a server
name at all!)

If you name it after the environment such as 'TESTENV1' on the client, and
have a proper IP address in that box, you will connect to the environment.
It will save the test environment settings under that name. Create another
session under a 'server name' called 'PRODENV' or 'LIVENV' or what have you
for live. You don't need many icons on the PC to do this - it's all INSIDE
the BPCS Session manager software, and you can choose it with the drop-down
box. BUT make sure that the name you choose is NOT the same as a system on
your network if you are doing this! Only the IP address should point to a
system on the network, and that should be the server where you are using
BPCS. The way the software for Fat Client works, is that it first searches
the 'Server Name' field to find the AS/400 on the network - if that doesn't
match, then it drops down and uses the IP address field. Thin Client never
uses the 'server name' field at all to resolve the IP address of the server.
(There is BMR which documents this difference).

Client/Server V6 or V8  is no mystery to anyone at SSA GT, but it may be
somewhat unfamiliar to many of the consultants out there who's main
clientele with BPCS happen to be the BPCS CD and older releases.

I would like to point out, that it is also not any one at SSA GT's JOB to
reply to postings here. If we do, it is out of concern or courtesy for the
people on this list. Don't attempt to use this as a substitute for HELPLINE
because a lot of the information your read here can be wrong, or specific to
one release (not yours). It's like any other mailing list - 'caveat emptor'.
The SSA GT Support Center should be contacted when questions like this
arise, for the best and most specific answer to your release and situation.

We know that there is a limitation in that you can not load 2 different
VERSIONS of BPCS on the same PC. That is why we document this limitation in
our instructions. Perhaps if a client would request this via E BMR and use
their SSA GT representative to make a business case for creating new
software to allow 2 versions to be loaded at once,  it could be worked on
for a future delivery. But that has to be done through official SSA GT
channels and not via BPCS-L.

Thanks,

Genyphyr Novak
SSA GT

----- Original Message -----
From: <DAsmussen@aol.com>
To: <bpcs-l@midrange.com>
Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2002 7:24 AM
Subject: Re: In BPCS Version 8 is there a easy way to setup a TEST


> --
> [ Picked text/plain from multipart/alternative ]
> Kevin,
>
> In a message dated 2/6/02 12:57:24 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> WASHBURNCCINC@aol.com writes:
>
>
> > Thanks to the people that responded to my question. But what I am
looking
> > for is a way in the new GUI versions of BPCS. The CEA product is the one
I
> > am most interested in.  In BPCS 6.02 version I worked on it had a
desktop
> > icon usually named Session Manager.
> > <<snip>>
>
> I hesitated to answer your original missive, because I'm inexperienced in
V8.
>  I should have known that you wouldn't receive an answer, because I've
posted
> several here on behalf of clients regarding that release and not received
a
> single answer.  It appears that nobody (including SSA/GT) is far enough
along
> on V8 to offer pertinent advice.  It is in large part due to this lack of
> response on the part of _ANYONE_ that my current client has scrapped plans
to
> upgrade to V8 and proceed with a 6.1.02 upgrade from 6.1.01.
>
> To wit and to paraphrase an answer to your question from the 6.1.02 GUI
> installation instructions and my memory from this afternoon, "SSA/GT
strongly
> recommends that you do not employ two versions of the GUI client
concurrently
> on the same client.  Said installation will not be supported by SSA/GT or
> Helpline."  I suspect that this has something to do with the "shared" DLLs
> that do not appear to be shared by anything but the GUI client itself that
> manifested themselves after I spent a great deal of effort finding an
unused
> PC and de-installing 6.1.01 session manager so that I could install 6.1.02
> session manager on it.  This limitation is an _ENORMOUS_ pain in the
kiester
> as it requires more hardware to facilitate "side by side" testing of the
new
> version with the old, when the text-based testing can be performed on a
> single client (mixed-mode).
>
> I would further add that the _ONLY_ reason that I had to install 6.1.02
GUI
> in the first place was that the server CD inside cover stated that the
> documentation for installing it was on the GUI CD and, not finding the
server
> documentation immediately available on the GUI CD, I mistakenly assumed
that
> it needed to be unpacked by SETUP.  The latter was a _SEVERE_ misstatement
on
> the part of SSA/GT and a foolish assumption of trust of them on my part.
The
> documentation for installing the server portion resided, indeed, on disc 1
of
> the server installation discs and could be accessed without an
installation
> of any sort.  Pop it in the PC, print it out.
>
> HTH,
>
> Dean Asmussen
> Enterprise Systems Consulting, Inc.
> Fuquay-Varina, NC  USA
> E-mail:  DAsmussen@aol.com