Re: Automated PTF Installation

[Larry Bolhuis <lbolhuis@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Mike,

 Depends on how much automation you like.  What I do is order the fixes 
from Fix Central and use a special email address (iptf@...) for the 
messages. I have a program monitoring that mailbox on the iSeries and it 
parses out the inbound message. The program recently went casters up 
when IBM changed the format of the message without asking me first. (Yes 
Marshall is in trouble AGAIN!) so you need to be prepared when that 
heppens.  The parsed out piece is submitted to a batch job to download 
the binary images via FTP and then dumps them into an Image catalog.  I 
have not yet decided to go beyond that but it's a simple matter of a 
little code to mount them into a virtual optical drive, and then load 
them.  I would be a bit nervous about that step though since the program 
would have a heck of a time reading the cover letters. Alsi I certainly 
wouldn't want any automatic IPL triggered by an email that may come in 
at any random time!!!

 So that's one way.

    - Larry

Condon, Mike wrote:
> I've heard some propaganda on the IBM support hold messages about
> automating PTF downloads & installs from the Internet. 
> I called IBM Software Support about it, and the tech totally missed the
> point so I just said "ok, thanks for your help".
> Does anyone else out there have this implemented, and how is it working
> out? If so, can you provide details on how to set it up, or direct me to
> where it is documented on IBM's site?
>
>