Re: Question - Your IPL Frequency

Every 8 weeks.  We base it on a few factors.
- We run a 13 period accounting system.  Thus every 4 weeks is period end. 
 Don't touch the system weekend before or after under penalty of death by 
the accounting people.  Especially weekend after.
- Do not run a downtime in January.  See previous comment about accounting 
department.  Year end.
- Want to have ability to put on latest ptf's, hardware, etc.  Keeping a 
scheduled every 8 weeks makes things consistent and gives the plants some 
time to plan.  Also when you get some whiner plant manager wanting to use 
the system that weekend you can tell him to FO because you published your 
downtimes a year in advance.
- Systems people sign up to work these downtimes in November/December of 
the prior year.  Allows them some time to plan their calendars.
- Back when we were on CISC hardware we HAD to do it more often than every 
8 weeks or one system would fill up temporary addresses.  So, to work 
around accounting we did it every 4 weeks.  Two weekends before or after 
period end.


Rob Berendt