Re: V6R1

[Patricia Garrity <patricia_grrty@xxxxxxxxx>]

Al,

Why do you say that the analysis for going to V6R1 is
far more difficult than CISC to RISC or S/38.  I think
that it is actually much easier.  You put on the PTF's
on your current release, run ANZOBJCVN, review the
report and if, (and so far I have found that to be a
fairly big "if"), you have any objects that will not
convert, you have time to get them replaced.  I have
run ANZOBJCVN on over 18 systems so far, which include
a wide range of third party software, in-house
developed code and utilities - and so far, the
problems have been few and far between.  In fact, in
some cases, it helped locate old objects that should
have been deleted and it helped identify them.

You also said that IBM has not communicated this very
well.  The issue of "re-encapsulation" has been around
publicly for about a year now, the ANZOBJCVN PTF's
have been available for months, as well as numerous
articles, documentation, and a redpaper giving details
about the process in a well written, easy to follow
format.  I'm not sure what else you would be looking
for in regards to communication?

As for why IBM did not "run this design" by you is a
strange comment. I did not think that IBM had to
consult you on all of their designs.

And as for an operator who just decides to install
V6R1 over a weekend - out of control or otherwise,
when in reality does that actually happen.  If a data
center, large or small is being managed correctly,
this would not happen.  And if it is not managed
correctly, there are far bigger issues to worry about
than out of control operators.

I did perform a quick calculation. At a rate of one
new release every 18 months and the typical 'version'
having 5 'releases', Version 9, Release 5 is not due
to be GA until 2037 - a date by when I suspect quite a
few of us will either have died or at least not be
able to remember what day it is, let alone what an
iSeries is.  And if IBM increase the number of
releases per version to 9, look for V9R9 to be out
some when around 2060.  This is an issue that nobody
needs to worry about yet.

Al, I respect your opinion as an iSeries professional,
but responding to the post with the comments that you
made justs spreads more FUD about the iSeries to the
community at large.

Pat

Patricia Garrity
Garrity Systems

--- Al Barsa <barsa@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Molly,
>
> It's an important release.  IBM has added a lot of
> integrity things into
> the system, because there are nasty people out
> there.  If you have a nasty
> nasty program on your system, it won't make it to
> V6R1 (more precisely - it
> won't run).
>
> Agreed, IBM isn't doing a good job of communicating
> it, and the analysis
> IMHO is far more difficult that it was for either
> System/38 Migration, or
> CISC-to-RISC.  Hey, no one ran this design by me,
> which they did for
> CISC-to-RISC, and then they had to re-do it!  You
> have to run ANZOBJCVN
> before going, and this is not well communicated. 
> Prior releases that
> required program conversion had different
> release-to-release transition
> procedures.  V6R1 doesn't.  An out of control
> operator can just decide to
> install this release some weekend, and drive your
> business into a bridge
> abutment at 200 MPH!  IBM has been way behind the
> curve at getting third
> party software vendors up to snuff on this, but they
> are rising to the
> occasion (they claim).  I'm sure that we will hear
> more about this at
> COMMON.
>
> Also, a lot of save/restore enhancements.  The
> issues with cross library
> physicals/logicals is fixed (but you have to learn
> how to do it - no
> biggie), and a big save-while-active enhancement
> which allows
> synchronization between QSYS.LIB, DLOs, IFS and
> IASPs.  (Something missing
> since 1992.)
>
> I suspect that I know somebody who will be saying
> nice things about this
> release at COMMON, but I'm predisclosing *NOTHING. 
> BTW, that person tells
> me that if it isn't good by then, he/she will never
> lie.
>
> The other question you asked is the significance of
> the new Version.  New
> versions are a figment of the mind of IBM.  Every
> AS/400 (the real name -
> buy don't run that by IBM) person knows that Version
> 9 is the "day that I
> die".  (Thank you Don McLain.)  In fact V3R1 was
> just plain awful (IBM gave
> be heck about using the word "sucks" when talking
> about it.) , and V5R1 was
> substandard when released, but hardened up by the
> second c u m e package.
>
> Assuming that V6R1 does harden up, it will be the
> fourth solid release in a
> row.  Somewhat better than M$.
>
> Al
>
> Al Barsa, Jr.
> Barsa Consulting Group, LLC
>
> 400>390
>
> "i" comes before "p", "x" and "z"
> e gads
>
> Our system's had more names than Elizabeth Taylor!
>
> 914-251-1234
> 914-251-9406 fax
>
> http://www.barsaconsulting.com
> http://www.taatool.com
> http://www.systemiconnection.com/
>
>
>
>                                                     
>                   
>              Molly Brien                            
>                   
>              <springsteen33@ya                      
>                   
>              hoo.com>                               
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>                                                     
>               Subject
>                                        V6R1         
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>              02/07/2008 12:23                       
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>
> Hi All,
> I am fairly new to the iSeries market, but listened
> in on the V6R1
> announcement (via webcast) by IBM earlier this week.
> My question is: what's
> the big deal with this new release? What makes it so
> different from
> previous versions? Maybe I'm missing something
> here......Thanks!!!