Re: Rép. : RE: does anybody reads the cover letters before applying them?

I do not see how IBM can (consistently and meaningfully) provide warnings concerning possible impacts to your business applications. 
 
One example -- many, many years ago (when I was an IBM SE) I was called into an account that had installed a COBOL PTF and suddenly their business applications were failing whenever they were re-compiled.  The reason was that they had inadvertently been coding to bug in the COBOL compiler (one that was related to database access).  The PTF they applied fixed the bug and all of a sudden their database access was no longer working as desired.  Over the years I have seen many other similar instances -- a developer discovers how something "works" and codes to it, without ever looking to see if it's supposed to work that way.
 
So if we make the assumption that most PTFs correct bugs and the known fact that bugs are sometimes written to (used) inadvertently, then every PTF coverletter would need to indicate that business applications are at risk of being impacted.  Which would quickly cause everyone to ignore the warning anyway :)

Bruce
Bruce Vining Services
507-206-4178

--- On Mon, 2/2/09, Pascal Bellerose <pascal_bellerose@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

From: Pascal Bellerose <pascal_bellerose@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Rép. : RE: does anybody reads the cover letters before applying them?
To: "Midrange Systems Technical Discussion" <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Monday, February 2, 2009, 3:33 PM

Does special instructions mention warnings about risks of impacts on
your business apps when there are any?


Pascal Bellerose
Analyst-Programmer
pascal_bellerose@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Cascades Canada inc.
Telephone: 819-363-6114 (2114)
Fax: 819-363-6155 (6155)
Do you really need to print this e-mail? Change your environmentality!

Le 2 Février, 2009 à 15:46, Jerry Adams

<Jerry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> a
écrit :
Like Jim, I copy the *NotApy ones, but then read only the ones with
special instructions. Over 95% of the time these simply say "Turn JVM
off before applying." Occasionally, though, there are real important
instructions; the 8305 Cume for V5R4, for example, said that a second
IPL was necessary (not just the server firmware thing).

Anyway, yes, I read the special instructions. I, also, print and read
the defective PTF's list; this time it kept me from applying a defect
that might have taken down our modem, which isused to receive some of
our orders. Sadly, I've even found a defect during the installation
phase (delayed, installed during the next IPL), but Rochester got me
through that one.

Jerry C. Adams
IBM System i Programmer/Analyst
B&W Wholesale
office: 615-995-7024
email: jerry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Pascal
Bellerose
Sent: Monday, February 02, 2009 1:47 PM
To: midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: does anybody reads the cover letters before applying them?

We had some problems with cumm 8183 that contained a series of PTF
that
fixes format level identifiers for files having TIME or DATE fields.

This caused a lot of troubles because we create new databases each
year
and all the databases use the same programs. So once the program is
compiled all the databases must have the same format level id or we
get
a format level check error (CPF4131)

I suggested that we should read all PTF cover letters and make sure no
problems would be encountered again.

But It seems like a long shot and I'm not sure it could be done in
time
to stay up to date with latest cumms.

First, I did not find a way to list the PTF that were added in the
last
cumm. Because it is a cumulative update, the list IBM supplies is the
complete list of ptfs. Many were applied a long time ago.

So I ask, does anybody reads the cover letters? if so how do you
manage
this?

Thanks!






Pascal Bellerose
Analyste-Programmeur / Analyst-Programmer
pascal_bellerose@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Réseau/Network: 2114
Cascades Canada inc.
412, Boul. Marie-Victorin
Kingsey-Falls, PQ, Canada
J0A 1B0
Maintenance des Logiciels Corporatifs Cascades / Cascades Corporate
Softwares Maintenance

Tél./Phone: 819-363-6114
Télécopie/Fax: 819-363-6155