Re: PTF Savefile

Jerry Adams wrote:

<<SNIP>> the *Service was for installing PTF's from the save files, though I've never used it. If one uses *Service for PTF installation is there an option of which save files to use? I noticed, for example, that there were PTF save files from over
1.5 years ago. If there is not an option for which save file to
use, would I just put these "old" PTF's in the Omit section of
the PTF install procedure?

I saw the "ignore this question", but the following comments may be of some value anyhow; if not to you, to someone else, and even in the archives for searching.

A PTF exists in *SERVICE, is on media [even virtual, e.g. in a save file], or otherwise not yet tracked to\by the OS PTF feature. I am unaware how a PTF is in [the device called] *SERVICE, except when the PTF was retrieved\"sent from the service support system" per DEV() help text on LODPTF, or when the PTF is loaded using CPYSAVF(*YES) or when CPYSAVF(*SRVATT) resolves to *YES from the service attributes established in CHGSRVA.
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/iseries/v5r4/topic/cl/lodptf.htm

It is the internal control blocks [code-described storage areas] where the PTF feature records the correlation between PTF identifier and the PTF save file in *SERVICE. I do not know if a PTF save file in *SERVICE is tracked by name versus by address. Given neither the name nor address has changed, such that those old PTF save files remain tracked as part of the device *SERVICE, then the LODPTF would need to either SELECT() or OMIT() in order to load only those PTFs of interest from DEV(*SERVICE) for the named LICPGM(); i.e. to avoid the default of SELECT(*ALL) from loading them.

However AFaIK, loading and applying a PTF does not remove the PTF save file. I do not recall if RMVPTF RMV(*PERM) or APYPTF APY(*PERM) might matter. Thus I believe it is likely that some of the old PTF save files in *SERVICE might already be loaded and applied, such that LODPTF SELECT(*ALL) would simply diagnose them as "already loaded."; i.e. still awaiting DLTPTF action.

That said, be aware... When we were in the lab, and similarly this could apply to any customers that might ever receive a "test PTF", the default of SELECT(*ALL) used without full understanding of the ramifications, could lead to loading undesirable PTFs... perhaps even actually applying them when using the default SELECT(*ALL) on APYPTF. So knowing that there are PTF save files other than what are intended to be loaded [and probably then also to be applied] can be important in a proactive sense, versus having to reactively remove [or omit during apply] any PTF that were /accidentally/ loaded [if even that result were even noticed].

Regards, Chuck