Re: Windows 8 and IBM i access for Windows

Microsoft has had a monthly update cycle for patch releases going back to
the Windows 98 days. It's called Patch Tuesday and is the 2nd Tuesday of
the month (next week). They will also release the occasional out-of-cycle
updates but have found better acceptance from their customers if they
release the patches together. It's far easier on the change management
process to simply say "deploy January 2013 patches listed at
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/security/bulletin/"; then to do 9
different change requests scattered through the month.

Service Packs, like IBM i cumulative PTF release, are generally just
roll-ups of all previously released patches. Sometimes they introduce
support for new features (like an IBM i TR) but generally they're a patch
consolidation. That's why MS has 2 installers for the SP: Regular (also
what Microsoft Update uses) and Network Deployment. Regular does a check
of what's already on the PC and downloads only what's needed; ND is
designed to be pushed to PCs with an unknown patch state and thus contains
all patches in the SP. The process is pretty similar to using Fix Central
to pull custom Cume packages that only include what a particular LPAR needs
v. all available PTFs.

IBM & MS, coming from different background, have arrived at strikingly
similar methodologies for patch distribution. Both even have management
utilities to offer centralized control over patch roll-outs within an
environment.

W8 and Server 2012 are a little more forgiving with updates than prior
versions; after downloading updates that require a reboot (which fewer and
fewer updates need) it will wait up to two days before forcing a reboot.
Still not as forgiving as IBM i which will just sit & wait until you decide
to IPL.

Anyway, I'd suggest running the MS Upgrade Assistant (
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/upgrade-to-windows-8) on a PC
with an up-to-date install of System i Access. You don't have to do a W8
upgrade but it will tell you what apps (and hardware) on the PC will work,
what needs to be re-installed post-upgrade, and what isn't compatible.

The W8 desktop is by-and-large a lightly re-skinned W7 environment; I don't
see any reason why System i Access wouldn't work. On my machines so far,
printer & video drivers and all mainstream apps have migrated with no
problems. Just one utility - a CD image file mounter - was triggered by
the Upgrade Assistant as needing to be reinstalled post-upgrade.

I've been replacing my very old Windows Home Server with a Windows Server
2012 Essentials box and the online directions note that the S12E connector
app also needs to be re-installed if a PC is upgraded from W7 to W7. But
that's only so it can be set to exploit W8 under-the-cover features that W7
lacked. Not a compatibility issue per se.

I no longer manage any IBM i systems so I can't speak to genuine
compatibility but I really don't see any reason why it wouldn't work.

On Fri, Jan 4, 2013 at 6:48 AM, <rob@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

The general availability of Windows 8 was October 26, 2012.

There will be NO SP1 for Windows 8. MS has stopped issuing SP's. Got
tired of people waiting until the first SP before deploying their OS'.
Instead they push out once a month patches. And, since Windows 8 was in
beta for a coon's age it's already had plenty of time to work out many of
the bugs.

http://bizblog.plentech.com/technology/waiting-for-windows-8-service-pack-1/
Even if MS reneges and does release a SP1 for Windows 8 pundits predict
that it won't be until early 2014. We won't wait that long.
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/windows-8/a/windows-8.htm
They've already release a cumulative update.

http://www.zdnet.com/microsoft-delivers-windows-8-updates-ahead-of-service-pack-1-7000005492/
There is some rumor out there that Windows is really ramping up their new
releases and the only SP1 for Windows 8 will have a new name: Windows 9.

IBM System i access for windows 7.1 had service pack SI47412 dated
November 30, 2012.
The target for the next SP for 7.1 is June 30, 2013
6.1 is dead. The last SP for it was May 16, 2011 (over a year and a half
ago) and no further ones are planned.
http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/power/software/i/access/windows_sp.html


Rob Berendt
--
IBM Certified System Administrator - IBM i 6.1
Group Dekko
Dept 1600
Mail to: 2505 Dekko Drive
Garrett, IN 46738
Ship to: Dock 108
6928N 400E
Kendallville, IN 46755
http://www.dekko.com





From: "franz400" <franz400@xxxxxxx>
To: "Midrange Systems Technical Discussion" <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>,

Date: 01/03/2013 08:06 PM
Subject: Re: Windows 8 and IBM i access for Windows
Sent by: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx



Has IBM ever supported a new MS release before the 1st service pack ?
Jim

----- Original Message -----
From: <rob@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2013 10:44 AM
Subject: Windows 8 and IBM i access for Windows

Any idea when Windows 8 will be supported by IBM i Access for Windows?
http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/power/software/i/access/windows/os.html

Looking for the full iNav suite. Especially the system monitors in
Management Central which allow us to view key performance indicators on
multiple systems in one screen.


Rob Berendt
--
IBM Certified System Administrator - IBM i 6.1
Group Dekko
Dept 1600
Mail to: 2505 Dekko Drive
Garrett, IN 46738
Ship to: Dock 108
6928N 400E
Kendallville, IN 46755
http://www.dekko.com

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