Re: System Backup Strategy

You need a console...period.

Either a LAN console, or HMC, or (think there's some other :)

Once you have a proper console defined, you can run your current backup
program on the console without issue. Yes it uses TCP/IP, but it's a
special stack deep in the OS that's always there.

Not to mention being able to bring the system to restricted state, apply
PTFs or upgrade the OS.

Charles


On Tue, Oct 1, 2013 at 4:07 PM, Booth Martin <booth@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Is a regular IPL still "best practice" on these new boxes?

On 10/1/2013 2:55 PM, Buzz Fenner wrote:

We do production backups every business day, and save the entire system

plus

IPL the system on the last day of the week.



We don't use the GO SAVE menu to accomplish this 2nd backup; instead

it's an

in-house-written program equipped with prompts (and bailout points) for

the

user and tape volume validation code. It's also interactive up to the

point

of issuing the power down with restart. The user acknowledges a series of
prompts along the way. This job runs in QCTL. (We don't have real
properly-trained system operators to handle these tasks, so the boss did

not

want to give them that sort of system access. These are part-time

employees

and I see his point.)



We changed over from a Power 5 to a Power 7 last weekend, so no more
twinax! (Yes, we had twinax devices.)



We had modified our code (with what also had been fixed via ptf, that

is) to

get TCP shutdown before ending the subsystems. It's a combination of
EndTcpPtp, EndHostSvr, & EndTcp with 5 minute delays sprinkled in between
them.



Now the twinax operator's workstation has been replaced with a thin

client.

The program as written no longer works because communication is

terminated

with the workstation before they have the opportunity to answer some
prompts.



A guy with our Business Partner suggested loading up the Ops Console from
iSeries Access For Windows and somehow giving the operator a back door

into

the system.



I'm thinking of rewriting the process that does all the input validation

and

gives the operator the option of submitting a batch job (to QCTL) to
complete the task.



Better ideas, suggestions, or am I just way off base here?



FWIW, BRMS is not an option.



--

Buzz Fenner

Business Systems Analyst/Systems Administrator

City Water & Light

870.930.3374 | 870.219.5229

bfenner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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