Paul,
Re: switching-- we switched back after the test; we hadn't let any users actually -do- anything while we were switched! It was more a proof-of-concept.
I'm not sure how we got away from actually switching; we continued working with our hot site in Philadelphia for years. At the time, that satisfied our auditors.
As far as application upgrades using Mimix-- for whatever reason, management has drunk the Kool-Aid, and migrated most applications (other than order entry, invoicing, and accounting) to network servers. So we don't have payroll, fixed assets, and a few others to worry about. The OE, invoicing, and accounting are self-maintained, and we test thoroughly on the test side, then promote to production.
Paul E Musselman
PaulMmn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
-----Original Message-----
From: MIDRANGE-L [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Steinmetz, Paul
Sent: Tuesday, April 17, 2018 7:04 PM
To: 'Midrange Systems Technical Discussion' <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: Anyone in the group running Vision Solutions Mimix 8.1 for HA/DR ?
Paul,
Thanks for info.
When I was referring to an application upgrade, I did specifically mean a Mimix upgrade, but an upgrade of any application being Mimixed.
I know this can get complicated with the HA/DR software.
< As far as using Mimix to switch production to the backup system, we used to have a huge switch bank to switch all of our comm lines from the production system to the test/backup system. We ran the Mimix switch once, just to prove we could do it, and never did it again.
When you did the switch, did you switch and then eventually switch back?
I sense you may not be comfortable with the switch process, correct?
I'm probably going to be in the same boat.
We talk to many remote sites, I need to very comfortable with the switch process, including the IP takeover, other network concerns, firewall rules, etc. .
Paul
.
-----Original Message-----
From: MIDRANGE-L [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Musselman, Paul
Sent: Tuesday, April 17, 2018 6:24 PM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: RE: Anyone in the group running Vision Solutions Mimix 8.1 for HA/DR ?
Paul--
We're running Mimix/Enterprise v.8.0.17.00 Not quite v.8.1.
We're currently running between 2 LPARs, using the 2nd LPAR mainly for running WebQuery and a copy of production for development work.
We use to have a 3-way connection, from 1 LPAR to 2 LPARs. That has been reduced to just the 2 systems we have running Mimix now.
We normally consult with Mimix for upgrades-- usually just suspending Mimix and running the upgrade process. IIRC there was once a more involved process due to some file changes.
As far as system upgrades, we apply to the 'destination' system first, then the 'source' system. All we do with Mimix is shut down the replication in a controlled fashion, apply the upgrade on the 'destination' system, then start everything back up again. Then, a week or two later, we shut Mimix down again and upgrade the 'source' system.
We do not Mimix the whole system. The 'destination' system includes copies of selected production libraries.
Our backups used to save the libraries on the 'destination' system, in several large chunks-- the libraries from the production system, programmer libraries, and the assorted development source libraries. We also saved selected libraries and the IFS on the production system. Our OS backups were Option/22 backups once a month on both systems. For disaster recovery, we assembled a production system out of the pieces we saved between the 2 systems. WebSphere, a monster that uses the IFS and database files, was not very cooperative.
Currently, we save the production system from a flash copy and run a complete Option/21 every night. A very nice luxury!
On the development system we no longer save the copies of the production libraries, but do save the programmer and development libraries. Once a month we make a flash copy of this system and perform an Option/22 save. We have not run a complete Option/21 on the development system. But we should.
For backups, on the production system we're running a home-brew Option/21 save direct to tape (LTO4 tape library). This runs automatically, triggered by the FSFC Utility.
On the development system we're using Robot/Save from Help Systems. We've been using the Robot products for years, long before IBM thought about BRMS or the Advanced Scheduler.
As far as using Mimix to switch production to the backup system, we used to have a huge switch bank to switch all of our comm lines from the production system to the test/backup system. We ran the Mimix switch once, just to prove we could do it, and never did it again.
Currently, we have a duplicate system at a hot site. We have V9000 storage at both locations, and use Metro Mirror (or whatever it's called) to replicate the V9000 to the other location. It just quietly sits there swallowing all of the data we send it. We can flash copy the hot site system and wake up a copy just to prove we can do it. This has replaced our annual trips to a hot site in Philadelphia, loading everything we own into a strange system. If we had to do that now, we'd just take our 2 daily option/21 tapes and find a vacant computer.
Paul E Musselman
PaulMmn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
-----Original Message-----
From: MIDRANGE-L [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Steinmetz, Paul
Sent: Tuesday, April 17, 2018 4:29 PM
To: 'Midrange Systems Technical Discussion' <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Anyone in the group running Vision Solutions Mimix 8.1 for HA/DR ?
Anyone in the group running Vision Solutions Mimix 8.1 HA/DR ?
Thank You
_____
Paul Steinmetz
IBM i Systems Administrator
Pencor Services, Inc.
462 Delaware Ave
Palmerton Pa 18071
610-826-9117 work
610-826-9188 fax
610-349-0913 cell
610-377-6012 home
psteinmetz@xxxxxxxxxx
http://www.pencor.com/
midrange.com
