RE: Schedule PTFs?

We've been doing monthly PTFs since we got rid of our Twinax console in 2012. Other than the entire 7.3 release, we've never had a significant software problem with IBM.



-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Oberholtzer [mailto:midrangel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Monday, July 08, 2019 8:16 AM
To: 'Midrange Systems Technical Discussion' <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: Schedule PTFs?

I get the desire to be up to date on PTFs and if you are doing it that often, then automating the process. I will caution that you are setting landmines to step on.

First off as good as IBM is, they do come out with defective PTFs occasionally. Sometimes unwinding those can be complicated and if it affects a core function your business needs, then you could be in for quite a time. Usually corrective PTFs come out quickly (read: next two weeks or
so) but in the meantime, ouch. Waiting a week or two and reviewing the
defective PTF list is encouraged, strongly.

As Rob mentions TRs and other larger changes often require extra steps, and a healthy reading of the PSP is in order for those.

Thirdly, IBM is delivering new feature/function within the group PTFs all the time, which is great, until it affects a current process you have.
Maybe it's the removal of a security protocol that you rely on but have not yet upgraded. Maybe it's a change to the behavior of SQL because it was wrong before and IBM is correcting it, but you are using it (remember the thread a short while ago with compiler errors that were fixed, then put back because a large customer came to rely on the error) and that causes troubles.

I encourage my customers to consider a quarterly sequence for PTFs, usually in the two weeks of the month away from month end close. It's rare that a HIPER PTF is needed any faster than that, and if it is you can always apply
it as needed. That will keep your system updated and well within the
support center's vision. They can advise if you run into a problem that requires a more updated group.


--
Jim Oberholtzer
Agile Technology Architects