Re: IBM i for Wintel Hackers - Silent Signal TROOPERS24 Presentation

[Rob Berendt <robertowenberendt@xxxxxxxxx>]

Can the library name be a variable?

On Tue, Sep 17, 2024 at 12:32 PM Mark Waterbury <
mark.s.waterbury@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> If we must fully-qualify all program CALLs by "hard-coding" the library
> name, how can we "test" changes to those applications?
>
> There are several possible approaches.
>
> #1. create a separate LPAR for development and testing, and then only
> promote changes to the "live" production LPAR after various Q/A testing and
> approval processes have been performed.
>
> This way, developers and testers sign-on to the "DEVTEST" LPAR, and use
> those libraries and versions of the applications programs and data, while
> "live" production users sign-on to the "LIVE" production LPAR to use the
> applications.
>
> #2. if your shop does not have a separate LPAR for development and testing
> vs. production, use "Independent ASPs" (iASPs) or disk pools (available
> since V5R2).   With this approach, you can have the primary "live"
> production libraries in a "master" iASP, and have an alternate set of
> libraries with the exact same library names ,but in a "testing" iASP.
>
> That way, library names can be "hard-coded" for each application, and yet,
> when testing, your developers and testers would issue SETASPGRP to switch
> to using that iASP (and those libraries), or have their *JOBD specify the
> correct INLASPGRP, while all of the "live" production users all run with
> their user profiles and job descriptions INLASPGRP set for the "master" or
> "live" iASP (disk pool).
>
> These approaches will require additional DASD space to contain all of the
> LPARs or disk pools, with duplicate sets of all objects, files, etc. for
> each application.
>
> NOTE:  iASPs also will likely require some change to your applications, as
> their use is not 100% transparent or upward compatible with all possible
> existing legacy applications.  In particular, if  you use vendor
> applications software packages, and make "local" customizations or
> modifications, you may need to discuss the use of iASPs with each of the
> software vendor(s) to determine if those applications are compatible with
> iASP use; ask for any special recommendations or considerations for setting
> up and running those applications in an iASP environment.
>
> See the following IBM Redbooks for a good overview of the requirements for
> setting up and using Independent ASPs:
>
>    https://www.redbooks.ibm.com/redbooks/pdfs/sg247811.pdf
>
>    https://www.redbooks.ibm.com/redbooks/pdfs/sg246802.pdf
>
> Hope that helps.
>
> All the best,
>
>
> Mark S. Waterbury
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