[SYSTEM21] The "standard" environment

["Chris Tringham" <ctringham@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Long ago, I was persuaded that the correct way to set up S21 was to leave  
the blank environment totally alone.  Any changes (to library lists,  
tasks, menus) would go into the appropriate environments.  This advice is  
repeated in the "redbook" that came out 3-4 years ago.

Now, Geac are saying that this is not the way to go.  Instead, any new  
tasks should be created in the blank environment and library lists should  
be amended in the blank environment.  They say that as long as you use  
library mapping and follow their standards for customised tasks everything  
will be fine, and that this setup is easier to maintain and understand.   
No need to define the applications in your "standard" environment because  
you don't need them - you can use the blank environment.

There are some obvious benefits such as not needing to authorize users to  
both the blank and standard environments.  However, I still have some  
doubts, but I am not sure whether I have just been thoroughly  
indoctrinated in the old way of thinking and just can't think straight.

For example, if I want to change certain jobs to run in different job  
queues, I can change the task definition in the live and/or test  
environment and it works fine, but I haven't touched the standard  
definition.  If I make changes like that in the blank environment they may  
get overwritten by a PTF or new release.  Or is there some smarter way to  
achieve the same thing?

Any thoughts?  And have Geac announced this change in thinking somewhere  
that I haven't noticed?