Re: Installation Programs (was: CD Burning Software?) -- MIDRANGE-L

----- Original Message -----
From: "Simon Coulter" <shc@flybynight.com.au>
To: <MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com>
Sent: Sunday, December 09, 2001 6:01 PM
Subject: Installation Programs (was: CD Burning Software?)


>
> Hello All,
>
> One thing to remember when reading IBM documentation that comes
from the
> developers is that often they write it from their perspective
(i.e.,
> building an IBM product).  For instance, the comment in the
"CD-ROM
> Premastering on iSeries" white paper regarding QINSTAPP being
owned by QSYS
> is a requirement for IBM software but not a requirement of
QINSTAPP per se.
> (Although that in itself is peculiar since most IBM software
uses RSTLICPGM
> rather than LODRUN.)
>
> IIRC

I'm glad somebody explained what this stood for. My feeling is
always that if you don't care enough to write it out, it must not
be important to you, so I should ignore it too. (that is not
because I am OAG either.)

> QINSTAPP must be owned by a profile that exists on the target
system
> at the time of the installation and since it is the first user
program to
> run during a LODRUN installation it is a bit difficult to have
it owned by
> any profile other than an IBM one.

Good point.

> Being owned by QSYS confers no advantage with authority unless
the program
> also adopts the owner's authority and that is certainly not a
requirement
> for QINSTAPP.

Okay.

> Besides, most products request QSECOFR do the installation
> to avoid authority issues so adopting authority is moot.

In the words of St. Calvin, "Gaaaaack!"

> Besides, LODRUN was IMNSHO a kludge (provided in VRM220) to make
it easy
> for vendors to create installation programs.

I've always pronounced that 'kloodge', and was really surprised to
read a journalist say it rhymed with 'fudge', which certainly
makes sense, like 'fudge factor',  ( or even sludge) but I was
just repeating what I had heard.

That's how my programmer felt about it also,  and I was *very*
surprised at the reaction here.

Here is the problem I face, as best I understand what has been
explained to me. Forgive my off center terminology, it doesn't
mean I'm stupid, just ignorant, and with the help of you people I
am becoming less ignorant all the time. I've found it doesn't do
to hide my ignorance unless I want to stay stupid.

Here's my problem. I have a box that could be backing up an AS/400
to CD right now, except for the fact that the only IBM software
that supports multiple CD volumes that I am aware of, is LODRUN. I
don't really want to run programs, I just want to restore
libraries and objects. What I really want is a RSTLIB and RSTOBJ
command that can read multiple volume CDs, and restore objects
that begin on one CD and might end 3 CDs later.

Even if I do use LODRUN to restore from CD, it sounds like the
only thing it can do is restore the whole thing, which is not the
best choice in most situation. AS I read the IBM whitepaper, I get
the impression that their CD-creation procedure creates CD-sized
files for a set of CDs, with a catalogue file that is to be copied
to all CDs'. This is used by either the OPTINST CL (which might or
might not be created by their procedure, I found that a little
murky to my understanding) which is placed on CD number one, or
LODRUN itself.

The impression I am getting from you all is that all LODRUN does
is bring in the OPTINST CL, convert it to object form (something
tells me I have this part of my terminology wrong, I am going from
the point of view of program source vs. objects, but I understand
what 'objects' are on the AS/400 - a set of data on an AS/400
contained in a library that has attributes of ownership,
authority, and type such as CL, RPG Source, a file, a query, etc.,
as well as record length, data representation (EBCDIC or ASCII,
doublebyte character sets)) ) and runs it, and the OPTINST
actually reads the objects from the savlib/savobjs and restores
them.

If it is the OPTINST CL that does this, I assume it uses some
magic program already residing on the AS/400 that reads the CDs
with their catalogues and restores the objects. Are those
references to a module within LODRUN itself?

I'd sure like to be able to unzip these on the fly, without
restoring the object to the AS/400 and uncompressing it
afterwards.

If I make a CD save/restore (say for daily backup, not to
distribute files to other systems, although it could be used for
that) and it requires LODRUN to be used for restore, will it be a
crippled chicken?

Brad Jensen
Laservault report archiving for the AS/400