Re: PTF's Installed on Production Servers

[Jerry Adams <jerry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

We have two separate boxes, not lpar's.  I install cume's, HIPER's, 
etc., on the backup box first and simply run it for a week or two.  If 
everything goes well, I'll apply the same on our production box.  Oddly 
enough, though the boxes should be mirror images of each other, more or 
less, the only problem I have ever had was when I installed on 
production during the PTF install process.  Hung that puppy up big time!


While a particular PTF may impact an application, it's rare as far as 
far as being noticed.  Unless one is installing a particular PTF to fix 
an application type problem.  It sounds like the auditors are trying to 
justify their bill.  They need to give you specifics on what should be 
tested and to what end.  I've worked with enough DP auditors over the 
years (I hope these aren't financial auditors) to know that competent 
ones can do that, and will do so gladly (in most cases).  The lesser 
lights are, as said, simply trying to sound like they know what they're 
doing.


I wonder if they have made the same demand vis-a-vis Windows service 
packs and updates.  Plus, though we don't call them PTF's, modifications 
to application programs should have stringent tests applied to them.  
Have they requested a copy of your testing methodology?  Neither did 
ours, but I've got the backup box because they insisted (wouldn't settle 
for lpar's) - and they sit about six feet apart in our data center.  Now 
that's brilliant!


        * Jerry C. Adams
*IBM System i5/iSeries Programmer/Analyst
B&W Wholesale Distributors, Inc.* *
voice
        615.995.7024
fax
        615.995.1201
email
        jerry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:jerry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>



Ketzes, Larry wrote:

> I am getting pounded by auditors on an issue, and I would like to know what
> other admin's are doing about this.  Our auditors are asking to see testing
> resulting from installing ptf's from IBM on our Production Servers.
> Although I do have a test partition, I do not install every ptf I need on
> that partition first.  I do not have enough space on that partition for all
> testing of all applications just because I put on some ptf's!
>
> What are other folks doing?  We do go through a change process procedure
> that includes management approving the install of the ptf's.
>
> Thanks, Larry
>
> ======================
>
> Larry Ketzes
> iSeries Senior System Administrator
> American Life Insurance Company
>
> One ALICO Plaza
> 600 King Street
> Wilmington, DE 19801
> Phone: 302-594-2146
> Mobile: 302-559-1631
>
> Fax: 302-830-4524
>
>
> Email: larry.ketzes@xxxxxxx
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Scott Klement
> Sent: Thursday, September 07, 2006 2:06 PM
> To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
> Subject: RE: Verifying Existence of a File on a Server
>
>  
>
> > I was afraid of that.  There's no way I'm going to ask my overworked 
> > system administrator to ensure everybody that can use this function has 
> > an i.d. on the Windows server.
> >    
>
> Ask your administrator for a single account on the Windows server -- one 
> that has access to the files you need to check for.  Create an iSeries 
> profile with the same name and password as the Windows account.  When you 
> need to check existence, use the profile handle APIs to swap to that 
> particular iSeries account, then check access, then swap back.  This way 
> all access to the Windows server is from that one particular ID.
>