Re: 7.6 and SDA ?

People will assume the wording means whatever they want it to mean. As a
consultant, you've done what you can. When it stops working it's up to
them. Then again, they'll never take responsibility for their own
actions. Somehow it will be your fault.

On Mon, Feb 16, 2026 at 2:03 PM <smith5646midrange@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Yes, the "I guess you can always use them until you can't." was my point.
They can say well, we are good until 7.7 (or whatever the next release will
be named).

I can only make recommendations to my clients. I'm a consultant. I'm not
an employee of their company. I can't make them do anything. However, if
I could have shown them where IBM has been known to take away unsupported
commands mid release, it gives me a stronger argument for them to start
looking for replacements earlier because IBM could unexpectantly move up
the until I can't date.

-----Original Message-----
From: MIDRANGE-L <midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Rob
Berendt
Sent: Monday, February 16, 2026 1:17 PM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: 7.6 and SDA ?

I do not "know" of anything. However, just for FUD's sake, let's say IBM
decides that anything that addresses a certain part of memory
(yadda,yadda,etc, or some such thing) is a security risk and locks that
down. Much like level 50 security. Now let's say that some of these
commands, that are unsupported, are affected. You will have little to no
recourse.

I guess you can always use them until you can't. But if that day comes,
you'd better be prepared to do without or have a plan B ready.

On Mon, Feb 16, 2026 at 1:08 PM <smith5646midrange@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

As an added question...

Does anyone know if IBM has ever removed access to an unsupported
command mid release? For example, removing access to CMPPFM now even
though 7.6 has been out for almost a year or are we safe at least
until 7.7 or greater? I'm just trying to keep track so I know how
hard to push my clients to find alternatives to existing but future

going away commands.

-----Original Message-----
From: MIDRANGE-L <midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of
Vern Hamberg via MIDRANGE-L
Sent: Monday, February 16, 2026 12:54 PM
To: midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: Vern Hamberg <vhamberg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: 7.6 and SDA ?

The Memo to Users says that the commands are still available in 7.6,
without the menu options 54 and 55 for CPMPFM and MRGSRC, things I
have used a lot - I especially like how MRGSRC worked, as a 3-stage
merge that let me preview results.

Support will be limited to security-related fixes -
non-security-related stuff will not change. That's not a problem for
me, the operation of these commands has been fine for a really long time.

You can always add a user-defined option that runs these commands.

*Regards*

*Vern Hamberg*

IBM Champion 2025 <cid:part1.0i2m6fxu.OnP7bJ32@centurylink.net> CAAC
(COMMON Americas Advisory Council) IBM Influencer 2023


On 2/16/2026 10:51 AM, smith5646midrange@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

Am I reading that page correctly that CMPPFM is no longer going to
be

supported in 7.6 which means at some point it will drop off of the
face of the disk? Is there another command / utility that should be
used to compare source members that I am unaware of? I use CMPPFM on
occasion but it is always a minor comparison and not a deep dive so I
have never had to look for a better alternative.

-----Original Message-----
From: MIDRANGE-L<midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of

Rob Berendt

Sent: Monday, February 16, 2026 9:23 AM
To: Midrange Systems Technical
Discussion<midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: 7.6 and SDA ?

According to the Upgrade Planning site at
https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7183543 SDA is not part of
the

supported products on IBM i 7.6. PDM is not being removed.

For a detailed list of what is, and what isn't, being removed read
the
following:

https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/i/7.6.0?topic=rdsi5w-commands-from-rationa
l-development-studio-i-5770-wds-option-21-application-development-tool
set

Now, if the question is "Is there some hack to stop the upgrade from

removing (SDA for example)?" then I do not know of one, nor would I
recommend using one if there was. Why? Well, because IBM has given
you notice that it's not supported and will be removed.

Just to add FUD (Fear/Uncertainty/Doubt) what's to stop IBM from
having

a new PTF every cume which does a search and destroy on some of these
options? Or, instead of removing them, uses some new technique which
causes each of them to generate some weird program space violation
message or some such thing? Then you're stopped hard without further
notice. IOW, adapt in a planned controlled environment vs "crap, they

meant it!".

On Sun, Feb 15, 2026 at 6:11 AM Gad Miron<gadmiron@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Hello guys

I was recently told by an IBM CE that when upgrading 7.5 to 7.6 you
can opt to not remove SDA, PDM etc. so you end up with a 7.6 system
with operational SDA, PDM.


Can anyone confirm this is true?

TIA
Gad
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