| Title: | SNA GATEWAY NOTEFILE |
| Notice: | Note 1.* -> kits and doc, 288.* -> obtaining product support |
| Moderator: | EDSCLU::GARROD |
| Created: | Fri Feb 07 1986 |
| Last Modified: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 7116 |
| Total number of notes: | 28576 |
Greetings, <Note Cross posted in HERON::IBMVALBONNE> I am part of a team of individuals trying to understand if we "Digital" are able to master software on either a VMS or AS400 system for the IBM platforms that are from AS400, AIX, and MVS systems. Please feel free to respond to any or all of the questions below. Thanks for you help in advance, Michael Wirzbicki (Software Engineer, Nashua NH) Outline: Digital is attempting to create a library storage and a replication system for creating customized IBM software kits to support the corporation software replication needs. **** IBM Software Installation Questions: **** What is the software used to create Installation kits for IBM systems? AS400 AIX RS6000 (UNIX) MVS Is it a standard IBM tool, third party or home grown? Is the IBM installation software consistent between platforms? (i.e. same toolused) Can the AS400 maintain file header information for the different platforms above? Can these software kits be shared across platforms ? (i.e. MVS kit installed on AS400) Is each software kit unique to a specific platform? (i.e. MVS software cannot install on AS400) ***** IBM AS400 Hardware Questions: ****** Is there a limitation on the number of peripheral devices? Is there a limitation on the physical amount of memory? What operating system should be use for AS400? What file system should we use (i.e. flat file, relational database, etc.)? ***** IBM Software Stacking Questions: ***** Is there any dependencies upon the stacking order of products? Is there header information required for stacking? (i.e. table of contents) Is there directory and file naming limits? Is there a directory and file naming convention for IBM software kits? What is the file layout of the stack kit? Does it varies the upon different IBM hardware and o/s platforms. What is the file input layout that we would receive from a IBM software kit?
| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7043.1 | rapid fire (MVS only) | FREE::BLATT | Mon Mar 17 1997 20:19 | 31 | |
i'm afraid i do not have all the answers (or the the time to research a rather
interesting topic) but i can provide quick info re MVS:
1 - Digital packages/distributes s/w which executes on MVS (MDU V1.0 and DTF
V3.1 are examples of s/w built by our group).
2 - IBM maintains MVS operating system s/w and MVS layered products via an
MVS s/w maintenance tool called System Modification Program/Extended
(SMP/E). SMP/E requires installation files and fix files to be orgranized
in a certain fashion. some 3rd party vendors find SMP/E an inconvenience
and choose not to ship their products in SMP/E format. the penalty is that
vendors need to create their own tools to install fixes and interrogate
customer's s/w level.
still others find SMP/E beneficial as it provides installations a "standard
way" of installing/maintaining all products.
we ship our s/w using SMP/E format.
3 - SMP/E is MVS only (as far as I know).
4 - our installation media is an IBM standard label tape.
5 - we can produce VMS savesets from our installation files and our fix
files. these savesets can be copied over a network and "unloaded" to
3480 (TA90(?)) tape media on a remote VMS system and turned over to
MVS personnel for installation.
i suppose the same could be done with a UNIX tar file.
good luck on your venture, lew
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| 7043.2 | consolidation help | SHOGUN::SKOWYRA | Mon Mar 17 1997 21:40 | 31 | |
Lew,
I am working with Mike on this venture also. John Skowyra, we have
done some work togther in the past, I also work for SSB in Nahsua.
I think the key question here is as follows:
>> We need to consolidate multiple files on as few tapes as possible.
>> The O/S will be AS400, AIX, MVS
>> The tapes I imaine will be variable block lenght up 35k.
>> Input media will be used to populate a database that will house
the entire product library.
>> Output media can be 4/8MM qic 1/2 magtape 3570 3480/90.
I think the key is there a commmon system that can handle all the
above from a submission standpoint (a library system where all binaires
will reside?
Is thet on system that will allow us to stack the abnove O/S systems
onto the mentioned mediatypes, that weill maintain integrity?
Or will we need (3) systems as400 for that product, aix(rs600) and mvs
for their product base???
I would imagine if this senario were to be used it would be the
best way which would garrantee the data ingetrity. But from a cost
standpoint wow!!!!! Any ideas on where else we could go??? Be nice
now..
John Skowyra
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| 7043.3 | No Binaries | FREE::HUGHES | Jim Hughes | Tue Mar 18 1997 11:26 | 16 |
Hi John and Mike, I work with Lew on DTF amd MDU. We discovered something a while back that influenced the mvs distribution kits. We distribute everything as fixed length 80 byte records. No binaries. The load modules are created at the customer's site using MVS's linkage editor. We took this approach to simplify our task of getting a network shippable kit ready without special software. I am only entering this note because I saw your reference to binaries. I could go into more detail. E-mail a request to me and I'll probably give you more information about how we reached our decision. Jim Hughes DTF/MDU MVS Development | |||||