Conference koolit::vms_curriculum

120.0. "VMS POSIX Technical overview announcement" by HARDY::BUNNELL () Mon Nov 18 1991 16:12

Hi,

I am currently developing a seminar to introduce our customers to 
VMS POSIX. It is a seminar that needs to be in the field ASAP.
It will only be run once, just to introduce our customers to VMS's new
product.

I would like to request your assistence and help. I need technical reviewers 
and subject matter experts to give me feedback on the course content.

This seminar is being created to address questions and concerns that our
customers have about our new product, VMS POSIX.
T
he following is a rundown of my deadline and needs:
	1. It needs to be out in the field ASAP
	2. It needs to give our customers an understanding of WHAT 
	POSIX is, why they would need it, and basically how it functions.
	3. It needs to give techincal info but not IN DEPTH how-to's
	4. is there too much info in it? not enough? etc
Reminder: is is a 2 day overview being presented to a wide audience so 
I don't have the time to get into technical details.
I just want to introduce them to what POSIX is, why they shoudl use it,
and how POSIX and DCL differ, among other things.

The funders are Andy Sadler and Bill Simcox. There is no time for a formal
pilot but if it is possible, I would like to have a pilot here at ZKO if 
I could find a volunteer to present the material.
This would be given to employees only.

What kind of help do I need? VOLUNTEERS!
I am looking for is volunteers to:
	- reviewers the to look at the flow of info (course development
    stuff) etc.
	- review the materials and add comments, advice, direction,
	technical info or pointers
	- give a pilot of the materials in ZKO in the very near future.
	- see the above list too
I need a *quick* turn around from reviewers given the time constraints.

I have included a course/seminar description in this note. 
I will have a book of seminar materials later this week that will 
include modules that have been finished (ready for review) and it will 
also contain some content free headers. These headers are place holders 
for info I think should be there but that I haven't gotten to yet.

Please send comments to me directly or post them here.
If you can review these materials or would like to give the pilot, please send
me mail on super::bunnell, or call 381-1086.

    This note is also being posted in the POSIX notes file to find the
    technical reviewers.
    
Thanks,

Hannah Bunnell-Smith,  VMS Course Developer, dtn 381-1086

=========================================================================
VMS POSIX Techinical Overview
2 day Seminar

Overview 
Standards are affecting the way business is done in our software environment
everyday. The most popular and widely accepted set of standards in the 
industry today is POSIX. The VMS operating system now includes support
for POSIX standards.

This is an introductory course which is geared toward 
technical computer professionals (e.g. programmers, system
support, technical managment) who want to understand the capabilites and
features of POSIX in general and VMS POSIX in particular.

The topics address the following issues: 
	- Why POSIX was developed (addressing standards, interoperability, and
	portability issues) 
	- How POSIX can help meet current software environment	needs 
	- Capabilities of VMS POSIX and how the VMS POSIX environment affects
	program development

Audience:
Technical computer professionals (e.g. programmers, system support, 
technical managment) who want to understand the capabilites and features of 
POSIX in general and VMS POSIX in particular.
Objectives:
The following objectives are 'in progress' and may change and/or grow in the
future.
To demonstrate a familiarity with VMS POSIX, a computer professional should
be able to:
  * Define the standards covered by VMS POSIX 
  * Define portablilty and describe the issues affecting the portability of
	an application
  * Identify the various capabilities of running VMS and VMS POSIX
  application combinations, and describe the portability of each combination
  * List the components of VMS POSIX, and describe the interaction between
  VMS POSIX and VMS components

    
	First (rough) draft of POSIX TEch Overview is available

Hi people,

The first rough draft of the POSIX Tech Overview is available for you 
to review. YOu can get the postscript file from:
	super::ES$REVIEW:[000000]POS_PROFILE.PS

Please keep in mind that this a first and very rough draft-- it has not been
through editing yet, the paging isn't perfect, it is missing figures etc.

I think that the first 6 modules/chapters will be enough to cover in 2 days.
There may be too much technical data in there right now, feel free to comment
on content and format.

Thanks for your help.

Also, as of monday my office will change, my new dtn will be 264-2620, my mail
stop will be nuo1/g02 and my node will be wagon::bunnell.

Hannah

    Hannah,

    I'm not technically competent on POSIX but I've been through these
    materials at proof-reading level. The typos and omissions won't be in
    this discussion - if you wish you can have those separately via mail.

    I found the module "OPEN SYSTEMS Introduction" a heavyweight.
    The text seemed to come full circle and to be saying the same things
    but from slightly different view points.

    On page 1-12 there's a statement "C conforms to ANSI standards...".
    There's a sort of implication that whatever C one writes it'll be
    portable. Although the section continues to qualify the statement
    I would rather it said something like "There is an ANSI standard 
    C language...".

    A point that qualifies as pedantic - page 1-16 (and elsewhere) uses
    "information" where "data" might be more appropriate. Information is in
    the brain of the beholder! (An average thesaurus lists data and
    information as synonyms!)

    Page 3-14 - Linking Files - isn't the SET FILE/ENTRY feature of RMS
    valid too?

    Module 5 - I found difficult to follow and re-read it. (I do know the
    basic ULTRIX U&C stuff!). Table 5-6 on page 5-16 is a nightmare with
    the eight foot references.
    
    Several of the objectives refere to Digital Services support
    engineers (or similar). This will be caught in editing, presumably.
    
    Finally although my comments appear unconstructive I did learn much
    about VMS POSIX from this short exercise. I knew nothing when I
    started! That says something about the layout and content.
    
    Thank you for the opportunity to see these materials.

Hi People,

There is a new draft of the POSIX Techincal Overview for you to review.

You can get it from:

	wheel::user$temp:[posix]POS_PROFILE.PS

and replace the chapter 1 in this book with its updated version:

	wheel::user$temp:[posix]NEW_CHAP_1.PS


Please review this  and get your comments back to me by the first of the year.

Here is a run down on the what changed:

	Updates to 'about this course' and chapter 1 
	Updates and more material added to chapter 2
	Chapter 3 was rewritten and Dave Graces Chapter was added as an 
		appendix. The appendix is the old File System and has not yet 
		been updated, I will take Daves chapter and replace it when he
		makes the updates.
	Chapter 4 rewritten.
	Chapter 5 I haven't touched.

I added as many comments as I could, if I left out something important please
remind me to make that update.

I also need to know what you think about 'slides' for this seminar. Which
pages etc should I make into slides. I really don't know because there is
so much material on the student pages that it would be 'too much'
for all of them to be slides.

Please call me or mail any comments or suggestions you have on the pilot for 
this course.

Thanks,

Hannah

    Hi people,
    
    Due to the holidays, I'll take comments on these materials till Jan 10.
    
    Hannah

    I would like to get a copy of the POSIX Technical Overview course
    book. Is it still available somewhere?
    
    /Henry.