Conference csc32::cobol2

re: 
>  My questions are:
>  - Which is the official answer about the support of MFC V4.0 and DUnix
>4.0B?
>  - Must he go back to DUnix 4.0 to be sure MFC will work?
>  - Is there any MFC patch or new version for DUnix V4.0B?

The official response for product support is from the product SPD:
Software Requirements: Digital UNIX Operating System, Version 3.2d 
(Note: Micro Focus COBOL V4.0 has been tested and runs
successfully on Digital UNIX Version 3.2d and 4.0)

I do not know of any problems that are specific to Digital UNIX V4.0B.
It's my understanding that the issue discussed in note 559 (LANG use
possibly requiring a link if the customer is using the detailed lang name) 
applies to other releases of Digital UNIX prior to V4.0B. 

-Joanne
                           

    My understanding is MFC 4.0 can work in DUnix 4.0B, but it's not supported.
    The note 559 describes a problem thats appears in 4.0B and not in 4.0A. The 
    problem can be solved (only a link)  , but the problem sis more than
    that, can the customer phone MCS with a problem when he will be running
    MFC 4.0 on DUnix 4.0B? I think the answer is no. MCS will not support
    this configuration.
    
    So,
    - Must I recommend the customer go back to 4.0 the new systems?
    - or maybe any MFC version is going to be supported on DUnix 4.0B in the 
    next future, and the customer can wait for it?
    
    The customer is waiting to know what will be the support before
    installing MFC in the new systems.
    
    
    

>    The note 559 describes a problem thats appears in 4.0B and not in 4.0A.

I'm not so sure of that.  I believe the problem also exists prior to V4.0B.
It's very possible that when the test was tried on Digital UNIX V4.0A that the
LANG environment variable was not in use and therefore the test case worked.

>    The problem can be solved (only a link)  , but the problem sis more than
>    that, can the customer phone MCS with a problem when he will be running
>    MFC 4.0 on DUnix 4.0B? I think the answer is no. MCS will not support
>    this configuration.

Digital Customer Support does take calls on the product when the customer
is running Digital UNIX V4.0, or V4.0A or V4.0B.   But if the problem is 
determined to be a defect in the Micro Focus product, the problem needs to
be reproduced on a system running Digital UNIX V3.2, which is the supported
base for the product by Micro Focus, before the problem is submitted to
Micro Focus.   If a problem does happen only on V4.0 (or above) and is still
considered to be a Micro Focus product defect, not a regression or problem
within the Digital UNIX operating system release, then that would need to 
be evaluated as a special case.   We do not have guaranteed support from
Micro Focus on such a case.

>    So,
>    - Must I recommend the customer go back to 4.0 the new systems?
>    - or maybe any MFC version is going to be supported on DUnix 4.0B in the 
>    next future, and the customer can wait for it?

Since Digital UNIX V4.0 is not the official support base on the Micro Focus
COBOL V4.0 product, then
going back to V4.0 would not guarantee the support.   However, this version of
the operating system (V4.0) did get a full run with the Micro Focus test
suite by Micro Focus which should provide confidence.   We've also had one
field test site run some heavy testing with Digital UNIX V4.0A prior to 
release and found no problems.  Also some customers have been running with
Digital UNIX V4.0A and V4.0B.   

-Joanne

    When can we expect to be able to run MicroFocus COBOL ob UNIX V4.0b and
    have it SUPPORTED by MicroFocus? V4.0x has been out for quite some
    time. When will COBOL get current? Going backwards in time for the OS
    is NOT an option at my customer site.
    
    Thanks,
    
    /jim
    

The base Operating System release chosen for a Micro Focus product release
is not decided by what is the latest, most current OS release, but what is
the customer base running.   For example, when Micro Focus COBOL V4.0 was
about to ship, DIGITAL UNIX V4.0 was also just appearing.  Since the customer
base was also running on DIGITAL UNIX V3.2, that was chosen as the base
version.   Additional testing was run with DIGITAL UNIX V4.0.  

Full testing, however, is not run with all the interim releases of the
Operating System (e.g. 4.0a, 4.0b,...)   

In general, there hasn't been a change of the Operating System base for the
Micro Focus releases for minor product release.   It's the major release
changes for Micro Focus COBOL where the Operating System base is moved.

Currently, Micro Focus COBOL V4.1 is being developed to run with DIGITAL
UNIX V4.0 as the base.