Yeeech!
First of all, can you imagine how long it will take Sterling to migrate
the NT mapper to all of those unix platforms? And to rewrite the
"server" utilities? It's been three long years since 5.x, and they
still don't have it 100% right. Will this be a free upgrade? What will
this upgrade take in cost and effort to change from the old structures
and shell scripts to new? There are gazillions of "custom"
installations and uses out there. As a consultant, I'm already wetting
my pants with anticipation of printing money in my basement ... but the
reality is more nightmare than holiday in Hawaii. We go through major
trauma over every upgrade in our shop - did you ever test over 1000
Mentor maps? Can you imagine tossing away map libraries and having to
recode them?
I love good rumor like the next guy, but this story is too far fetched
to believe.
Mark Wall wrote:
>
> Essentially, the NT Server tool is planned to run on the UNIX operating
> system, and replace the existing UNIX Server tool. The translation programs
>
> are different between the two tools, and the new tool will support the
> existing
> maps temporarily, only while the existing UNIX program, lftran, is retained.
> So,
> the maps have to be (eventually) re-written. At least, that is my
> understanding.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Miklusak, Carol [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Monday, October 23, 2000 11:59 AM
> To: 'Mark Wall'; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: RE: Sterling 6.x changes (was: [Fwd: In response to Kayla])
>
> Mark, for my own edification, would you explain what "migrating maps to the
> NT-borne method" means in your last e:mail? Also, in regard to your
> e:mail, does that mean that the UNIX translator will be sunsetted after five
> years? Or, in other words, in five or so years, what is Sterling proposing
> as the topology for their Gentran Server for UNIX; part running on UNIX and
> part on NT?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mark Wall [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Monday, October 23, 2000 9:40 AM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: Re: Sterling 6.x changes (was: [Fwd: In response to Kayla])
>
> I attended the advanced mapping class recently, and the 6.0 issue of
> adopting a new translation engine was addressed. We were advised
> that the lftran program would be retained in the UNIX product for at least
> five more years. In the meantime, we were advised to begin migrating
> our maps to the new (NT-borne) method.
>
> I agree that, regardless of this gesture, it presents an opportunity to
> weigh
> the work required to perform this migration against other options.
>
> Mark Wall
> Information Systems/EDI
> Sterilite Corporation
> 30 Scales Lane
> Townsend, Ma 01469-0524
> Phone: 978-597-1105
> Fax: 978-597-1196
> E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Hurd, Richard A (Rich) [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Monday, October 23, 2000 10:08 AM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: Sterling 6.x changes (was: [Fwd: In response to Kayla])
>
> It's in the archives of the listserv. All these observations are from
> what I gleaned from the messages there, and my assumptions regarding these
> messages. Anybody, feel free to amplify anything you know is a factual
> error -- I don't claim to have any hot skinny about what's coming out of
> Sterling.
>
> The mapping engine has, reportedly, changed to in the 6.x version so that
> there is no backwards compatibility, and no chance to modify pre- 6.x maps
> with the 6.x mapper.
>
> It will run the old maps, but to me this change (I would guess to the NT
> architecture) means that you basically start from scratch any time you need
> to make a map modification. Any Sterling-built conversion tool I would
> regard with suspicion until I saw it working (and unless I saw people on
> this listserv very happy with it.) Another alternative would be to
> maintain a pre-6.x standalone tool for "legacy" maps, but on that path lies
> insanity. (I can see it now -- maintain two copies of IGs, apps, trading
> partner setups... (shiver))
>
> The reaction of some here is "Well, if we have to go through all that
> bother, why not just go look at something else?" I imagine, too, that we're
> not unique.
>
> > ----------
> > From: Lee LoFrisco[SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> > Reply To: Lee LoFrisco
> > Sent: Saturday, October 21, 2000 8:03 AM
> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > Subject: Re: [Fwd: In response to Kayla]
> >
> > Hi Richard,
> >
> > Would you please explain the "architecture change for the 6.x product".
> >
> > Without knowing the particulars of that situation, I will put my neck on
> > the
> > line and say that I see good things happening at Sterling.
> > Last month, I attended a *coming out* party in Nashville for Sterling's
> > new
> > look and future with the SBC reorg.
> > It was attended by all of their consultants. Like any company enduring a
> > takeover, their are changes both internally and externally.
> > What I saw and heard impressed me. New products that take a company to
> > the
> > next-level of b2b e-Commerce, improved service and
> > a new attitude. Now that the *party* is over, and its time to settle
> > down,
> > let's give them a chance.
> >
> > Lee LoFrisco
> > Sterling Commerce Consultant
> > Cell: 410.963.6218
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Electronic Data Interchange Issues
> > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Hurd, Richard A (Rich)
> > Sent: Friday, October 20, 2000 2:24 PM
> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > Subject: Re: [Fwd: In response to Kayla]
> >
> >
> > I hesitate, too, to put my paddle in the water because my mom told me "If
> > you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." Hence my
> > silence on our TLW experience.
> >
> > However, I am minded to reply to Chuck.
> >
> > > If this 'stunt' were to be pulled on them, no matter WHICH EDI software
> > > vendor was involved, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend 'pulling the plug'
> > > and seeking another vendor. This discipline (EDI) is too dynamic for
> > > companies to be wasting their time doing things that shouldn't be
> > > necessary, when Sea-changes in the discipline are either upon us now, or
> > > at the least looming around the corner.
> > >
> > The problem is -- and what these software companies are banking on -- is
> > the
> > software corollary of Newton's law of inertia. If others' EDI departments
> > are like ours, we can barely keep up with what's going on and what the
> > future holds. And now we want to switch to a new TRANSLATOR? Where are
> > we
> > going to find the time for the DD necessary for that little maneuver? Not
> > to mention the huge hump that you have to get over before you get
> > productive
> > in the new software? Changing a translator is akin to changing an email
> > package, albeit not as dramatic a change.
> >
> > The recent rumblings of Sterling Commerce and their architecture change
> > for
> > the 6.x product line underlines that. We are a Sterling Gentran shop,
> > and
> > we have watched those threads with interest. We have a guy who does
> > mapping
> > for us that we use on a part time basis. I emailed him this story and he
> > called within 5 minutes, saying "Are they out of their minds?" To him, it
> > can be seen as the PERFECT opportunity to switch. "Why, if you have to
> > re-engineer everything, don't you just re-engineer everything in a
> > competing
> > product?"
> >
> > But we're not talking Sterling, we're talking Harbinger. Our experience
> > with their product line although limited is another "Me too" story of too
> > much promised, and too little delivered. And that's why we're not using
> > the Harbinger TLW product any more.
> >
> > And even though Lucent does have some installations of Harbinger, the
> > division I work for (Lucent Microelectronics) is spinning off to become an
> > independent semiconductor manufacturer. So although I can't legally tell
> > people to go buy stock, I can say with confidence that in some near-term
> > time frame we will be truly Harbinger-free. And that oughta be worth
> > something. :-{)
> >
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--
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Brian Lehrhoff ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
EDI Consultant
eB2B Commerce
973-276-3114
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