Re: Third party Maintenance of z/OS R4 after March 2007
In [EMAIL PROTECTED], on 07/28/2005 at 10:10 AM, R.S. [EMAIL PROTECTED] said: It is possible to take money for that. Without access to source code it is quite impossible to fix something. Nonsense; it's not only possible, but lots of people have done it. -- Shmuel (Seymour J.) Metz, SysProg and JOAT ISO position; see http://patriot.net/~shmuel/resume/brief.html We don't care. We don't have to care, we're Congress. (S877: The Shut up and Eat Your spam act of 2003) -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Re: Third party Maintenance of z/OS R4 after March 2007
Gee, Norman wrote: I have a third party hardware maintenance firm that is claiming that they can support z/OS after end of life. Is it possible for a third party to maintain and support z/OS R4 after the end of support date from IBM of March 2007? It is possible to take money for that. Without access to source code it is quite impossible to fix something. BTW: I don't knowe their prices, but I can support you for half of their price! Obviously I'' be Ltd. vbg -- Radoslaw Skorupka Lodz, Poland -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Re: Third party Maintenance of z/OS R4 after March 2007
On Thu, 28 Jul 2005 10:10:12 +0200, R.S. [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: It is possible to take money for that. Without access to source code it is quite impossible to fix something. BTW: I don't knowe their prices, but I can support you for half of their price! Obviously I'' be Ltd. vbg Me too Radoslaw. Actually I once did that, maintaining an out-of service MVS/XA system that was in another country. It depends what you mean by support. I understand that IBM means they will not fix new problems, but they have a database (https://techsupport.services.ibm.com/server/zseries.srchBroker) of known bugs, some of them with fixes. To fix most bugs you don't need access to the source code, someone in IBM who has that will probably have fixed it by now anyway. MVS releases are normally pretty well debugged by the time the go Out of Service. It's a calculated risk, but if you are not doing anything dramatically new and (b)leading edge you can run OoS systems quite happily for years. The downside is the angst when you come to upgrade and over the years most committed MVS sites have found it's better to do incremental upgrades within supported releases than go for Big Bangs. If you're not committed you may have another view. Dave -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Re: Third party Maintenance of z/OS R4 after March 2007
They were telling my management that they could support us after EOS. We have skill personnel in keeping the system running and in searching service link (SIS). I was looking for firms that could generate ZAPs as needed and to provide enhancements to z/OS R4 for new devices as IBM announce them. I am not sure what this firm is claiming they can do? But they are telling my management they can provide support? -Original Message- From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Bruce Black Sent: Thursday, July 28, 2005 7:43 AM To: IBM-MAIN@BAMA.UA.EDU Subject: Re: Third party Maintenance of z/OS R4 after March 2007 I have a third party hardware maintenance firm that is claiming that they can support z/OS after end of life. Is it possible for a third party to maintain and support z/OS R4 after the end of support date from IBM of March 2007? Depends what they mean by support. Even after EOS, all PTFs for problems identified and fixed before EOS are still available, so they can research problems and identify PTFs to apply. of course if you are at all skilled at using IBMLINK, you can do the same. Once a system goes EOS, IBM will generally not issue PTFs for it, even for cases where they could easily do so. A third party would not have access to IBM's source code to assemble modules for PTFs. So many modules are OCO these days, they would not even have access to listings for a lot of code, so there is little chance they could generate zaps. So it isn't clear to me what they could provide that is worth the money, unless you have no sysprog staff to do this work inhouse -- Bruce A. Black Senior Software Developer for FDR Innovation Data Processing 973-890-7300 personal: [EMAIL PROTECTED] sales info: [EMAIL PROTECTED] tech support: [EMAIL PROTECTED] web: www.innovationdp.fdr.com -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Re: Third party Maintenance of z/OS R4 after March 2007
Is it possible for a third party to maintain and support z/OS R4 after the end of support date from IBM of March 2007? Bruce Black is right: only IBM has the source code so only IBM can generate fixes. Methinks your people can provide the same software support the vendor professes to provide. Why are you asking about support beyond the 1.4 EOS date? By that time a used z800 will be really, really inexpensive. Maybe a used 890 as well. Either machine will allow at least 1.7 to be installed. Bob Shannon Rocket Software -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Re: Third party Maintenance of z/OS R4 after March 2007
Gee, Norman wrote: They were telling my management that they could support us after EOS. We have skill personnel in keeping the system running and in searching service link (SIS). I was looking for firms that could generate ZAPs as needed and to provide enhancements to z/OS R4 for new devices as IBM announce them. I am not sure what this firm is claiming they can do? But they are telling my management they can provide support? Im' pretty sure they cannot provide serious fixes through ZAPs nor support for new devices. They can offer problem recognition and fixes from existing PTF library. Or they can take money until real problem occurs, then they will say Sorry and dissapear. I can offer the last kind of service in any place on the world, especially far from Poland. I won't do anything, but my fee will be competitive. vbg BTW: You can pay extra money to IBM to have support for unsupported system. Some limitations also apply, all I know about it is it's expensive. -- Radoslaw Skorupka Lodz, Poland -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Re: Third party Maintenance of z/OS R4 after March 2007
... BTW: You can pay extra money to IBM to have support for unsupported system. Some limitations also apply, all I know about it is it's expensive ... It's called 'on a time materials' basis. You don't have to pay unless something breaks. Then they will charge you 'time', successful resolution, or not. That is the 'materials' part. If they have the skill set, they will help. If they don't: tough something said the kitty. They are not going to hold somebody back with OS/390 skills while they are working z/OS development. If somebody still has the knowledge, fine! But, due to moving upward, death, severence, etc, if the skill disappears, it's not replaced. I don't know what the cost is now, but in 1982, it was $100 (CDN - back when $CDN was worth something) per hour, here in Toronto. -teD In God we Trust! All others bring data! -- W. Edwards Deming -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
Third party Maintenance of z/OS R4 after March 2007
I have a third party hardware maintenance firm that is claiming that they can support z/OS after end of life. Is it possible for a third party to maintain and support z/OS R4 after the end of support date from IBM of March 2007? -- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
