Re: Warning: PTF's require HDS microcode, which is not available until the second week of January ----- UPDATE!!!!

2006-01-05 Thread Brian Peterson
There *was* more to the story  The PE list in OA14708 today includes
all affected PTFs and the AI information (which was only on *some* of the
PTFs) has now been deleted.  In addition, under 'additional symptoms'
OA14708 describes the aspect of the problem which was specific to HDS
hardware.

Customers are now protected from inadvertently stumbling into this problem,
assuming they get current holddata prior to APPLY.  Thank you, IBM.

Brian

On Wed, 4 Jan 2006 13:51:03 -0600, Brian Peterson
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

Not sure what you mean by IBM has backed off.  The APAR quoted does not
mention HDS, nor does it flag as PE any PTF (which means that HDS customers
are still doomed to discover their new MVS maintenance fails to IPL).

There must be more to the story

Brian

On Wed, 4 Jan 2006 09:05:13 -0600, Eatherly, John D [IT]
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

IBM has backed off.  They created this APAR for the issue.

APAR Identifier .. OA14708
(snip)
  PE PTF List:


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Warning: PTF's require HDS microcode, which is not available until the second week of January ----- UPDATE!!!!

2006-01-04 Thread Eatherly, John D [IT]
IBM has backed off.  They created this APAR for the issue.   

APAR Identifier .. OA14708
http://www-306.ibm.com/ibmlink/link2/sis/sisPage.jsp?applJsp=documentBr
owse.jspnavItem=sis.jsplc=encc=USdocNumber=OA14708   Last
Changed  05/12/21
  IEA307I I/O ERROR READING VOLUME LABEL
 
 
  Symptom .. MS MSGxxxStatus ... OPEN
  Severity ... 2  Date Closed .
  Component .. 5695DF111  Duplicate of 
  Reported Release . 1G0  Fixed Release 
  Component Name DEVICE SUPPORT   Special Notice
  Current Target Date ..06/02/04  Flags
  SCP ...
  Platform 
 
  Status Detail: DESIGN/CODE - APAR solution is being designed
   and coded.
 
  PE PTF List:
 
  PTF List:
 
 
  Parent APAR:
  Child APAR list:
 
 
  ERROR DESCRIPTION:
  Client received the following error during IPL for offline PPRC
  volumes.
  .
  IEA307I 3508,23, I/O ERROR READING VOLUME LABEL,00,0200,SENSE
  FOLLOWS
  .
  880E0004E5006A3436960F0E70E0
  .
  IECCINIT is at UA22489
http://www-306.ibm.com/ibmlink/link2/sis/sisPage.jsp?applJsp=documentBr
owse.jspnavItem=sis.jsplc=encc=USdocNumber=UA22489 
  .
  DS QD,3412,SNSS
  IEE459I 16.50.11 DEVSERV QDASD 135
  UNIT VOLSER SCUTYPE DEVTYPE   CYL  SSID SCU-SERIAL DEV-SERIAL
  EF-CHK
  3412 -- 2105800 2105000  3339  3694 0175-27188 0175-27188
  BYPASS
SENSE SUBSYSTEM STATUS
  0112490100C0 4180006F F5A4
  01030010
  3694 
    1 DEVICE(S) MET THE SELECTION CRITERIA
    0 DEVICE(S) FAILED EXTENDED FUNCTION CHECKING
 
 


Thanks.

John Eatherly




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Re: Warning: PTF's require HDS microcode, which is not available until the second week of January ----- UPDATE!!!!

2006-01-04 Thread Brian Peterson
Not sure what you mean by IBM has backed off.  The APAR quoted does not
mention HDS, nor does it flag as PE any PTF (which means that HDS customers
are still doomed to discover their new MVS maintenance fails to IPL).

There must be more to the story

Brian

On Wed, 4 Jan 2006 09:05:13 -0600, Eatherly, John D [IT]
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

IBM has backed off.  They created this APAR for the issue.

APAR Identifier .. OA14708
(snip)
  PE PTF List:


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Re: Warning: PTF's require HDS microcode, which is not available until the second week of January.

2006-01-03 Thread Eatherly, John D [IT]
So, does UA22489 have the same problem with HDS as UA22552?   Or does
it 
circumvent the HDS problem?? 
Yes it does have the same problem.  Either PTF causes the same issue.  I
did ask that question.
Thanks.
John Eatherly

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Re: Warning: PTF's require HDS microcode, which is not available until the second week of January.

2006-01-03 Thread Bruce Black



So, does UA22489 have the same problem with HDS as UA22552?   Or does
 

it 
 

circumvent the HDS problem?? 
   


Yes it does have the same problem.  Either PTF causes the same issue.  I
did ask that question.

So IBM needs to add the AI to the superceding PTFs.  Did they volunteer 
to do so?


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Re: Warning: PTF's require HDS microcode, which is not available until the second week of January.

2005-12-31 Thread Robert A. Rosenberg
At 15:40 -0600 on 12/30/2005, Dave Danner wrote about Re: Warning: 
PTF's require HDS microcode, which is not avai:



The problem is not with SMP/E.  I've been told that the internal IBM
systems that generate enhanced HOLDDATA are not capable of generating
ACTION, DEP, etc holds.


That is interesting since if you pull the enhanced HOLD data form the 
Web SiteI think it has ACTION, DEP, and other non-ERROR holds in the 
stream.


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Re: Warning: PTF's require HDS microcode, which is not available until the second week of January.

2005-12-30 Thread Shmuel Metz (Seymour J.)
In [EMAIL PROTECTED], on 12/29/2005
   at 02:46 PM, Brian Peterson [EMAIL PROTECTED]
said:

What is really needed is a ++HOLD ACTION or ++HOLD EC with text
stating that Vendor-A microcode level xxx is required for
compatability with PTF UZ1.  However, ++HOLD ACTION / ++HOLD EC
text must be included in the original PTF - they cannot be added
later. 

Are you sure they can't be picked up by RECEIVE HOLDDATA?
 
-- 
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 ISO position; see http://patriot.net/~shmuel/resume/brief.html 
We don't care. We don't have to care, we're Congress.
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Re: Warning: PTF's require HDS microcode, which is not available until the second week of January.

2005-12-30 Thread Brian Peterson
Well, well, wellI was *sure* that this could not be done.  Wrong.

After a closer reading of the SMP/E Commands manual, it appears that SMP/E
fully supports sending ++HOLD ACTION or ++HOLD EC statements after the
fact via the same mechanism (RECEIVE HOLDDATA) as ++HOLD ERROR commands.

So, the answer appears to be yes, IBM could send electronic updates to
++HOLD information.  Today they do not do this, but SMP/E itself apparently
supports this.

For those interested in looking into this further, in the SMP/E manuals,
they uses the phrase HOLDSYSTEM (external) to refer to ++HOLD SYSTEM
statements which are provided to a global zone via a RECEIVE HOLDDATA
command and the SMPHOLD DD statement, and the phrase HOLDSYSTEM
(internal) to refer to ++HOLD SYSTEM statements which are included as part
of a PTF and provided to a global zone via a RECEIVE SYSMODS command and
the SMPPTFIN DD statement.

Brian

On Fri, 30 Dec 2005 12:32:54 -0500, Shmuel Metz (Seymour J.) shmuel+ibm-
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

In [EMAIL PROTECTED], on 12/29/2005
   at 02:46 PM, Brian Peterson [EMAIL PROTECTED]
said:

What is really needed is a ++HOLD ACTION or ++HOLD EC with text
stating that Vendor-A microcode level xxx is required for
compatability with PTF UZ1.  However, ++HOLD ACTION / ++HOLD EC
text must be included in the original PTF - they cannot be added
later.

Are you sure they can't be picked up by RECEIVE HOLDDATA?

--
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Re: Warning: PTF's require HDS microcode, which is not available until the second week of January.

2005-12-29 Thread Eatherly, John D [IT]
At 12:46 -0600 on 12/28/2005, Eatherly, John D [IT] wrote about 
Warning:  PTF's require HDS microcode, which is not availab:

Just wanted to pass on a heads up on some APARs that require HDS
microcode on DASD.  And that microcode will not be available until the
2nd week in January.

Was there a HOLD(ACTION) [or it might need to be HOLD(DEPENDENT?) - I 
forget] against these APARs (or the Fix PTFs)? If not, a BIG 
PACKAGING PROBLEM report should be filed with IBM since this 
dependency should have been mentioned so as to suppress accidental 
installation as occurred to you.

It was reported to IBM.  I was the second person to report it.  There is
going to be an (AI) added to the APARs as soon as I get them the HDS
code level required.  We are waiting to see what the microcode level is
that is required for this.

The APARS affected are:

OA11492 first shows the problem with the HDS microcode.
OA13907 has it also because it sups OA13907

We had several DASD volumes that the path would not come online after
an
IPL.  And they just happened to be systems volumes.

Thanks.
John Eatherly

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Re: Warning: PTF's require HDS microcode, which is not available until the second week of January.

2005-12-29 Thread Brian Peterson
AI information is text added to PTFs (not APARs).  The AI text is visible
if you go into IBMLink and call up the PTF.  Or, search for a keyword which
does not appear frequently in the IBMLink data base, such as HDS.

The AI information notification mechanism is completely manual.  You have
to already know the information is there in order to find it.

The AI information process reminds me a lot of Hitchhiker's Guide to the
Galaxy, in which the notice of impending doom is prominently posted in the
always locked basement of City Hall, for all to read (NOT).

In case I have been unclear, it is my opinion that the AI information
process is completely useless.  If a problem deserves publication of AI
information because of the impact to customers, it absolutely deserves the
automation provided by the PE process, so that IBM can re-issue the PTF
with the appropriate ++HOLD text.  After all, what is the goal?  Making IBM
PE counts go down, or to help the mainframe platform survive by helping
customers to avoid rediscovering known problems?

Brian

On Thu, 29 Dec 2005 11:20:45 -0500, Bruce Black [EMAIL PROTECTED]
wrote:



Just wanted to pass on a heads up on some APARs that require HDS
microcode on DASD.  And that microcode will not be available until the
2nd week in January.



It was reported to IBM.  I was the second person to report it.  There is
going to be an (AI) added to the APARs as soon as I get them the HDS
code level required.  We are waiting to see what the microcode level is
that is required for this.



Neither of those APARs relates to HDS but apparently they made some
change that HDS requires.  What is incredible to me is that IBM is
depending on you, a customer, to get the HDS microcode information.  IBM
and HDS have a close relationship in the disk area, and I am surprised
that HDS does not have some mechanism to report this dependancy directly
to IBM.  This would also make sure that there are no transmission errors
in getting the info from HDS to you to IBM.

--
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Re: Warning: PTF's require HDS microcode, which is not available until the second week of January.

2005-12-29 Thread Shmuel Metz (Seymour J.)
In [EMAIL PROTECTED], on 12/29/2005
   at 12:30 PM, Brian Peterson [EMAIL PROTECTED]
said:

In case I have been unclear, it is my opinion that the AI information
process is completely useless.  If a problem deserves publication of
AI information because of the impact to customers, it absolutely
deserves the automation provided by the PE process, so that IBM can
re-issue the PTF with the appropriate ++HOLD text.

There is no need to reissue the PTF. It is sufficient to reissue the
hold data. That's what extended hold data are for.
 
-- 
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 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)

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Re: Warning: PTF's require HDS microcode, which is not available until the second week of January.

2005-12-29 Thread Brian Peterson
The following scenerio may resemble the circumstances in this thread.

1) IBM writes code, tests it with IBM hardware, and issues the code as PTF
   UZ1 (for example).
2) Vendor-A's DASD stops working when customers install PTF UZ1.
3) IBM customers who have Vendor-A DASD call IBM to report the problem.
4) IBM updates the AI text in PTF UZ1 to reflect information that
   customers report to it.

What is really needed is a ++HOLD ACTION or ++HOLD EC with text stating
that Vendor-A microcode level xxx is required for compatability with PTF
UZ1.  However, ++HOLD ACTION / ++HOLD EC text must be included in the
original PTF - they cannot be added later.  At the time the PTF was
created, it was not known that there was a dependency between the PTF and
Vendor-A's DASD microcode.

If IBM published a ++HOLD ERROR, then no more customers would install PTF
UZ1.

The ++HOLD ERROR would be resolved by a subsequent PTF which includes the
correct (newly discovered) ++HOLD ACTION / ++HOLD EC text.

If Vendor-A was IBM, I believe the PTF would have been marked PE.
However, if Vendor-A was IBM, the problem would probably have been caught
during testing before the PTF was released.

Brian

On Thu, 29 Dec 2005 15:04:19 -0500, Shmuel Metz (Seymour J.) shmuel+ibm-
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

In [EMAIL PROTECTED], on 12/29/2005
   at 12:30 PM, Brian Peterson [EMAIL PROTECTED]
said:

In case I have been unclear, it is my opinion that the AI information
process is completely useless.  If a problem deserves publication of
AI information because of the impact to customers, it absolutely
deserves the automation provided by the PE process, so that IBM can
re-issue the PTF with the appropriate ++HOLD text.

There is no need to reissue the PTF. It is sufficient to reissue the
hold data. That's what extended hold data are for.

--
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Warning: PTF's require HDS microcode, which is not available until the second week of January.

2005-12-29 Thread Phil Payne
The heads up of course is valuable - it's what this list is about.

 Just wanted to pass on a heads up on some APARs that require
 HDS microcode on DASD.  And that microcode will not be
 available until the 2nd week in January.

 Was there a HOLD(ACTION) [or it might need to be
 HOLD(DEPENDENT?) - I forget] against these APARs (or the
 Fix PTFs)? If not, a BIG PACKAGING PROBLEM report
 should be filed with IBM since this dependency should have
 been mentioned so as to suppress accidental installation as
 occurred to you ...

Hmmm.

Despite my current dispute with IBM's asshole PoK lawyer ...

As a previous employee of quite a few PCMs (Itel, National Advanced Systems, 
BASF/Comparex,
Amdahl) it might seem odd that I have great sympathy for IBM in this case.  You 
just would not
believe the complexity of the testing that is implied here.

a) How do you determine which vendors are actually involved?  Don't dismiss 
this question -
it's one of the big ones.  Lawyers (even real bad ones) go white on this.

Don't laugh.  Fundemental

b) Given the competitive nature of the business and the fact that legal 
entities may be
involved (new interfaces, etc., regulatory authorities) how do you establish 
contact with
potential third parties?

c) Is it reasonable to expect, e.g., IBM, to maintain a skill level regarding a 
potentially
involved third party product sufficient to enable them internally to flag a 
potential issue?
To the degree that a user SMP/E clerk can depend on it?

d) The products sold by other vendors are capable of an almost infinite 
combination of
configurations.  Which, exactly, should be tested - and at what expense, since 
few such
vendors will offer IBM the kind of discounts they offer their users for 
hardware access?

e) For any given PCM product, how many of the concurrently supported microcode 
levels should
IBM test - given that they would be able to obtain back-level versions, whch 
most users
cannot.

I'm sorry - but as a life-long (almost) PCMer - I have to say this is part of 
the deal.  If
you have non-IBM (or even IBM, come to that) devices in your configuration then 
change control
becomes YOUR responsibility.

-- 
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  http://www.isham-research.co.uk
  +44 7833 654 800

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Re: Warning: PTF's require HDS microcode, which is not available until the second week of January.

2005-12-29 Thread Robert A. Rosenberg
At 14:46 -0600 on 12/29/2005, Brian Peterson wrote about Re: Warning: 
PTF's require HDS microcode, which is not avai:



What is really needed is a ++HOLD ACTION or ++HOLD EC with text stating
that Vendor-A microcode level xxx is required for compatability with PTF
UZ1.  However, ++HOLD ACTION / ++HOLD EC text must be included in the
original PTF - they cannot be added later.  At the time the PTF was
created, it was not known that there was a dependency between the PTF and
Vendor-A's DASD microcode.


Adding the ++HOLD to the cumulative Extended Hold database would 
solve the issue of it not being in the PTF itself. In addition, the 
copy of the PTF that is retrievable via IBMLINK (as well as the copy 
that is used to create PTF cumulative  service tapes) can have the 
++HOLD added to the PTF so that copies sent to customers AFTER the 
problem is discovered will contain the info (and not need to rely on 
the user getting current the Extended Hold file [although this SHOULD 
be pulled/read-into-SMTP just prior to any APPLY/ACCEPT for safety 
sake]).


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Re: Warning: PTF's require HDS microcode, which is not available until the second week of January.

2005-12-28 Thread Robert A. Rosenberg
At 12:46 -0600 on 12/28/2005, Eatherly, John D [IT] wrote about 
Warning:  PTF's require HDS microcode, which is not availab:



Just wanted to pass on a heads up on some APARs that require HDS
microcode on DASD.  And that microcode will not be available until the
2nd week in January.


Was there a HOLD(ACTION) [or it might need to be HOLD(DEPENDENT?) - I 
forget] against these APARs (or the Fix PTFs)? If not, a BIG 
PACKAGING PROBLEM report should be filed with IBM since this 
dependency should have been mentioned so as to suppress accidental 
installation as occurred to you.



The APARS affected are:

OA11492 first shows the problem with the HDS microcode.
OA13907 has it also because it sups OA13907

We had several DASD volumes that the path would not come online after an
IPL.  And they just happened to be systems volumes.

Thanks.
John Eatherly


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Re: Warning: PTF's require HDS microcode, which is not available until the second week of January.

2005-12-28 Thread Glen Gasior
*
Just as a word to the cautious - I would not IPL any system that accesses
the HDS storage subsystem while an HDS microcode update is taking place.
*


On 12/28/05, Eatherly, John D [IT] [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 Just wanted to pass on a heads up on some APARs that require HDS
 microcode on DASD.  And that microcode will not be available until the
 2nd week in January.
 The APARS affected are:

 OA11492 first shows the problem with the HDS microcode.
 OA13907 has it also because it sups OA13907

 We had several DASD volumes that the path would not come online after an
 IPL.  And they just happened to be systems volumes.

 Thanks.
 John Eatherly



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Re: Warning: PTF's require HDS microcode, which is not available until the second week of January.

2005-12-28 Thread Ron and Jenny Hawkins
I wouldn't IPL or Boot any system that is accessing ANY vendor's storage
when microcode is being updated. :(

 -Original Message-
 From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
 Behalf Of Glen Gasior
 Sent: Thursday, 29 December 2005 4:24 AM
 To: IBM-MAIN@BAMA.UA.EDU
 Subject: Re: Warning: PTF's require HDS microcode, which is not available
 until the second week of January.
 
 *
 Just as a word to the cautious - I would not IPL any system that accesses
 the HDS storage subsystem while an HDS microcode update is taking place.
 *
 
 
 On 12/28/05, Eatherly, John D [IT] [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
 
  Just wanted to pass on a heads up on some APARs that require HDS
  microcode on DASD.  And that microcode will not be available until the
  2nd week in January.
  The APARS affected are:
 
  OA11492 first shows the problem with the HDS microcode.
  OA13907 has it also because it sups OA13907
 
  We had several DASD volumes that the path would not come online after an
  IPL.  And they just happened to be systems volumes.
 
  Thanks.
  John Eatherly
 
 
 
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