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Status Not under consideration
Workspace IBM i
Categories Db2 for i
Created by Guest
Created on Sep 2, 2020

RELATED IDEAS

tool to summarize all PTFs and APARs in a CUME or group

CUMEs can contain hundreds of PTFs. Each PTF has an APAR and both should be reviewed for any special instructions and or issues in the APAR. It would be good to have a tool to filter through all this and summarize any actions or special issues.


Use Case:

One customer ran into an issue where they applied a PTF that enhanced a timestamp field. The customer compiled a program on test system and this enhancement worked fine. They moved the program into production and that is when the problem started. The program failed due to the PTF not being on the production system. The fact that you needed to have the PTF on any system that uses this special time stamp was documented (it needs to be on for compiling and running), the customer didn't read the hundreds of cover letters to find this out.
I do see a lot of customer having this issue, we document but it is pretty difficult to get all the docs read. Most have nothing interesting, a small percent needs to be reviewed.


Idea priority Low
  • Guest
    Reply
    |     Apr 17, 2021

    IBM does not intend to provide a different solution to this request at this time, so it is being closed.

    There is a tool available through Preventive Service Planning (PSP) that shows only the PTFs for a PTF group that have special instructions in their cover letters. This limits the number of PTFs that need to be examined when preparing to apply a new PTF group.

    This is the link to the PSP site:
    http://techsupport.rchland.ibm.com/s_dir/sline003.nsf/GroupPTFs?OpenView&Start=1&Count=30&Expand=1#1

  • Guest
    Reply
    |     Sep 3, 2020

    Hello,

    you can using "IBM Administration Runtime Expert for i" to compare the PTF´s between Test and Produktion System. You can also compare userprofile, systemvalue etc.

    Greeting Uwe

  • Guest
    Reply
    |     Sep 3, 2020

    Attachment (Description): Image searching IBM support to get to the special instruction PTF's information.

    Screenshot 2020...
    Screenshot 2020-09-03 at 09.45.23.png
    Open full size
    Screenshot 2020-09-03 at 09.45.23.png
  • Guest
    Reply
    |     Sep 3, 2020

    Hello,

    IBM has create documents for special instructions, I have added an image of the results when you search for "740 Special Instruction Links".

    Once you did run into trouble you know why you need to review the PTF coverletters. Up to now I had to use the command "DSPPTFCVR CVRATR(*SPCINST) ". I agree with you that this is not very user friendly. There for sure must be a better easier way to get this done.

    Greetings Rudi

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