Hmmm.  Good thought, but not quite true in all cases.  Example: I put a
patch in place that was stageable.  No update needed, but it is in place
right now, and it is in the HPSWINFO file.  Also, I haven't done a
RELOAD from an old SLT on this box, and I haven't restored @.pub.sys
from any box, to any box on either system.  I can see where that would
cause a problem, but in my case, that would not be the case.

The point is: there are many different ways of screwing up the file, and
no guarantees that the contents of the file is what you have on the
system.  I know that I am careful about the contents of the file, but
still, things are so messed up that I need to know how to tell what is
actually there, and what is not!

Kevin

"Paveza, Gary" wrote:

>
>
> As to the instances where HPSWINFO says a patch is on the system, that
> is only valid if 1) you performed the UPDATE from tape.  If you don't,
> then HPSWINFO has been updated, but the OS has not, and 2), you don't
> do a RELOAD from an old SLT, but restore HPSWINFO from a backup that
> was after the RELOAD was done.
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------
> Gary L. Paveza, Jr.
> Technical Support Specialist
>
>      -----Original Message-----
>      From:   Kevin Newman [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
>      Sent:   Friday, March 10, 2000 10:52 AM
>      To:     [log in to unmask]
>      Subject:        HPSWINFO.PUB.SYS
>
>      I have slowly been loosing my confidence in this wonderful little
>      file.
>      Over the last few months, and after several patching sessions, I
>      have
>      come to find out that the HPSWINFO file just doesn't seem to hold
>      the
>      true info about what is on the system.
>
>      I have a case where I am keeping two systems up on the same level
>      of
>      patches, but when I went to the file to determine if a particular
>      patch
>      had been placed on the box, the file said that it was not, but
>      Patch/iX
>      wouldn't let me qualify the patch, because it WAS installed on
>      the
>      system.
>
>      So, we have a case where the patch was on the system, but was not
>      listed
>      in the file.
>
>      Next, I just found, via a system abort, that a patch that I
>      though was
>      on my system, and HPSWINFO states is on the system, isn't.
>      Well, let
>      me backup a little.  A problem hit that was supposed to be
>      covered by a
>      patch.  When I said that it was on the system, HP replied that
>      they
>      would need to check to be sure that it really was on the system.
>
>      So, we have a case where it is in HPSWINFO, and even HP is not
>      sure that
>      it really is on the system.
>
>      What good is this file if the information in it could be bogus?
>      How do
>      I determine what patches are on the system and which ones are not
>      on the
>      system?  Patch/iX does some type of check summing to do this.  Is
>      this
>      something that I can perform on my own, without HP?  How do I
>      KNOW what
>      is on my machines?
>
>      Inquiring minds want to know!
>
>      Kevin "No longer sure what is on my machine" Newman << File: Card
>      for Kevin Newman >>
>