On Mon, 13 Feb 1995 19:11:06 -0800 Elbert E Silbaugh said:
>>Jeff K writes about ability to replace program file while it is being
>>used (using the POSIX stuff).
>>If a user calls the help desk to complain about a problem, I wonder
>>how you find out which version they are using...?? mmmmmmmm
 
>Ask them to break and :showme, and derive the starting time accordingly.
 
>I discovered this to SOLVE a helpdesk problem... with our user load (100+)
>and relatively small working set of common applications, we have in the
>past had to :STREAM;AT= some job to replace an object module in the wee
>hours of the morning, or else run everybody off the system so we can make
>the object replacement.
 
We used to do that years ago but when for one reason or another the
replacement failed one too many times we came up with the following scheme.
 
Installed account level UDCs that ran a program capable of executing MPE
commands.  The program would read a text file and execute the commands
within (typically file equations).  One of the file equations would refer
to the application's run module. i.e. FILE AP=APV00.XXX.ACT.  The next
command in the UDC would be: RUN *AP;LIB=G;....
 
To install new versions we would merely copy the text file with the file
equations, make the needed changes referring to the new version and put
it back.  New users would get the latest version of the application and
we would still keep as many old versions as we deemed necessary.
 
Paul Christidis
 
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