Stan,

How about a utility program called PREINST that would print custom
installation instructions based on
an examination of the system and user input. Such a program could also solve
one of the major black holes of the update process: checking to see if the
subsys tape matches the currently installed products!

I have suggested this before in the interest of saving trees, but now given
HPs new strategy for financing the future of MPE this is a way to save on
the costs of shipping update materials.

Mike Hornsby
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-----Original Message-----
From: Stan Sieler <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tuesday, August 18, 1998 2:07 PM
Subject: update/patch/install/etc instructions: ugh!


>Hi,
>
>We've just finished installing the 5.5 PP 5, following the
>"HP 3000 MPE/iX System Software Maintenance Manual Release 5.5"
>(part# 30216-90223R3715) instructions.
>
>Whew!  Not easy.
>
>It seems like on every page, you have to remember what overall
>operation you're doing:
>   "Manage Patches"
>   "Manage Patches by Staging Area"
>   "Add-on with Tape and Manage Patches"
>   "Add-on with Tape"
>   "Update with Tape"
>   "Install a New System"
>   "Add-on with CR-ROM"
>   "Update with CD-ROM"
>   "Modify Remote SYstem"
>   "Re-Install using a CSLT"
>and, sometimes, the name varies slightly from section to section.
>
>Ugh.
>
>I've installed/patched/updated from time to time, over the years.
>But...I'm daunted by the new system.  On our first attempt, which
>included a "hand over" from one person to another in the middle,
>things *seemed* to work, but our network wouldn't come up when we
>were done.
>
>Suggestions on improving the process:
>
>   1) Web based
>
>      Provide a web site (HP ESC?) where you can go through an online
>      checklist to determine what "operation" you're doing.
>
>      The result is two-fold:
>
>         a) a large HTML file you can print out, which is
>            the *TAILORED* instructions for just the operation
>            you want;  This allows you to get hardcopy
>
>      and
>
>         b) a series of linearly linked web pages which is
>            the *TAILORED* instructions for just the operation
>            you want;  This allows you to follow it from a web
>            browser in the computer room.
>
>and/or
>
>   2) Paper based
>
>      The start of the manual should be a checklist/flowchart that
>      when completed leaves you with a letter like "A", or "B", ..., "H"
>      which corresponds with what operation you're doing.
>
>      Then, each section would start with the LARGE BOLD LETTERS that
>      it applies to.  *More importantly*, each section would *end* with
>      a "pointer" to the next appropriate section, like:
>
>               (large,bold) A  --> go to page 5-40
>               (large,bold) C  --> go to page 5-45
>
>      In the above example, there was no "B" direction ... because the
>      step that just ended was only for operations A and C!
>
>The latter suggestion is easily implemented by HP ... the manual is
>already setup for this kind of add-on.  The former suggestion is harder,
>but saves HP money!  (No need for HP to pay for printing and shipping
>the heavy manuals!)
>
>Stan Sieler
>[log in to unmask]
>
>--
>Stan Sieler                                          [log in to unmask]
>                                     http://www.allegro.com/sieler.html