MVS Download: Is there automated resource management with PSF/AIX or IPMgr?

ITEM: RTA000154507



Q:                                                                              
Topic thread:                                                                   
Printer Systems (PRINT - NA/ATS)                                                
 Printing Systems Manager (PSM)                                                 
                                                                                
My user is shipping some of his host-created output to remote-spooling          
locations running PSM & PSF/AIX and driving InfoPrint 4000 printers.  He        
uses MVS Download to move the data from the mainframe to the RS/6000.           
He used FTP to move all the host-based resources down to the RS/6000.           
Now he is concerned with the ongoing maintenance of his remote resource         
libraries.                                                                      
                                                                                
I have told him that I am aware of two options in his scenario, 1)              
continue to keep the libraries in synch by manually transferring new            
resources when then are created or updated (or periodically refresh the        
libraries by doing another massive copy), and 2) using the NSF mount            
capability to actually share the mainframe resource libraries                   
themselves.                                                                     
                                                                                
Regrettably, the mainframe is in Denver and their two remote-spooling           
sites are in Omaha and Tallahassee, so I doubt that NFS is a real solid         
option. With what I know today, he seems to be left with the requirement        
to manage the libraries manually.  Over the past few years, this issue          
has been brought up before, but I would like to check in again to see if        
                                                                                
there might possibly be a new development that I have missed.  Although         
my customer uses PSM today, I'd also be happy to be able to tell him            
that he can fix the problem by moving to InfoPrint Manager.                     
                                                                                
Thanks for your help.                                                          
                                                                                
A:                                                                              
No, there has been no change in the code that would enable automatic            
synchronization of host-based resources with an MVS Download system             
(PSF/AIX or InfoPrint Manager).  As you've noted, yours is not the              
only customer who has requested this function.  I would strongly urge           
you to contact the business line managers for InfoPrint Manager and for         
PSF/MVS (MVS Download) so they hear again that it is a customer                 
requirement.                                                                    
                                                                                
You've correctly listed the options available to them in today's                
environment.  They might be able to at least partially automate the             
transfer of AFP resources through a scheduled transfer, but it's                
certainly not a solution equivalent to the DPF function in PSF/2.               
                                                                               
I also agree that NFS-mounting across a WAN is not recommended, both            
for availability and for performance reasons.                                   
                                                                                
Wish I had better news for you.  Please tell development again that             
this is a requirement.                                                          
                                                                                
(Reviewed Feb 1999)                                                             
                                                                                
S e a r c h - k e y w o r d s:                                                  
psf/6000 psf/aix infoprint manager ipmgr psf aix mvs download dpf               
automated resource synchronization management nfs afp resources                 
automatic libraries                                                             
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                               


WWQA: ITEM: RTA000154507 ITEM: RTA000154507
Dated: 02/1999 Category: XPSF6000
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