If the FTP site is intended as an alternative to ordering floppies - then
spending the money to make it truly an alternative should be justifiable in
savings there.  I have also seen the usership jump because the server supports
more than just ADSM - but the size of the server did not increase
commensurably.

Jerry Lawson
jlawson AT itthartford DOT com


________________________Forward Header________________________
Author: INTERNET.OWNERAD
Subject: IBM: FTP site upgrades needed
06-19-96 10:35 AM

IBM - ADSM customers need some improvements in the ADSM FTP site...

1. First and foremost, when you emplace a "fixes" file, please compress it!
   The AIX 3.2 client fixes file, for example (aix32.v2r1m3.IP20800.smit)
   is 36 MB (!) in size.  Given the paltry speed of the storsys Internet
   connection, it took a horrendous 23 HOURS to transmit that sucker.
   File compression would have rendered that less painful and vulnerable
   to interruption, given the time exposure.

2. Please pass on to IBM management that the storsys FTP site is woefully
   underconfigured...
    - It lacks overall capacity, such that customers needing information
      and fixes often find that they can't get in, encountering the
      all-too-familiar message:
       The maximum ftp sessions has been exceeded on index.storsys.ibm.com!
    - The speed of your Internet connection appears to be far too low to
      begin serving the volume of data which that site has to serve.
      Customers running enterprises can't afford to wait 23 hours to get
      a download of fixes when things are failing around them.
   Suffice to say that ADSTAR management has to start taking this FTP site
   seriously and finally commit the resources commensurate with providing
   the level of service that is required.  Customers are disappointed that
   ADSTAR hasn't been proactive in dealing with this situation.

                      Richard Sims, Boston University OIT