Len Boyle writes:

>I would like to add to that request for information. Are you thinking
>about different levels of client software for release 1, release 2, and
>release 3?

We are working towards making the ADSM release 2 clients available to
the release 1 servers.  This includes new clients plus some new
communication capabilities in the new clients.  The new clients will
also have all of the PTFs and APARs rolled up into them.

>I would think that having level set ptf's that bring the release 1
>clients up to the latest levels would make it easier for sites which
>have more then one level of server. I would think that it would reduce the
>confusion  to have 14*1 instead of 11*2 or  9*3 for the number of
>client software levels to support.

Correct!  We will have a single set of clients that span all
server levels.  See below for more...

>The other side of the question is backwards support. Somewhere,
>I read that release 2 or 3 of adsm would drop support for the os/2 1.3
>client. For shops with older hardware and software, will the
>new releases of adsm servers keep supporting the old clients.
>If not with the new bells and whisles, at least with the old functionality.
>Note my question is not of os/2 per say, but more of the general case of
>which this is the first of a long line of hardware/software pairs that will
 age.

It is ADSM's intent to support as many backlevel versions of a client
as is reasonable to do.  Thus a future release 3 of the server would
support release 1, 2, and 3 clients.  The reverse of this (up level
clients to backlevel servers) is also the goal, though some functions
would obviously not be available.  At some time it may make sense to
re-base the system (not anytime soon though!) but one must always be
able to get their data back that they backed-up or archived from
day 1 of the system.  Obviously supporting all levels of clients will
become prohibitive at some point (cost is too great) thus a client
upgrade will be needed.

Take your example of OS/2 1.3.  At some point
OS/2 will evolve, and the install base of 1.3 will dwindle.  At that
time we would stop marketing OS/2 1.3 clients, then at some point
stop servicing them.  The client would still work to the server until
some time even further in the future that that level of client just
cannot be supported any further.  At that point a newer level of
the OS/2 x.y client would be needed to access the data originally stored
by the OS/2 1.3 client.

Hope this helps clarify our directions.  Data protection is important
business, and so is long term access.

Paul Bradshaw