Re: ADSM documentation

I second the request to have documentation available from any platform.  I would
suggest that instead of the PostScript or PDF formats, why not provide docs in
HTML format so it is directly accessible on the web, or can be downloaded and
put on a customer web server.

Web browsers are available for nearly all platforms.

Stacy Lacy
Excel Corporation
stacy_lacy AT cargill DOT com

______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: ADSM documentation
Author:  ADSM-L (ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU) at internet
Date:    4/29/96 12:04 PM


We agree completely with PaulZ.  ADSM deployment here, and its ultimate
viability, is limited here because it is, unnecessarily,
site-administrator intensive.

Minimally, we must minimize administration costs by

1. Provide FTPable, directly usable, packages. No diskettes, please,
if I use the IBM FTP site. This saves me time when I put together a
code level for user install on our file servers.

2. Make it easy for us to include/use our own DSM.OPT/SMP/Preferences
file.  Same for the README.1ST file(s).

    a. Because we know the communication method and because we know we
    want such things as SCHEDLOGRETENTION, we need to tailor what gets
    installed when our client installs from our FTP site.

    b. Because we don't do archiving and because we do have a standard
    policy for backup retentions, etc., let us describe that in our
    README or a tailored version of yours.

    c. Because you don't know our procedure for obtaining ADSM
    nodename and password, let us describe it in our README or a
    tailored version of yours.

3. Keep installation instructions in ONE place, simple, direct and
with only appropriate material for that platform install.

4. For ALL platforms, allow and use the PASSWORD statement in the
options file.  Sometimes it isn't allowed; sometimes the command line
client doesn't use it.  Get consistant!

5. Make the documentation available from the IBM FTP site, especially
in the directory where the viewer will run on the platform described.

ADSM V2 server for VM will certainly help our server administration.

Best regards to the ADSM developers and tech support,

Wayne T. Smith               internet: wts AT maine.maine DOT edu
Systems Group -- CAPS        University of Maine System