BRENT@uwovax.UWO.CDN.UUCP (01/16/87)
Hmmm, there seems to be a plot against me. As an academic
university site, there is pressure NOT to change anything during
any academic term. This week I upgraded to VMS 4.5 and BASIC 3.0
(since that was all I had on my desk at the time). I thought I
was done for the term, but today LISP 2.1 arrived. I expect this
will be held now until spring. But I ask, is there any reliable
way to learn about pending new releases perhaps a month in advance?
We also run DEC's APL, FORTRAN, C, and PASCAL. Are there new
versions coming for these as well?
Perhaps the manager of the various VMS products could notify us
on INFO-VAX when a product goes to SDC, with a best guess as to
site arrival. Better, perhaps SDC could centralize such notification
whenever they receive a product for distribution. Could someone
from DEC please comment?
--
Brent Sterner
Lord Protector, d i g i t a l Systems
Computing & Communications Services
Natural Sciences Building
The University of Western Ontario
London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7
Telephone (519)661-2151 x6036
Network <BRENT@uwovax.UWO.CDN> ! VAX 8600
<A105@UWOCC1.BITNET> ! IBM 4341DHASKIN@CLARKU.BITNET (Denis W. Haskin, Manager, Technical Services) (01/20/87)
> Date: Fri, 16 Jan 87 10:23:02 EST > From: Brent Sterner <BRENT@UWOVAX.UWO.CDN> > Subject: Language releases > Hmmm, there seems to be a plot against me. As an academic > university site, there is pressure NOT to change anything during > any academic term. This week I upgraded to VMS 4.5 and BASIC 3.0 > (since that was all I had on my desk at the time). I thought I > was done for the term, but today LISP 2.1 arrived. I expect this > will be held now until spring. But I ask, is there any reliable > way to learn about pending new releases perhaps a month in advance? > We also run DEC's APL, FORTRAN, C, and PASCAL. Are there new > versions coming for these as well? > Perhaps the manager of the various VMS products could notify us > on INFO-VAX when a product goes to SDC, with a best guess as to > site arrival. Better, perhaps SDC could centralize such notification > whenever they receive a product for distribution. Could someone > from DEC please comment? I disagree, and please don't get DEC off chasing a new wild goose... Part of our jobs as system manager is precisely the responsibility of when and how we choose to handle upgrades to the systems for which we are responsible. I fail to see how receiving advance notification of a pending update is going to have -any- bearing on what you do with the update once it arrives. If the update will disrupt service to users or will have adverse effects on other layered software, I postponse it until an appropriate time. If it won't, I apply the update, with contingency plans for when I discover the release notes are incorrect and the package is layered -under- three others, and won't run with version 1.15 of product X. It should also be -your- decision as to whether the fixes or enhancements in an update outweigh the problems it will/might cause. The 'pressure' you feel is there for a good reason. Our cluster is used by almost every single department at the University, both academic and administrative, and is as much a production system as any at a manufacturing firm or a bank. Believe me, I am as eager as you to try out new software (Basic 3.0 has been sitting SYS$UPDATE:[.KITS] for three months now because it will require some substantial changes to existing administrative software), but the needs of the users preclude that. If the notice of pending update were to include release notes indicating the changes coming, they may then useful, but I -highly- doubt you will ever get DEC to commit to that. Denis W. Haskin ------------------------------------------------------------------------ DHASKIN@CLARKU.BITNET Office of Information Systems (617)793-7193 Clark University 950 Main Street Worcester MA 01610
DCOTTLER@rca.com.UUCP (01/21/87)
> Date: Fri, 16 Jan 87 10:23:02 EST > From: Brent Sterner <BRENT@UWOVAX.UWO.CDN> > Subject: Language releases > ...But I ask, is there any reliable > way to learn about pending new releases perhaps a month in advance?... Pending release dates for DEC layered products are available from the DECUS Languages and Tools SIG and the VAX SIG. Check the L&T SIG newsletters and the DECUS L&T SIG Session Notes for the charts. - Dan Cottler <dcottler@rca.com> RCA Advanced Technology Laboratories Moorestown, NJ