[Info-vax] How do I make zip, unzip etc. available to all users?

[David Froble]

Kerry Main wrote:
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Info-vax [mailto:info-vax-bounces at info-vax.com] On Behalf Of
>> Stephen Hoffman via Info-vax
>> Sent: 07-Jan-16 12:53 PM
>> To: info-vax at info-vax.com
>> Cc: Stephen Hoffman <seaohveh at hoffmanlabs.invalid>
>> Subject: Re: [New Info-vax] How do I make zip, unzip etc. available to all
>> users?
>>
>> On 2016-01-07 17:21:11 +0000, David Froble said:
>>
>>> Stephen Hoffman wrote:
>>>> Ad-hoc and manual deployments tend to lack documentation and
>>>> particularly tend to lack reproducibility.
>>> Guess I'm deprived.  I don't have hundreds of VMS systems to
>>> administer. Doesn't mean some others are not privileged to have such.
>> Hundreds?  Deploying non-trivial apps to more than one box is a hassle,
>> with VMS.  More than several boxes heads toward home-grown
>> deployment
>> tools.  With hundreds of boxes, you complain to VSI about the mess.
>>
> 
> While OpenVMS definitely needs improvements in config mgmt. and
> tracking, it is also worth pointing out that ALL of the other server 
> platforms available today is a huge can of worms as well. That includes 
> Solaris, AIX, Linux, Windows, HP-UX ... all free BSD's etc. Includes
> Mainframes and Non-Stop as well.
> 
> To put things in perspective, when planning a DC migration and/or
> consolidation, literally the first month of EVERY engagement is spent 
> just documenting the current state of HW and SW/Apps in the DC.
> Tools (agent or agent-less) help, but these have their own challenges, 
> complexities and in some cases, high cost. 
> 
> Config mgmt. in 99.95% of all DC's is a dog's breakfast.
> 
> Just ask the OPS or App manager for a detailed listing of all HW/SW/
> Apps names, versions, models, configs and what Apps run on each.
> Then ask them things like "who owns each system and/or network 
> device? Who supports each system? Who knows what the remaining 
> book value is on each piece of HW?"
> 
> Good luck ..
> 
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Kerry Main
> Kerry dot main at starkgaming dot com

I'm not going to argue with your 99.95%, because I don't know what's accurate.

My customers have a disaster recovery plan, which has all the information you've 
mentioned above, and more.  It's just good business to insure a disaster will 
hurt the business as little as possible.

Can a migration or consolidation be more difficult than re-building the entire 
DP system from scratch?

If a DP center does not have an adequate disaster plan, then the management is 
not doing their job.  Don't blame everything on the HW and SW.

That said, I do not doubt that there are many locations that are not prepared.