My original comments (condensed):
> "How do I get these patches to avoid problems before they occur".
> [...verbose description of what we'd done...]
>
> If there is sufficient interest I can build a kit of the tools we
> developed for our needs. My preference is that if others see the
> need we try to encourage Digital to produce or at least
> informally adopt some tools. If somebody with Digital is listening
> and can clue me in on the plans for future patch delivery,
> I for one would appreciate knowing it (so I know whether to
> wait or enhance local procedures). I have heard rumors of Digital
> planning to offer a patch service like this for customers, but
> as yet those in Digital I've asked have been unable to answer.
Well, unfortunately no response from Digital. I did have about
20 inquiries, some just wanted the location of Digital's patches,
the majority wanted access to some tools.
I finally built a kit and found an anonymous ftp site, under:
raven.alaska.edu:/pub/sois/UA_DUtools.tar.Z.
(sum: 14487 303 UA_DUtools.tar.Z)
which contains the tools we have for fetching and installing patches and
some other odds and ends we've sent out (hszterm reporting script, uerf
reporting script, etc.). The patch fetching and de-consolodating has
been validated against the current versions of the patches.tar.Z files
for osfv32d-1 and osfv40. Under v4.0 there is some indication Digital
is working on logging of patches (the mysterious *.mod files), but that
is apparently not yet implemented.
My experience with non-Digital non-Unix operating systems indicates
what's available under Digital Unix is sub-standard for patch maintenace.
Apparently it's sub-standard with other flavors of Unix, from one of the
responses I received:
I heartily agree that Digital's patching system is woefully inadequate.
Every other vendor Unix I work with (AIX, Solaris, Irix, HP-UX) has a
polished method for applying patches in discrete sets. Of equal
importance is being able to tell what patches have been applied to a
system already. All the other vendors have commands that will tell you
exactly what patches are installed -- this is critical information if
you're doing disaster recovery or even if you're just taking over a
machine with an unknown patch history.
These comments were echoed by several others. Digital has missed the
boat for distribution, application, and logging of preventative and
remedial patches under Digital Unix. Enhancing this service would not
only make customer systems more stable, but would also relieve some
of the load on the support center. Until they do something better,
scripts/programs under UA_DUtools provides a starting point to remove
some of the potential for human error and complete lag of logging for
patch application.
If anybody enhances this and sends it back, we will look at incorporating
it back in. Until Digital does something we will likely continue to
adjust the scripts with changes they make in structure of the file.
Kurt Carlson, University of Alaska sxkac_at_alaska.edu
Received on Wed Jul 17 1996 - 02:31:37 NZST