What a random 1 byte overlay anywhere in storage? Collected on a bet on what it was ....
Scott ford www.identityforge.com from my IPAD > On May 9, 2014, at 9:51 PM, CM Poncelet <[email protected]> wrote: > > Yes ... but there is a problem "of the third kind" where having the source > code would have been useful, as follows: > > 1. An ISV supplies 'calculating' software (running in a separate > address space) to which CICS online 4GL transactions pass > parameters using cross-memory services. The ISV's code then > processes these parms and returns the results of its calculations > to caller. The ISV also supplies weekly updates of its code, but > only as replacement LMODs. > 2. The ISV's latest update has a bug that makes it loop when a > combination of parms is passed to it. All the CICS systems then > freeze as they wait for a response. So we take system dumps of > the CICS regions and ISV's address space, and send them to the ISV. > 3. The ISV cannot determine what the problem is because the parms > are passed from 4GL 'code' in the dumps, but will not release the > source code either. The customer then has to restore the ISV's > previous LMODs in order to continue functioning, but at a cost > because the ISV's previous LMODs' calculations are no longer valid. > > My resolution was to put a GTF trace on all ASIDs, look for a recurring > pattern of CPU instruction addresses within a same ASID, identify the > begin/end addresses of the loop (and thus its offsets in the code), call the > ISV and tell them to bring their source code, recompile it with whatever the > Fortran assembler listing option was, check its assembly offsets against > those in the system trace, and tell the ISV which part of their code needed > to be fixed and why. (BTW This was in 1992.) > > So there is a "third kind" of problem when an ISV cannot fix yet will not > release its code and the ISV has not 'gone bust', because its source code in > escrow cannot then be accessed either. > > My ha'pennyworth. > > Chris Poncelet > IBM Systems Programming Consultant (retired) > Logic Integration Limited > > > R.S. wrote: > >> W dniu 2014-05-09 13:35, John McKown pisze: >> >>> This has been an interesting thread. I rather like the escrow idea. >> >> I consider it as useless. >> - Unclear reason to do it. Why source code in escrow would help the customer? >> - No warranty the code is complete, well documented and up to date. Without >> it can be useless for someone outside of ISV. >> - Skills. In order to use the code in any way some skills are required, >> possibly not available at customer. >> - Time. Any case when such code would be useful (assuming completness and >> skills) a significant time is need to perform any useful action, even simple >> first time recompilation could be long process. And the need to do it can be >> quite urgent. >> - Escrow trust. Both parties have to trust it. What about it the trust was >> disapointed? >> - Setlement of disputes. Who and WHEN should decide about customer's access >> to the code? It can be clear or not. Quick or not. >> >> >> >> BTW: There is quite another process - to buy the application with the source >> code, just to develop it further using own skills. In this case there is no >> escrow, and the code is actively used by custmer's development team, it's >> alive. >> >> >> >> My €0.02 >> > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, > send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
