DUG Session 4327Staying on Top of the Mountain:Tracking Updates and Patches

Jeff ButeraHampshire Collegejbutera@hampshire.edu

Tuesday, March 1, 20088:00AM Washington 1

Outline

• Update History• Best Practices• Examples• Hampshire's Custom Portal

Updates: R16 and Earlier

• Had to manually download, extract, run• Very error prone due to manual nature• Easy to skip/forget a step• Release, Main remote, User Remote(s)• Wrote perl scripts to automate

– Download of update list– Download of udpates– Extraction/parsing of SOS documents

Updates: R16/R17 Express Load

• A step forward from past• Generally worked OK• Installation was date-driven• Installing out of order was problematic• Skipping an update was problematic

Updates: Wish List

• Meeting at DUG 3-4 years ago• 10-12 clients• 16-20 Datatel staff• What did we need/want in updates?• “Need to install anything, anytime.” (But willing to accept any prereqs.)

Updates: R18

• We spoke – they listened• Updates single biggest win in R18.• Can now install anything, anytime.

(But gotta accept prereqs.)

• Big step forward from the Red Envelope

Best Practices

• Regularly scheduled downtime• Regularly scheduled Datatel updates• Regularly scheduled OS Updates• Regular notification of end users.• “Do things right routinely.”• How do you eat an elephant?

Best Practices

• Datatel would like clients to install monthly• Hampshire installs bi-weekly• Quarterly or less often not recommended

– Too many updates– Too much downtime

• End user testing is GREAT and necessary– But don't be held hostage by end users– Updates are team effort, but must be done

Best Practices

Once you have defined a cycle:• Cycle 1: Download updates

– Read documentation

• Cycle 2: Install updates in test– Notify end users, let them test

• Cycle 3: Install updates in production

Best Practices

Maintenance Forms

SUGS – shows every updateMSUG – shows updates not complete/installed

Can select existing group or define new one.

ISUG – Detail to report/install a groupSUPI – Quickly find post-install steps needing

completion

Maintenance Forms

Maintenance Forms

Maintenance Forms

Maintenance Forms

Inquiry/Research Forms

RPIF – Find packages containing an itemeg: DMSU22 = NAE

RPIO – Detail on versionsSOUI – Detail on one particular versionDIFS – Detail difference between versionsSUPR – Search for particular updates (date,

ID) and show Custom Impact, Prereqs, Install Status

Inquiry/Research Forms

Inquiry/Research Forms

Inquiry/Research Forms

Inquiry/Research Forms

Inquiry/Research Forms

Hampshire Custom Portal

• Shares info with end users– Documentation– News– Updates– Knowledge Base– Administration (IT staff only)

Hampshire Custom Portal

• Updates– Can view by date or group– Can view documentation and other info– Users can specify their areas of interest– Users can view just those of interest– Email when update of interest installed

• Demonstration

Get The Data

• You don't need custom portal• Use files in your LPR:

– RELEASE_PKGS– ENVIRON_RELEASE_PKGS– RELEASE_ITEMS

Summary

• Notify end users• Do it routinely

– Define your schedule– Note updates which take long time in test

• Get buy in from end users• It's their system – you just support it!

Summary

Jeff ButeraHampshire College

jbutera@hampshire.edu

http://jeff.hampshire.edu