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  • Test Enviornment

    Looking for ideas for a test environment. Have quite a few large fast moving tables that make it difficult to create a test environment in a separate library. I know there is quite a few software solutions out there just wondering what everyone was using and if it works well for them. Also they are running an iasp and at one time I remember reading that made things really easy for a test environment but I have not been able to find that same information again.

  • #2
    Re: Test Enviornment

    iASPs can be implemented as you indicate - myself I have two LPARs - one production and one development / test. Both LPARs have most things exactly the same for this very purpose. I can "play" with the development / test all I want w/o worry of screwing up live data while having specialize job descriptions, special library lists or any other special setup.

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    • #3
      Re: Test Enviornment

      Is there any special documentation for setting up a test environment this way? I am not familiar with IASPs. I guess the main thing is how to update the data in the test environment. They have some large fast moving tables as most of their commerce is direct to the consumer via a website and call center so I know there will be times when getting fresh data may or may not be important. And it would be nice if the test data did not have to include all of the production data, otherwise I fear they will not have enough disk space to handle another IASP as they keep a lot of historical data in the production files.

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      • #4
        Re: Test Enviornment

        iASPs are quite involved from what I can gather and I'm not sure you can implement them with local dasd... I really don't know a great deal except that the job description specifies the iASP to be used - and for that job that iASP is the disk - you can have same libraries in multiple iASPs - depending on which iASP you job is associated with dictates which which set of libraries you have access to.

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        • #5
          Re: Test Enviornment

          iASP's can be configured from local DASD. Simply configure them as belonging to an ASP group greater than 32. I have a small 515 which has 4 disks, 2 are configured to *SYSBAS (ASP 1) the other 2 are each an iASP (33,34 or CLIENT1/CLIENT2) which I use for testing our LVLT4i product. I am not sure this is what you need though as it looks like you want to have live data updated and available for testing? A copy can be taken (CPYF??) at will from the *SYSBAS to the iASP but the same library name cannot exist in the *SYSBAS ASP and the iASP at the same time. LPAR's obviously have different challenges for data copy but using an image catalog between LPAR's is a very good option (You can mount an image catalog across different LPAR's).

          Chris...

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          • #6
            Re: Test Enviornment

            I have little experience with IASP but from what I know they have the sysbase asp, then they have iasp1 which has all the production data and programs. From what I understand we could take a copy of iasp1 every night and then use that for testing the next day. The challenges I see is that they don't have enough disk to just make an exact copy and then when needing fresh data how to get it during the day. Can you do a cpyf from one iasp to another?

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            • #7
              Re: Test Enviornment

              Yes you can copy data between *SYSBAS and iASP using CPYF etc. As I have said the restriction will be in the library name, it cannot exist in *SYSBAS and an iASP at the same time. Also I am using *SYSBAS to mean ASP's 1 - 32. Most never use ASP anymore as they want the OS to manage all data as a single entity, it was suggested at one time to put things like Journal Receivers in an ASP so a single disk could contiguously store the data, I never agreed with that position. The iASP has additional requirements over an ASP which you need to be aware of as well. I think iASP has some great attributes that when used effectively offer a number of cool possibilities, but having a disk(s) isolated from the others can also be wastefull (My iASP are 0.03% utilized but the *SYSBAS disks are 65% utilized as they have the OS on them :-)). Just to add another comment, you can have the same library existing in different iASPs just not in *SYSBAS and an iASP at the same time..

              Chris...

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              • #8
                Re: Test Enviornment

                Chris,

                Good to know - in my narrow minded view of the world, if I were to do this - I'd put production and test in different iASPs - that way there would never be a clash - and put image catalog in system ASP that could be used by either one - or simply restore from tape onto the test iASP as needed.

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