home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
ftp.robelle3000.ai 2014
/
2014.06.ftp.robelle3000.ai.tar
/
ftp.robelle3000.ai
/
newsletter
/
2001
/
w2001-02.txt
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
2001-03-11
|
18KB
|
447 lines
What's Up, DOCumentation? 2001 # 2
March 2001
From:
* Bob Green, President
* Mike Shumko, Editor
To: Users of Robelle Software
Re: News of the HP e3000 and Robelle, 2001 #2
What You Will Find in This Newsletter:
* Ecometry Corp. Selects Qedit for Windows
* Suprtool Case Study: Chartway
* HP's New N-Class and A-Class Servers
+ Robelle Tests the New Servers
+ Unlimited Licenses on A and N-Class
+ New Servers Have 128GB Files
* What to Tell a Newcomer?
+ TurboIMAGE Casserole
+ e3000 Basics: Learning MPE/iX
+ e3000 Web Sites: SearchHP
+ Searchable 3000 FAQ
* Improvements to Robelle Website
* Calendar of Events
* Replace Quiz Links With Faster Suprtool
* Suprtool Tip: Update From a Table
* What Is That Funny Red Bar?
* Newsletter Distribution and Format Choices
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ecometry Corp. Selects Qedit for Windows
========================================
Ecometry Corporation has adopted Qedit for Windows Client/Server Editor
for internal use across three core departments. A site license enables
Ecometry's programming team to use Qedit for Windows as the tool of
choice for source code development. The Client Services group will be
using Qedit for Windows to create and modify job streams and Suprtool
scripts for customers. Qedit for Windows will also be used by
Ecometry's Customer Training team in Delray Beach, Florida, to provide
customers taking classes with a modern interface to HP e3000 files.
Ecometry Corp.'s purchase of Qedit for Windows echoes the growing
popularity of this easy-to-use client/server editor within Ecometry's
client base. Over the last year, nearly twenty customers have adopted
Qedit for Windows, including recent purchases by Lego Systems, Inc.,
Urban Outfitters, and Design within Reach, to name a few.
Related stories and links:
* Ecometry section of Robelle website
http://www.robelle.com/ecometry/.
* Qedit for Windows
http://www.robelle.com/products/qwin/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Suprtool Case Study: Chartway
=============================
Nicky Gunther, Robelle account rep and marketer, has done some research
on Chartway Federal Credit Union, a user of the Summit application suite
and Robelle's Suprtool.
Recently, there was a marketing initiative at Chartway to make debit
card service available to more members. A mass mailing campaign was
targeted to members whose profiles matched the following criteria:
current ATM card user, direct deposit from employer, and average daily
checking balance greater than $500.
Suprtool's powerful selection criteria allowed them to select records
from one dataset (e.g., members with ATM cards) to use in qualifying
records in another dataset (e.g., members who receive direct deposit).
With Suprtool, this process was very efficient because the serial read
of a dataset with Suprtool is far faster than trying to link each record
by key value.
The next step was to actually create the debit cards. This process is
normally done interactively through two separate screens in the Spectrum
application, one to collect the ACTH record (name of the card holder)
and one to collect the ATEX record (limits on the card).
Instead, Suprtool was used to do the selections (i.e., which members to
give cards to) and build the input values for the ACTH and ATEX records.
Then Suprtool formatted the data into the layout expected by the Summit
program. Chartway then created 30,000 cards in three batches of 10,000
each, automating the card-making process by feeding the Suprtool-
generated input files into the card application.
Read the full case study at http://www.robelle.com/tips/chartway.html.
[Nicky Gunther, Robelle Sales and Marketing]
----------------------------------------------------------------------
HP's New N-Class and A-Class Servers
====================================
The HP e3000 A-class server is small, fast and inexpensive. It offers up
to 65 percent more performance than previous entry-level e3000 servers
and is available with 110 or 140 MHz processors, up to 2-way multi-
processing, and supports up to 8 GB of memory.
The N-class server is a fast, affordable, mid-range and high-end system
with up to 35 percent more power than its highest performing predecessor
-- the 12-way 997 server. It offers 220, 330, 440 and 550 MHz
processors, up to 4-way multi-processing, and supports up to 16 GB of
memory.
Related stories and links:
* HP press release
http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/01feb01a.htm
* 3kworld Cheat Sheet, with highlights of the new technology
http://www.3kworld.com/newsroom.asp?appmode=itemDetail&news_PK=2977
* HP e3000 Advisor article by Winston Prather quoting Neil Armstrong
http://www.mpeixservers.hp.com/advisor/current/prather.html
Robelle Tests the New Servers
-----------------------------
By Neil Armstrong, Robelle Senior Programmer
In December 2000, I had the opportunity to test the new N-class servers
on MPE/iX 7.0. These new N-class servers (and the smaller A-class
servers) have the new PCI hardware, and much of the underlying IO layer
has been re-written to support this new hardware.
I installed our test suites and ran all of our tests in a fraction of
the time it takes to run our test suites in our lab at our home office
in Surrey BC. This was done without changes to our software, a
recompile, nothing.
The NM version of our test suite typically takes 80 minutes on a 968 LX
with no users. On the new 440 MHz N-Class server I was using the test
suite took only 15 minutes.
This is a huge time savings.
I did some custom tests extracting 5GB of data, sorting and outputting
the data. While watching the process with Glance I saw IO rates
exceeding 400 IO's per second. Previous to this testing, the highest
rates that I saw on a customer's 997-4 way was approximately 95 IO's per
second. The N-class testing was done with the files "fflushed" from
memory to ensure that we stressed the IO subsystem as much as possible.
One of the most impressive tests was the reading and output of a 5GB
dataset, with the comparison a 10 byte key value using Suprtool's Table
feature, with all 5GB of data selected. It was done in 6 minutes 38
seconds. With the faster memory and processors of late the new PCI IO
brings IO rates more in line or balanced with the system as a whole.
These were some of the fastest HP e3000 servers I have ever seen, and
this new technology extends the performance curve beyond anything I had
ever imagined for the HP e3000.
[Neil Armstrong, Robelle Senior Programmer]
Unlimited Licenses on A and N-Class
-----------------------------------
Ron Seybold of the 3000 Newswire has written about the licensing on HP's
new A-class and N-class servers. HP has pressed Reset on their pricing
and now allows unlimited users on any new server. Read Ron's article on
3kworld at
http://www.3kworld.com/newsroom.asp?appmode=itemDetail&news_PK=2979,
with additional news on unbundling of Allbase, phased introduction of
MPE/iX 7.0, and Enhydra.
New Servers Have 128GB Files
----------------------------
3kworld.com is carrying a report at
http://3kworld.com/newsroom.asp?appmode=itemDetail&news_PK=2998 from the
3000 Newswire that the first release of MPE/iX for the new N and A-Class
servers will expand the maximum file size from 4GB to 128GB. Originally,
this was scheduled for a later release.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
What to Tell a Newcomer?
========================
People who have never used the HP e3000 are often overwhelmed when an
e3000 is dropped on their desk to support (in addition to the PC
network, AS/400 and UNIX boxes they already support). There are a lot of
links to e3000 material on the web (see our About the e3000 page at
http://www.robelle.com/support/hp3000.html for example), but which are
the best pages for newcomers, and in what order?
We are putting together a "New to the 3000" web page, so send your
suggestions and ideas to bgreen@robelle.com
TurboIMAGE Casserole
--------------------
The full title of this tutorial is "TurboIMAGE Casserole: A Careful Mix
of Design and Maintenance". Author Brian Duncombe of Triolet Systems has
created a good introduction to IMAGE database design and performance
improvement, including sample output from Robelle's HowMessy utility.
The tutorial is especially for users who may not have the ability to
change the application source code or the database design. Read the
paper in PDF format at http://www.triolet.com/library/T135.pdf.
e3000 Basics: Learning MPE/iX
-----------------------------
Allegro Consultants, Inc, creators of numerous technical tools for the
e3000, have a nice page for newcomers at
http://allegro.com/papers/learnmpe.html, with links to learning
resources that are either internal to the e3000 system or available on
the Internet.
e3000 Web Sites: SearchHP
-------------------------
SearchHP (http://www.searchhp.com/) is a search engine for information
about HP computers, both MPE/iX and HP-UX. Their Editor's Pick of Best
HP e3000 sites at
http://searchhp.techtarget.com/searchHP_Editors_Picks_Page/0,1016,3a,00.
html is wide-ranging and useful.
Related stories and links:
* More e3000 links
http://www.robelle.com/support/hp3000.html
Searchable 3000 FAQ
-------------------
FAQ stands for Frequently Asked Questions and if you are new to the HP
e3000, you probably are asking many of them right now. QSS has taken the
3000 FAQ from 3k.com and put a search engine on top of it. Very nice,
give it a try at http://qwebs.qss.com/faq3k.html and search for all
references to Robelle.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Improvements to Robelle Website
===============================
The Robelle website has a number of new customer service areas which can
help you manage your account and interact with Robelle. These include
* Update your account contacts or CPU information
http://www.robelle.com/forms/updaccount.html
* Request a demo of Suprtool
http://www.robelle.com/forms/info-st.html
* Request a demo of host-based Qedit
http://www.robelle.com/forms/info-qed.html
* Request a demo of Qedit for Windows
http://www.robelle.com/products/qwin/info.html
* Report a bug
http://www.robelle.com/forms/bugreport.html
* Request an enhancement
http://www.robelle.com/forms/enhancements.html
* Change your newsletter subscription options
http://www.robelle.com/forms/wudsubscribe.html
The Robelle website continues to provide you with new news items every
day. Much of the content of this newsletter was taken from the front
page headlines of the Robelle website. If you have been checking the
website frequently then you're already up to date with what's happening
in the HP e3000 world!
If you make the Robelle website your home page, you'll always be up to
date. (Internet Explorer tip: go to http://www.robelle.com/, click the
Tools menu, click Internet Options, then click Use Current.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Calendar of Events
==================
Date Event
March 11-14 CAMUS International 2001 conference
http://www.camus.org/newsite/
June 17-20 Ecometry World Conference 2001
http://wc2001.ecometry.com/
August 20-24 HP World 2001 Conference and Expo
http://www.interex.org/conference/hpworld2001/index.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Replace Quiz Links With Faster Suprtool
=======================================
To select the intersection of two files, standard reporting programs
such as Quiz rely on linking the two files together. For example, to
report sales generated by California customers, your Quiz code would
look like this:
> access m-customer link to d-sales
> select m-customer if state-code = "CA"
> report product-no sales-qty ....
> ....etc
The customer file is accessed only for purposes of qualifying which
sales records should be selected. Quiz retrieves the D-Sales records
via keyed reads for each Cust-Account value, so D-Sales records are
grouped by Cust-Account, though not necessarily in Cust-Account
sequence. If the report should be in Cust-Account sequence, you need to
add a sort to the above commands.
This could be done more efficiently by using Suprtool's special scan and
search features. To find out how, read the rest of Hans Hendriks'
article at http://www.robelle.com/support/suprtool/qztable.html.
[Hans Hendriks, Robelle Technical Support]
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Suprtool Tip: Update From a Table
=================================
One common database maintenance task is a simple mass update: read a
data file with two fields, where the first field is a key value, and the
second field is a new value for a particular field in the record.
Suprtool does not currently have a command for this operation. However,
there is another way to do it: transform the data file into a Suprtool
script and then execute the script.
In this example, the DATAFILE is a self-describing file with two fields.
The first field is a numeric field and is called KEYVALUE which is a
product-id. The second field is a character field and is called NEWVALUE
which is the new product description to update. You would create this
file from some other data source, using the Output,Link Command in
Suprtool to make it self-describing (i.e., it has an internal data
dictionary defining the fields). Our DATABASE has a DATASET containing a
PRODUCT-ID and a PRODUCT-DESC. For each PRODUCT-ID value in our DATAFILE
(the KEYVALUEs), we want to replace the PRODUCT-DESC in the DATABASE
with the corresponding NEWVALUE from the DATAFILE.
For each record in the DATAFILE, the CMDFILE script that is generated
contains four Suprtool commands: Chain to retrieve a record by keyvalue,
Update to update the selected record, Extract to replace the value of
the second field with the new value, and Xeq to perform the task. Of
course, you would modify the bold names in this example to match your
file, dataset, and field names.
Note that extra quotation marks have to be extracted for character
fields.
base DATABASE
in DATAFILE
ext 'chain DATASET, PRODUCT-ID=', KEYVALUE
ext ';update ciupdate'
ext ';extract PRODUCT-DESC="', NEWVALUE, '"'
ext ';xeq'
out CMDFILE
xeq
use CMDFILE
[Dave Lo, Robelle Technical Support]
Related stories and links:
* Mass updates with Suprtool:
http://www.robelle.com/support/suprtool/massupdates2.html
* Using Dbedit for mass updates
http://www.robelle.com/support/suprtool/massupdates.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------
What Is That Funny Red Bar?
===========================
In Qedit For Windows, you will see a small red bar at the top of the
vertical scroll bar, and at the left of the horizontal scroll bar. This
is the split bar or Splitter. It allows you to divide the current window
into two or more independently scrolling views of the same file. Great
for debugging, where you put the data declarations in one pane while you
scroll through the code in another.
To use the splitter, grab it with your mouse and drag it down or across.
When you release the mouse, your window will be divided at that spot.
The yellow line tells you that the two panes are actually the same file.
Of course, windows can get only so small; while you are dragging the
splitter, Qedit shows a dotted double line if the window won't fit and a
solid double line if it will.
To unsplit, just drag the yellow back to the edge, or double click on
it. To split a window exactly in half, just double click on the splitter
bar (no need to drag it). You can split horizontally or vertically.
Instead of the red splitter, you can also use the Split Window command
on the Window menu.
[Bob Green, President]
Related stories and links:
* More tips about Qedit for Windows
http://www.robelle.com/tips/qwin.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsletter Distribution and Format Choices
==========================================
Robelle Solutions Technology Inc. provides the What's Up, DOCumentation?
newsletter as a service to our customers. You are receiving this
newsletter because you registered for What's Up Doc with Robelle. If you
would like to unsubscribe from this publication, or are receiving this
in error, please send an e-mail message to admin@robelle.com.
The e-mail newsletter is available by e-mail in HTML, plain-text, or PDF
formats. To subscribe or to change your subscription option, please go
to the subscription form at
http://www.robelle.com/forms/wudsubscribe.html.
What's Up Doc is archived on the web at
http://www.robelle.com/library/newsletter/.
Comments about this issue, as well as ideas for future issues, including
news, tips, and suggestions for articles, can be sent to
bgreen@robelle.com.
Newsletter Copyright 2001 Robelle Solutions Technology Inc.
Suprtool and Qedit are trademarks of Robelle Solutions Technology Inc.
----------------------------------------------------------------------