1) What should I do to prepare for the upgrade? Before running the upgrade make sure you read over the V6R1 Memo to Users that comes with the upgrade material. You will need to perform the prerequisite tasks as outlined in the upgrade instructions. You should perform at least 1 full system save (IBM recommends 2) before running the upgrade process.

Also, I always run WRKDSKSTS before starting. Press F11 once you run the command and make sure all disks are active. If you have a drive in a FAILED or DEGRADED status contact IBM support. Running the upgrade with a failed or degraded drive can severly impact the upgrade's performance.

Another tip is to run the command SYSINFO and print off this screen. It lists some common information about your system that you may need when calling IBM support.

Lastly, before running the upgrade, type the command INZTAP and press F4. Make note of the value for Tape Density and press F12 to cancel out of the command. If the value is anything other that *DEVTYPE, you will need to reset it once the upgrade is complete using the command CHGCMDDFT CMD(INZTAP) NEWDFT('density(<your_value>)') where <your value> equals the original value - normally *CTGTYPE.

2) Is the Dancik software V6R1 compliant? Dancik Enterprise Solution is compliant with updates 3990, 3992, and 4108 applied.

3) I've found objects in libraries OLD@OBJECT, WRKDBF, DOD12P, CS, or Q.LIB that will not convert; do I need them? OLD@OBJECT is a repository of Dancik objects replaced by an upgrade. The other libraries are obsolete and no longer in use. You can delete the objects in library OLD@OBJECT that are not compliant, however make sure you don't delete the entire library. The other libraries may be deleted altogether. If you run across any other libraries, give us a call and we'll take a look.

4) Do I need to do anything special before running the STROBJCVN command at the end of the upgrade? Before converting your objects, make sure you set System Value QMAXSPLF to '999999' - the maximum it will go. When the command is complete, set the value back to the default of 9999.

5) My system is running slow after the upgrade; is this normal? Chances are any initial slowness can be attributed to object conversions in the IFS. This lag should last no more than a few hours. If the problem is persistent, it may indicate some other type of problem.

6) How long will the upgrade take? That depends on several factors including the speed of your system, the size and quantity of disk and memory, and number of objects on your system. For comparison, our model 520 with 6GB of memory and 500GB of disk took approximately 5.5 hours from beginning to end.

7) Where can I go for help? IBM technical support is available to answer any questions you may have with the upgrade process. Call 1-800-IBM-SERV and take the option for software support.