Sunday, July 29, 2007
Part 1: who does what?
Last fall, a new application was released. We've been getting hits on the MQ server dead letter queue ever since then. These are usually indicative of serious system problems.
It took me a while to capture one of the bad messages because they would expire so quickly. With the help of a developer, we figured out that the message was too big for the mainframe backend. Who builds a system without edits for this? A vendor, of course.
In May, I opened a trouble ticket for the application area on the problem after a spate of pages (best practice says I have to monitor the DLQ). I am hoping for some kind of quick fix here. The ticket gets assigned to a BA who involves the lead developer who involves the application/system architect. He gives us some background info and outlines three activities. One of them looks likes a quick fix so I create an assignment for my mainframe counterpart. He promptly rejects it saying that the application developers have to be involved. Doh! I forward him the email with the three activities, but he replies that someone must confirm that the message length can be changed on the backend without impact.
By this time, the application/system architect has left on a lengthy vacation. I ask him to check the application after his return. He says it's not his job! Quoi? He tells me that it belongs to the application developer. But this is a mainframe developer not the frontend developer that the BA involved. The mainframe developer spends a day looking at the program and tells me that the message will be arbitrarily truncated, i.e. there is no quick fix. I waited just over three months for this answer, and I don't understand why the BA or the frontend developer didn't just talk to their mainframe counterpart.
D.
It took me a while to capture one of the bad messages because they would expire so quickly. With the help of a developer, we figured out that the message was too big for the mainframe backend. Who builds a system without edits for this? A vendor, of course.
In May, I opened a trouble ticket for the application area on the problem after a spate of pages (best practice says I have to monitor the DLQ). I am hoping for some kind of quick fix here. The ticket gets assigned to a BA who involves the lead developer who involves the application/system architect. He gives us some background info and outlines three activities. One of them looks likes a quick fix so I create an assignment for my mainframe counterpart. He promptly rejects it saying that the application developers have to be involved. Doh! I forward him the email with the three activities, but he replies that someone must confirm that the message length can be changed on the backend without impact.
By this time, the application/system architect has left on a lengthy vacation. I ask him to check the application after his return. He says it's not his job! Quoi? He tells me that it belongs to the application developer. But this is a mainframe developer not the frontend developer that the BA involved. The mainframe developer spends a day looking at the program and tells me that the message will be arbitrarily truncated, i.e. there is no quick fix. I waited just over three months for this answer, and I don't understand why the BA or the frontend developer didn't just talk to their mainframe counterpart.
D.
Monday, July 16, 2007
A week away
My son and I left for the cottage Sunday afternoon, an hour later than planned. My husband had gone up the day before with his dog. Then we had to stop at the drunken neighbour's to take the tin can collars off my pumpkin plants. We made good time, but stopped in town to pick up a few groceries and a fishing pole. We got to the Liquor Store just as they were locking the doors so I didn't get any sweetener for my morning coffee. Then, it was off to Mr. Sub for the traditional cottage arrival dinner.
My daughter and her boyfriend pulled in right after us at the cottage. Her dog was already ensconced in the cottage. They had gotten hungry waiting for us and went into town to get some food to cook, but they ate their sub instead. My guys went fishing after having something to eat. They came in early because of an electrical storm. We had a belated birthday celebration for my husband. I was just finishing my cake and ice cream when the power went out after a lightning strike close by. The power woke me up when it came back on at 1:30 in the morning.
After a leisurely breakfast of birthday cake and coffee the next morning, I went into town to do some real shopping. My daughter and her boyfriend had already left on a day trip to Ottawa. My husband was talking to the neighbour's son-in-law when I left. He must have found a kindred spirit because they were still talking when I got back with my husband's belated birthday supper (KFC) three hours later. We were all hungry so we ate in the middle of the afternoon. Everyone had a nap except me.
My husband packed up and left with his dog the next morning. He had caught a three foot pike so he went home happy. I spent the day baking and cooking. My mother came out that night for turkey supper with all the trimmings. She couldn't understand why we would be having turkey in the middle of summer (nice for a change and on sale at PriceChopper), but she enjoyed it even though it wasn't one of my best efforts. We had lemon-lime meringue pie for dessert.
A little after 11 p.m. that night, the power was knocked out again by another electrical storm. It was out until 10 the next morning so my daughter took her boyfriend into town for breakfast. Then they went out to the old Dorset Ranger Tower. The boyfriend said that the wind was just howling when they climbed it. They packed up and left that afternoon. She had caught a 16/17" pike so I think she went home happy.
My son and I were on our own after that. We had BBQ'd hamburgers for dinner which spoiled the fowl or takeout trend for the week. I worked on my DR report for work after supper, and he was doing something on our laptop. It was a thoroughly enjoyable quiet evening in. I had asked him if he wanted to go to a movie, but his stomach was a little wonky.
Thursday morning, he asked me to wake him up early so he could go fishing. I did and went back to bed. A few minutes later, there was a knock at my bedroom door. He couldn't find one of the rowing oars. Yikes! It had fallen out of the mount during the night (the lake was really rough at times with the wind). Thank God, I found it floating by the shoreline half under the dock. I picked up my mother just before noon, and we went to a lunch hour recital by a mezzo soprano. I enjoyed it but my mother wasn't impressed. Then we went out for lunch at Swiss Chalet, but I had perogis. Mom came out later for leftover hot turkey sandwiches that night.
We spent Friday morning cleaning and packing up. Once again, we were an hour later leaving than planned. We stopped at the small local grocery to pick up a sirloin steak for my husband (the proprietor cuts her own meat). We went home by way of the Ranger Tower, and my son goaded me into climbing the stupid thing. It must be seven or eight stories high (I paid a price for it the next day). My husband had beans & wienies planned for supper when we got home.
D.
My daughter and her boyfriend pulled in right after us at the cottage. Her dog was already ensconced in the cottage. They had gotten hungry waiting for us and went into town to get some food to cook, but they ate their sub instead. My guys went fishing after having something to eat. They came in early because of an electrical storm. We had a belated birthday celebration for my husband. I was just finishing my cake and ice cream when the power went out after a lightning strike close by. The power woke me up when it came back on at 1:30 in the morning.
After a leisurely breakfast of birthday cake and coffee the next morning, I went into town to do some real shopping. My daughter and her boyfriend had already left on a day trip to Ottawa. My husband was talking to the neighbour's son-in-law when I left. He must have found a kindred spirit because they were still talking when I got back with my husband's belated birthday supper (KFC) three hours later. We were all hungry so we ate in the middle of the afternoon. Everyone had a nap except me.
My husband packed up and left with his dog the next morning. He had caught a three foot pike so he went home happy. I spent the day baking and cooking. My mother came out that night for turkey supper with all the trimmings. She couldn't understand why we would be having turkey in the middle of summer (nice for a change and on sale at PriceChopper), but she enjoyed it even though it wasn't one of my best efforts. We had lemon-lime meringue pie for dessert.
A little after 11 p.m. that night, the power was knocked out again by another electrical storm. It was out until 10 the next morning so my daughter took her boyfriend into town for breakfast. Then they went out to the old Dorset Ranger Tower. The boyfriend said that the wind was just howling when they climbed it. They packed up and left that afternoon. She had caught a 16/17" pike so I think she went home happy.
My son and I were on our own after that. We had BBQ'd hamburgers for dinner which spoiled the fowl or takeout trend for the week. I worked on my DR report for work after supper, and he was doing something on our laptop. It was a thoroughly enjoyable quiet evening in. I had asked him if he wanted to go to a movie, but his stomach was a little wonky.
Thursday morning, he asked me to wake him up early so he could go fishing. I did and went back to bed. A few minutes later, there was a knock at my bedroom door. He couldn't find one of the rowing oars. Yikes! It had fallen out of the mount during the night (the lake was really rough at times with the wind). Thank God, I found it floating by the shoreline half under the dock. I picked up my mother just before noon, and we went to a lunch hour recital by a mezzo soprano. I enjoyed it but my mother wasn't impressed. Then we went out for lunch at Swiss Chalet, but I had perogis. Mom came out later for leftover hot turkey sandwiches that night.
We spent Friday morning cleaning and packing up. Once again, we were an hour later leaving than planned. We stopped at the small local grocery to pick up a sirloin steak for my husband (the proprietor cuts her own meat). We went home by way of the Ranger Tower, and my son goaded me into climbing the stupid thing. It must be seven or eight stories high (I paid a price for it the next day). My husband had beans & wienies planned for supper when we got home.
D.
Labels: vacation
