Printing Assistant for Landscapes (PAL) and system copy

[Private_Member_7726]

Hi,

The following picture illustrates our current landscape (blue arrows indicate transport paths; red - possible system copy activities):

The only system, which is never a target for system copy, is production (PROD), in other words...

According to Note 2085195, a system copy target system can be used as new PAL Central System after adjusting it using report SPCPC_SYSTEM_COPY_TOOL.

The answer I don't find in PAL documentation or Note is: assuming DEV1 was a Central System and DEV2 its Target System, after system copy DEV1->DEV2 and running SPCPC_SYSTEM_COPY_TOOL, would I also be able to remove DEV2 as PAL Target System on DEV2 somehow? If yes - how?

Furthermore, DEV1 remaining intact, would I still be able to deliver PAL printers from DEV1 to DEV2, if need be? Or in other words, could a Central System itself be a Target System of another PAL Central System...?

Or, would it be better to never define DEVs as PAL Target Systems, and if need be, deliver new output devices and device types between them using "conventional" means like transport or upload?

Thank you and cheers,

Janis

[Private_Member_7726]

It looks like it's not a good idea to set either of the DEVx system as PAL target if the other is used as central system - for several reasons:

1) if DEV1 is central, after delivering PAL Printers to DEV2, one still can define the same devices as PAL printers in DEV2 for distribution back to DEV1 (if "PAL printer flag" is removed in DEV2 using Program SPCPC_UNSET_PAL_FLAG_CLIENT). The distribution of DEV2 into DEV1, however, is not possible (Error message "Printer xxxx is already maintained by Central System DEV1"):

Meaning DEV1->DEV2 distribution would be possible; DEV2->QA2 too, but it makes no sense, because we might as well simply do DEV1->QA2.

2) two potential "source Systems" for printer changes can get confusing anyway.

This question:

assuming DEV1 was a Central System and DEV2 its Target System, after system copy DEV1->DEV2 and running SPCPC_SYSTEM_COPY_TOOL, would I also be able to remove DEV2 as PAL Target System on DEV2 somehow?

remains to be tested and will be tested, but we will not be using PAL to deliver printers between DEVx systems.

If we will use PAL at all, there will be just one Central System for setting up and changing printers (that on which we develop the current release; the source of system copy to other development system when release goes productive), and the development system for maintenance of previous release will be updated, if need be, using conventional transports.

cheers

Janis

[Private_Member_7726]

The answer to this question:

assuming DEV1 was a Central System and DEV2 its Target System, after system copy DEV1->DEV2 and running SPCPC_SYSTEM_COPY_TOOL, would I also be able to remove DEV2 as PAL Target System on DEV2 somehow?

is: yes, one can easily delete unnecessary system from PAL setup manually.

If the Basis has procedures for saving/importing printers on system copy target, this step needs to be skipped when performing copy from PAL central system.

cheers

Janis