For what duration do the one-off need to be deployed? (4300538)

One-off binaries are those provided to a customer that is not a part of standard offering in the product. They may be created to address a bug, do some testing of a concept, debug an issue, among others. This solution addresses the question of how long such one-off need to be run in one’s environment.

General information.

Depending on the purpose of one-off, the deployment can be for a long or short duration.  This solution delves on various scenarios for which a one-off is provided and the suggested duration of its deployment:

Bug fixes:  A one-off that addresses a bug needs to be deployed till that bug is addressed in a future version of Shareplex. Once such version comes into existence, Shareplex can be upgraded in one’s environment so that the one-off is replaced by the binary that incorporates the fix for that bug. Shareplex Release Notes for newer versions need to be referenced to ascertain if the bug/defect has been addressed. If in doubt, contact Shareplex Support who can check on this. Depending on when the fix is incorporated in new version of Shareplex, such one-off may need to be deployed for long period and during such time it may not be advisable to upgrade Shareplex (since the binary from the upgraded Shareplex will overwrite the one-off) unless one is willing to forego the bug fix.

Debug one-off: At times the one-off is provided to try to find the root cause of the issue. The deployment of such one-offs is short lived and once the root cause is determined, a one-off is usually provided to address the problem. Usually the Support or Development will keep the customer posted on when to remove the debug one-off and replace it with a one-off that fixes the bug or replace it with the original binary if no bugs are found.  Such one-offs may or may not have inherent capability to set the debug flags on the parameters associated with the process in question. In case of latter, the debug parameters have to be unset once the one-off is removed.  The instructions for setting/unsetting debug parameters are provided by Support when such debug one-off is delivered.

Customized one-off: Sometimes a one-off is provided that contains customized features not found in the standard product. This usually happens on the instance of Product Management, Development or Support Escalation when an Enhancement Request is submitted and is granted. Unless the feature(s) make it to the mainstream product, it is advisable to keep running Shareplex with the customized one-off and not upgrade (unless willing to do away with such features).

Test one-off:  At times a one-off is created to test a proof of concept and it does not involve addressing of bug or troubleshooting. Such one-off are usually removed on the advice of Development/Support shortly after the test results are determined. Their deployment tends to be short lived.

When in doubt about the duration of deployment of a one-off, feel free to contact Support for further clarification.