The APPLY command is used to cause SMP/E to install the elements supplied by a SYSMOD into the operating (or target) system libraries. The APPLY process:

• Selects SYSMODs present in the global zone and applicable to the specified target system
• Makes sure all other required SYSMODs have either been applied or are being applied concurrently
• Selects the elements from those SYSMODs on the basis of the functional and service level of those elements in the target system and the relationship between the SYSMODs being installed, making sure that the installation of another SYSMOD does not cause any current service to regress
• Calls system utilities to install the elements into the target system libraries
• Records the functional and service levels of the new elements in the target zone
• Records the application of the SYSMOD in the target zone
• Performs cross-zone processing
• Updates the SYSMOD entries in the global zone
• Creates, when library change file recording is in effect, records that reflect any successful utility work performed by APPLY processing to update target libraries. For more information about library change file recording, see SMP/E for z/OS Reference.

The APPLY process is controlled by:

• The information in the target zone reflecting the status and structure of the target system libraries
• Information on the SYSMODs indicating their applicability
• Information in the OPTIONS and UTILITY entries
• Operands on the user's APPLY command