++HOLD MCS

Operands

CATEGORY

a 1- to 64-character string that specifies a Fix Category. There can be one or more Fix Category values. A Fix Category value associates the reason ID APAR to a particular category of fixes. A Fix Category might be used to identify a group of APAR fixes required to support a particular hardware device, or to provide a particular software capability, similar to how a Preventive Service Planning Bucket (PSP-Bucket) identifies a group of APARs. Examples of Fix Categories used by IBM® are

IBM.Device.2094.z/OS

and

IBM.HealthChecker.

The Fix Category values are used during RECEIVE command processing to create source IDs for the SYSMODs that will resolve the specified reason ID APAR. During APPLY and ACCEPT command processing the Fix Category values are used to determine if the HOLDDATA is applicable to the current command by comparing the values in the HOLDDATA to those in the active Fix Category interest list. The active Fix Category interest list is specified on the APPLY and ACCEPT command, or within the active OPTIONS entry.

A category value might contain any nonblank character in the range X'41' - X'FE' except single quotation mark ('), asterisk (*), percent (%), comma (,), left parenthesis ((), and right parenthesis ()).

CLASS

a 1- to 7-character string indicating an alternative reason to release an exception SYSMOD for processing. A class name is specified along with a reason ID to identify a condition when the reason ID need not be resolved. The same class name can be specified on any number of ++HOLD statements in any number of SYSMODs.

These are the specific values currently used by IBM:

Class

Explanation

ERREL

The SYSMOD is held for an error reason ID but should be installed anyway. IBM has determined that the problem the SYSMOD resolves is significantly more critical than the error reflected by the holding APAR.

HIPER

The SYSMOD is held with a hold class of HIPER (High Impact)

PE

The SYSMOD is held with a hold class of PTF in Error.

SECINT

The reason ID SYSMOD identifies a fix for a security or integrity error. HOLDDATA for security or integrity fixes is available through the z Systems Security Portal. Information on registration and accessing the z Systems Security Portal is available at Enterprise security. If you are already registered you can link directly to the IBM Resource Link® Security Alerts.

UCLREL

UCLIN needed for the SYSMOD has been handled by IBM and no longer requires your attention.

YR2000

Identifies PTFs that provide Year 2000 function, or fix a Year 2000-related problem.

For additional information, see Naming conventions for HOLD reason IDs and HOLD classes.

COMMENT(text)

free-form text to be used to describe the problem identified by the REASON operand. The comments supplied are associated only with the reason ID supplied. The comments can be in single-byte characters (such as English alphanumeric characters) or double-byte characters (such as Kanji).

COMMENT(Enhanced HOLDDATA)

contains IBM–supplied Enhanced HOLDDATA, as follows:

SMRTDATA

indicates that the COMMENT operand contains Enhanced HOLDDATA.

CHGDT

specifies the date that the ++HOLD statement was last updated with Enhanced HOLDDATA. The date is specified as yymmdd, where yy is the last two digits of the year, mm is the month and dd is the date of the month.

FIX

identifies the SYSMOD that resolves the held SYSMOD.

SYMP

contains a description of the hold. The description might include symbols representing symptoms of the problem, a description of the problem in text form, or a combination of both. The symbols that represent symptoms identify how the problem affects the held SYSMOD.

Here is a list of symbols that might appear and their meanings. For a complete list of the symbols, see Enhanced HOLDDATA for z/OS.

DAL

Data loss

DST2007

Daylight Saving Time support

EURO99

Euro currency symbol support

FUL

Major function loss

IPL

System outage (Requires IPL)

PRF

Performance

PRV

Pervasive

SYSPLXDS

SYSPLEX data sharing

XSYS

Cross-system migration, compatibility, or toleration

YR2000

Year 2000

Bn.n, Tn.n

The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Base and Temporal scores for the identified security or integrity fix. Further information about CVSS and a guide to scoring can be found on the FIRST (Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams web site. Additional information is available at IBM System z Security Portal FAQ.

Only the first 57 characters of the SYMP field will be displayed in the Exception SYSMOD Report generated by the REPORT ERRSYSMODS command. Parentheses can be used within the field, but they must be matched pairs.

DATE

specifies the date that the ++HOLD statement was generated. The date is specified as yyddd, where yy is the last two digits of the year and ddd is the Julian date.

ERROR, FIXCAT, SYSTEM, or USER

specifies the hold category into which the SYSMOD is to be put. At least one of the values must be specified.

ERROR

An APAR reported an error in the SYSMOD. The SYSMOD should not be applied or accepted until the APAR is resolved. A PTF held for this reason is also called a program error PTF, or PE-PTF. SMP/E automatically resolves the APAR and allows the SYSMOD to be applied or accepted when a SYSMOD that either matches or supersedes the APAR is also applied or accepted. Error holds can be read only from the SMPHOLD data set.

Note: ERROR can also be specified as ERR.

FIXCAT

An APAR provides a fix for the held SYSMOD and the fix is associated with one or more Fix Categories. It is optional whether the APAR will affect processing for the held SYSMOD, based on the APAR's Fix Categories and the Fix Categories of interest specified by the user. If any one or more Fix Categories for the APAR match any of those of interest to the user, then the held SYSMOD will not be applied or accepted until the APAR is resolved. The APAR is resolved when a SYSMOD that matches the APAR name, or a SYSMOD that supersedes the APAR, is applied or accepted. FIXCAT holds can be read only from the SMPHOLD data set.

See the FIXCAT operand for APPLY and ACCEPT command processing for details of specifying the Fix Categories of interest.

SYSTEM

Special action outside normal SMP/E processing is required for the SYSMOD. Examples are SYSMODs requiring a SYSGEN after they are installed, or SYSMODs requiring the installation of an associated engineering change (EC) level. System holds can appear in the SYSMOD itself or in the SMPHOLD data set.

Note: SYSTEM can also be specified as SYS.

USER

The SYSMOD requires special processing because of a decision you have made. User holds can be read only from the SMPHOLD data set.

FMID

specifies the FMID to which the held SYSMOD is applicable. For external HOLDDATA (a ++HOLD statement not within a SYSMOD), this information allows SMP/E to receive only those statements associated with FMIDs defined in the user's global zone. This operand is required.

REASON

a 1- to 7-character string used to help users identify the reason why the SYSMOD is being put into exception SYSMOD status. The reason IDs that can be specified depend on the type of hold.

Note: A SYSMOD can contain only one ++HOLD MCS for each required reason ID.

• An error reason ID is the APAR number that caused the SYSMOD to be placed in exception status.
• A system reason ID identifies some special processing the SYSMOD requires. Although SMP/E accepts any 1- to 7-character alphanumeric string as a system reason ID, these are the values currently used by IBM on ++HOLD statements:

  ID

  Explanation

  ACTION

  The SYSMOD needs special handling before or during APPLY processing, ACCEPT processing, or both.

  AO

  The SYSMOD may require action to change automated operations procedures and associated data sets and user exits in products or in customer applications. The PTF cover letter describes any changes (such as to operator message text, operator command syntax, or expected actions for operator messages and commands) that can affect automation routines.

  DB2BIND

  A DB2® application REBIND is required for the SYSMOD to become effective.

  DDDEF

  Data set changes or additions as required.

  DELETE

  The SYSMOD contains a ++DELETE MCS, which deletes a load module from the system.

  DEP

  The SYSMOD has a software dependency.

  DOC

  The SYSMOD has a documentation change that should be read before the SYSMOD is installed.

  DOWNLD

  Code that is shipped with maintenance that needs to be downloaded.

  DYNACT

  The changes supplied by the SYSMOD may be activated dynamically without requiring an IPL. The HOLD statement describes the instructions required for dynamic activation. If those instructions are not followed, then an IPL is required for the SYSMOD to take effect.

  EC

  The SYSMOD needs a related engineering change.

  ENH

  The SYSMOD contains an enhancement, new option or function. The HOLD statement provides information to the user regarding the implementation and use of the enhancement.

  EXIT

  The SYSMOD contains changes that may affect a user exit. For example, the interface for an exit may be changed, an exit may need to be reassembled, or a sample exit may be changed.

  EXRF

  The SYSMOD must be installed in both the active and the alternative Extended Recovery Facility (XRF) systems at the same time to maintain system compatibility. (If you are not running XRF, you should bypass this reason ID.)

  FULLGEN

  The SYSMOD needs a complete system or subsystem generation to take effect.

  IOGEN

  The SYSMOD needs a system or subsystem I/O generation to take effect.

  IPL

  The SYSMOD requires an IPL to become effective. For example, the SYSMOD may contain changes to LPA or NUCLEUS, the changes may require a CLPA, or a failure to perform an IPL might lead to catastrophic results, such as could be caused by activation of a partial fix.

  Note: If you plan to perform an IPL with CLPA after the SYSMOD has been applied, then no further investigation of the HOLD is required; simply bypass the IPL reason ID. However, if you are not planning to perform an IPL with CLPA, then the details of the HOLD statement must be investigated to determine what kind of actions are required to activate the SYSMOD.

  MSGSKEL

  This SYSMOD contains message changes that must be compiled for translated versions of the message changes to become operational on extended TSO consoles.

  If you want to use translated versions of the messages, you must run the message compiler once for the library containing the English message outlines, and once for each additional language you want to be available on your system. For details, see z/OS MVS Planning: Operations.

  If you want to use only the English version of the messages, you do not need to run the message compiler. You should bypass this reason ID.

  MULTSYS

  Identifies fixes that need to be applied to multiple systems, in one of three cases: preconditioning, coexistence, or exploitation.

  RESTART

  To become effective, the SYSMOD requires a special subsystem restart operation. The HOLD statement contains information regarding the required restart actions.

• A user reason ID is defined by the user.
• A Fix Category reason ID is the SYSMOD ID for the APAR that caused the SYSMOD to be placed into exception status. The APAR reason ID is associated to one or more categories of fixes.

For additional information, see Naming conventions for HOLD reason IDs and HOLD classes.

RESOLVER

Identifies the SYSMOD that resolves the held SYSMOD. More specifically, the resolving SYSMOD supersedes the reason ID APAR that caused the SYSMOD to be held.

sysmod_id

If the ++HOLD is being processed from the SMPHOLD data set, sysmod_id specifies the name of the SYSMOD to be placed into exception SYSMOD status.

If the ++HOLD is internal to a SYSMOD, then sysmod_id specifies either the SYSMOD that contains the ++HOLD or the originating SYSMOD that contained the ++HOLD and is now superseded by the current SYSMOD.

This operand is required.

Usage notes

• If the text within the COMMENT operand contains parentheses, they must be in matched pairs. For example:

  COMMENT ( ADD 'PARM(COND(5))' ON THE EXEC )

  This works, but the following statements result in an error:

  COMMENT ( ADD OPENING PARENTHESES '(' )

  or

  COMMENT ( ADD CLOSING PARENTHESES ')' )

• The following restrictions apply only to ++HOLD MCSs packaged within a SYSMOD:
  • The only HOLD type allowed is SYSTEM.
  • ++HOLD statements must be placed after all ++VER and ++IF statements and before the first ++JCLIN or element statement.
  • The SYSMOD ID on the ++HOLD MCS must match either the SYSMOD containing the ++HOLD MCS, or the originating SYSMOD that contained the ++HOLD MCS and is now superseded by the current SYSMOD.