The SMP/E process for installing z/OS elements or service

This summary of SMP/E processing illustrates how z/OS® elements or service updates are installed.

SMP/E provides an excellent inventory and cross-reference of software dependencies, and a mechanism for installing new products or applying software maintenance. These capabilities ensure integrity of the overall system. The mechanics of using SMP/E to maintain a system can be quite simple, as shown in Figure 1. How SMP/E works and the knowledge needed to package fixes and software producets for SMP/E is significantly complex. IBM® provides instructions for system programmers to follow with all SMP/E packaged fixes, software upgrades, and products.

Figure 1. Overall SMP/E process flow

Figure 2 provides a sample of the job control language (JCL) that might be used to automate the process from receiving updates to applying them to a target system.

Figure 2. SMP/E batch job example

//SMPJOB    JOB  'accounting info',MSGLEVEL=(1,1)
//SMPSTEP   EXEC SMPPROC
//SMPPTFIN  DD   ... 
/* points to file or data set containing SYSMODs to be received */
//SMPHOLD   DD   ... 
/* points to file or data set containing HOLDDATA to be received */
//SMPTLIB   DD   UNIT=3380,VOL=SER=TLIB01
//SMPCNTL   DD   *
  SET       BDY(GLOBAL)         /* Set to global zone       */.
  RECEIVE   SYSMOD              /* Receive SYSMODs          */ 
            HOLDDATA            /* Receive HOLDDATA         */ 
            SOURCEID(MYPTFS)    /* Assign a source ID       */ 
                                /*                          */.
  LIST      MCS                 /* List the cover letters   */ 
            SOURCEID(MYPTFS)    /* for the SYSMODs          */ 
                                /*                          */.
  SET       BDY(TARGET1)        /* Set to target zone       */.
  APPLY     SOURCEID(MYPTFS)    /* Apply the SYSMODs        */ 
                                /*                          */.
  LIST      LOG                 /* List the target zone log */.
/*