Applying Preventive Service to Object Code

Preventive service is the application of Program Temporary Fixes (PTFs) available on a Program Update Tape (PUT) to avoid known problems.

VMSERV is an exec procedure included on the PUT to help you when you apply service. Suppose you receive a PUT for your product. Here is what you need to do:

  1. Use VMFPLC2 to load the first physical file on the preventive service tape. This file contains the PUT DOCUMENT. You should read this document because it contains information about the PUT.

    For information on VMFPLC2, see z/VM: CMS Commands and Utilities Reference.

  2. Run VMSERV to apply the PUT. You are given the choice of loading the merge file, the delta file, or both. (It is fastest to load just the merge file. However, if you know there is a bad PTF in the merge file you need to load the delta file. Whether you should load the merge file or the delta file depends upon the severity of the bad PTF.) In this case, load the merge file. This gives you a new version of the merge log that includes all the PTFs that are now part of your product. See Figure 1 for an example of a merge log.
  3. Run VMFMERGE using the apply lists that were saved when corrective fixes were merged.

    If you apply any corrective service to your product, you should keep the apply lists you used. When you run VMFMERGE during preventive service, you use these same apply lists. This prevents you from losing any corrective fixes that were already merged, but are not included on the PUT.

    For example, assume that FIX007 APPLIST is the only apply list used. You run VMFMERGE with the parameter PTFLIST FIX007. If UV00007 is included in the PUT a message is displayed explaining UV00007 has already been merged. If UV00007 is not included in the PUT a message is displayed telling you UV00007 will be merged at this time.

  4. Now run VMFZAP EXEC for the product. (You must still have the latest ZAP list for this product available.) Issuing VMFZAP with the latest ZAP list cleans up superseded ZAPs and prevents regression of the corrective service just applied by old ZAPs.
    Note: If ZAP Z00005 was superseded by PTF UV00007, the ZAP will not be reapplied. If ZAP Z00005 was not superseded by PTF UV00007, the ZAP will be reapplied.
  5. Finally, run the product-supplied service exec (or VMSERV) to build the executable version of the product.