If there are no active, failed-persistent, or disconnecting connectors, there are no RATIO, MINENTRY, MINELEMENT, and MINEMC values from which to calculate a composite value. Thus, a operator request to alter a structure with no connectors might result in the structure having no available entries or elements or might provide a ratio different from what the structure's connectors can tolerate. XES allows this type of structure alter to be performed so that an installation can adjust a persistent structure when it is not being used.

When the persistent structure is needed again, its connectors receive current structure information in the connect answer area. A connector at that point could initiate structure alter to change the structure's size and/or apportionment as appropriate.