What is SMP/E, and why should I use it?

SMP/E is a tool designed to manage the installation of software products on your z/OS® system and to track the modifications you make to those products. Usually, it is the system programmer's responsibility to ensure that all software products and their modifications are properly installed on the system. The system programmer also has to ensure that all products are installed at the proper level so all elements of the system can work together. At first, that might not sound too difficult, but as the complexity of the software configuration increases, so does the task of monitoring all the elements of the system. To better understand this, let's take a closer look at your z/OS system and see how SMP/E can help you maintain it.