SMP/E for installation & maintenance

An absolutely essential course for all z/OS Systems Programmers, this four-day course is a complete introduction to the use of SMP/E for installing new software and applying changes to existing software (PTFs, APARs, etc.) for the z/OS environment.
All the important aspects of using SMP/E are covered, including a detailed explanation of what happens 'under the covers'.

On successful completion of this course you will be able to:

  • explain what SMP/E is and how it works and describe the SMP/E installation process
  • install products & service (PTFs & APARs) in a z/OS environment (including related products such as CICS, Db2, etc.)
  • identify and correct common SMP/E installation problems
  • understand the major configuration and control options available in SMP/E
  • discuss the various product and service delivery options available from IBM (including ServerPac, CBPDO, ESO and RSU)
  • interpret the output produced during SMP/E processing
  • resolve maintenance conflicts using appropriate SMP/E reports
  • correctly handle missing prerequisite, requisite, and conditional requisite conditions
  • resolve error holds using both automatic and manual procedures
  • correctly install products and service in a cross-zone environment.

Schedule a training?

Delivered as a live, interactive online training

REQUEST IN-COMPANY TRAINING

 

Public training calendar

No public sessions are currently scheduled. We will be pleased to set up an on-site course or to schedule an extra public session (in case of a sufficient number of candidates). Interested? Please let us know.

Intended for

Systems Programmers responsible for using SMP/E to install products and service in the z/OS environment.

Background

Attendees must be able to use TSO/ISPF, write JCL and run batch jobs, as well as having a clear understanding of the z/OS environment.

You can test yourself to see if you have enough background by filling out the online selftest "ISPF" and the online selftest "JCL".

Main topics

  • SMP/E Overview
    • What is ''System Modification Program Extended''?
    • What makes a product?
    • SMP/E elements
    • How products are packaged
    • System modifications
    • SMP/E database
    • Receiving a SYSMOD
    • Applying, accepting and restoring a SYSMOD
    • System Generation
    • Consolidated Software Inventory
    • CSI configuration option
    • Invoking SMP/E
  • RECEIVE Processing
    • The RECEIVE process
    • Modification Control Statements
    • MCS: header statement functions, software environment statement
    • the Global Zone definition entry
    • GZONE entry example
    • Global Zone options entry
    • options entry example
    • Global Zone utility entry
    • Utility entry example
    • SMP/E allocation
    • Global Zone DDDEF entry
    • DDDEF entry example
    • review of Global Zone entries
    • creating Global Zone entries - UCLIN
    • relative file packaged tapes
    • receive processing
    • Global Zone sysmod entry example
    • Exception sysmods
    • held sysmod entry example
    • Holddata example
    • the RECEIVE command
    • Sysmod entry with SOURCEID example
    • REPORT SOURCEID output examples
    • SMP/E dialogs primary option menu &
    • query selection menus
  • APPLY Processing
    • Product function &
    • installation methods
    • Target Zone definition entry
    • TZONE entry example
    • Target Zone DDDEF entry
    • Target Zone DDDEF entry example
    • Target Zone DDDEF PATH entry
    • Target Zone DDDEF PATH entry example
    • MAC, SRC, and MOD element MCS
    • Data Element MCS
    • Program Element MCS
    • identifying the target system structure
    • how JCLIN processing works
    • JCLIN processing example
    • JCLIN report example
    • JCLIN - MAC and ASSEM entries
    • JCLIN - MOD and LMOD entries
    • JCLIN - DLIB entries
    • Invoking JCLIN
    • the save control dataset
    • determining target libraries
    • apply processing
    • concatenating macro libraries for assemblies
    • SYSLIB DDDEF example
    • the APPLY command
    • Target Zone SYSMOD entry example
    • element service level
    • Target Zone MAC and SRC element entries
    • Target Zone MOD and DATA element entries
    • base and dependent functions revisited
    • replacing an existing product
    • Sysmod installation via the SMP/E dialogs
    • SMP/E dialogs - sysmod management options
  • ACCEPT Processing
    • Function installation methods
    • Distribution Zone definition entry
    • DZONE entry example
    • Distribution Zone DDDEF entries
    • Distribution Zone DDDEF entry example
    • ACCEPT processing
    • concatenating macro libraries for assemblies
    • the ACCEPT command
    • Distribution Zone SYSMOD entry example
    • Distribution Zone MAC and SRC element entries
    • Distribution Zone MOD and DATA element entries
    • Sysmod installation via the SMP/E dialogs
    • SMP/E dialogs - sysmod management options
  • Product Maintenance
    • Product maintenance (service)
    • product maintenance sysmods
    • product maintenance sysmod naming convention
    • product maintenance ++VER statement
    • updating MAC and SRC elements
    • updating MOD (and LMOD) elements
    • Sysmod relationships
    • the prerequisite relationship
    • the requisite relationship
    • the supersede relationship
    • the negative prerequisite relationship
    • TZONE sysmod entries - examples
    • related APPLY command parameters
    • element service level
    • tracking the service level of an element
    • element entries - service level
    • exception sysmods
    • resolving error holds
    • resolving system holds
    • the RELEASE MCS statement
    • maintenance exposure
    • the REPORT ERROR SYSMODS command
    • Sysmod regression
    • Sysmod construction rules
    • managing regression
    • restore processing
    • concatenating macro libraries for assemblies
    • the RESTORE command
    • Sysmod relationships and restore
    • Reject processing
    • the REJECT command
  • Additional SMP/E Features
    • The conditional requisite relationship
    • the REPORT CROSSZONE command
    • cross product ''borrowing'' - the problem, the solution
    • cross zone ''borrowing'' - the problem, the solution
    • callable services support
    • processing SYSLIB in JCLIN
    • CALLIBS in LMOD element entries
    • installing LMODs that use CALLIBS
    • the zone management commands
    • installing SYSGEN and SMP/E products
    • the GENERATE command
    • the CLEANUP command
    • descriptive MCS statements
    • product and feature entries
  • Installing Products and Service
    • Reporting problems to the vendor
    • Preparing for installation
    • Installing maintenanc
    • Product delivery mechanisms used by IBM
    • CustomPac service
    • The Recommended Service Upgrade
    • ShopzSeries
    • PSP buckets
    • HOLD FIXCAT
    • Fix Categories
    • Receiving FIXCAT HOLDs
    • APPLY / ACCEPT FIXCAT operand
    • REPORT MISSINGFIX command

Training method

The course contains valuable and extensive hands-on exercises that demonstrate all the major aspects of using SMP/E to install products and apply maintenance.

Certificate

At the end of the course session, the participant receives a 'Certificate of Completion'.

Duration

4 days.

Course leader

RSM Technology.


SESSION INFO AND ENROLMENT