Description
This course is designed to provide the SMP/E skills needed in the installation and maintenance of optional features and maintenance in the z/OS operating environment. Students are taught to define the SMP/E database and invoke SMP/E to add, modify, or replace system elements. The course includes extensive hands-on labs using a current level of SMP/E. Students will get practical experience in the SMP/E tasks involved in installing a z/OS product. Emphasis is on interpreting results of SMP/E processing. SMP/E concepts examined in this course include modification control statements, the consolidated software inventory, zone structure, and error analysis. SMP/E commands such as RECEIVE, APPLY, ACCEPT, RESTORE, REPORT, and LIST are discussed. Students will also learn how to perform automated SMP/E delivery of z/OS and product maintenance over the Internet with an automated SMP/E process that downloads and installs IBM preventive and corrective service over the Internet.
After completing this course, you should be able to:
•Describe how SMP/E is used as a tool for system maintenance
•Interpret modification control statements in a sample SYSMOD
•Create a consolidated software inventory database to support installation and maintenance requirements
•Use the SMP/E dialogs to install a product and its related service
•Manage exception SYSMOD data
•Describe the use of the primary and secondary data sets required by SMP/E
•Analyze output from SMP/E processing and resolve commonly encountered problems
•Describe the use of the REPORT command to determine software dependencies between zones
•Use the BUILDMCS process to create a function SYSMOD from an installed product and its service
•Use the new SMP/E functions to install software service automatically over the Internet
▪Implement support for communication server FTP client
▪Use the new RECEIVE ORDER command to order and install z/OS maintenance automatically over the Internet
•Use z/OSMF to install software and perform service update
What you will learn
SMP/E Overview
SMP/E is a tool designed to manage your z/OS operating environment. It is capable of ensuring the proper installation of products and maintenance in a complex environment, so it is no surprise that the tool itself is complex. This unit presents the basic terms and concepts associated with SMP/E to give you a foundation on which to build understanding of a product that has many closely interrelating parts. This unit assumes some knowledge of basic z/OS facilities. If you are unfamiliar with some of the z/OS terminology used here, please refer to the glossary after the Appendix B of this student guide.
SYSMOD Packaging
SMP/E SYSMODs contain both the modification text and a set of instructions that advise SMP/E exactly how the modification is to be used. These instructions, called modification control statements (MCS) contain the details of how and where the SYSMOD is to be installed. In this unit, you will examine MCS as well as the three techniques used to package SYSMODs.
Tracking element levels
One of the primary responsibilities of SMP/E is to keep track of SYSMODs that are installed on your system. SMP/E ensures that all SYSMODs affecting a given element are installed in the proper sequence. Element regression does not occur if the SYSMODs are installed in the correct order. This order is determined by the packager and is communicated to SMP/E through the modification control statements. This unit explains how SMP/E tracks the SYSMOD level of an element. Why tracking is so important and the details involved are both discussed in the APPLY processing unit.
Consolidated software inventory
The consolidated software inventory contains information necessary for all SMP/E processing. It describes how a given set of system libraries is built so SMP/E knows how to add to and modify those libraries.
