Merging FEATURE entries

FEATURE entries are merged when CONTENT is specified or implied. If FORFMID is not specified, SMP/E will consider all FEATURE entries in the original global zone as candidates for merging. If FORFMID is specified, SMP/E will consider a FEATURE entry a candidate for merging if at least one FMID value in the FMID subentry list for the FEATURE entry matches an FMID specified on the FORFMID operand of the GZONEMERGE command or the FMID of a SYSMOD entry that is selected for merging.

SMP/E reads through the original zone, gathering data on the candidate FEATURE entries. For each candidate entry in the originating zone, SMP/E checks to see whether that entry exists in the destination zone.

If a FEATURE entry is not found, then the entry from the originating zone is stored in the destination zone.
If a FEATURE entry is found, processing continues to determine the higher level of the FEATURE entry. If the originating global zone contains a higher or equal level of the FEATURE entry, then the entry from the originating global zone is stored in the destination global zone, overlaying the existing entry. If the destination global zone contains a higher level of the FEATURE entry, then processing continues to the next entry.
SMP/E uses the REWORK subentry of the global zone FEATURE entry to determine if the FEATURE entry in the originating global zone is at a higher level than the same FEATURE entry in the destination zone. If the rework date of the FEATURE entry in the originating global zone is more recent than the REWORK date of the FEATURE entry in the destination global zone, then that FEATURE entry is considered to be at a higher level in the originating global zone and would be merged.

If a FEATURE entry is to be merged into the destination global zone, SMP/E will ensure the SYSMODs identified in the FEATURE entry's FMID subentry are associated to the FEATURE in the destination global zone. Specifically, for each SYSMOD identified by a FEATURE:

If a SYSMOD entry exists in the destination global zone, then SMP/E will simply update the SYSMOD entry to add a FEATURE subentry for the FEATURE being merged.
If a SYSMOD entry does not exist in the destination global zone, then SMP/E will create an entry for it, containing only a FEATURE subentry for the FEATURE being merged.