Before manipulating files in a UNIX file system, SMP/E temporarily switches the SMP/E user to superuser authority (UID=0) when manipulating files in the UNIX file system and restores the user to the previous level of authority when the SMP/E updates are done. This means that SMP/E users do not need to have UID=0 (superuser) authority all the time, which reduces the chance of such users accidentally erasing or damaging files in a UNIX file system while performing non-SMP/E work.