The SMP/E zones

The cards in the public library card catalog are arranged alphabetically by the author's last name, and by the topic and title of the book. In the CSI, entries for the elements in the distribution and target libraries are grouped according to their installation status. That is, entries representing elements found in the distribution libraries are contained in the distribution zone. Entries representing elements found in the target libraries are contained in the target zone. Both of these zones serve the same purpose as the drawers of the public library card catalog.

In addition to the distribution and target zones, the SMP/E CSI also contains a global zone. The global zone contains:

Entries needed to identify and describe each target and distribution zone to SMP/E
Information about SMP/E processing options
Status information for all SYSMODs SMP/E has begun to process
Exception data for SYSMODs requiring special handling or that are in error

In SMP/E, when we speak of exception data, we are usually referring to HOLDDATA. HOLDDATA is often supplied for a product to indicate a specified SYSMOD should be held from installation. Reasons for holding a SYSMOD can be:

A PTF is in error and should not be installed until the error is corrected (ERROR HOLD).
Certain system actions may be required before SYSMOD installation (SYSTEM HOLD).
The user may want to perform some actions before installing the SYSMOD (USER HOLD).

All the information found in the global zone, combined with the information found in the distribution and target zones, represents the data SMP/E needs to install and track your system software.

Remember the picture of the public library in Figure 1? Now look at Figure 1.

Figure 1. z/OS® system with SMP/E

How all the elements fit together and can be installed, modified, and tracked, using SMP/E

Now you can see how all the elements of the system fit together, and how they can be installed, modified, and tracked using SMP/E.