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SMP/E Problems

SMP/E is an open‑ended system, meaning that SMP/E cannot ensure that a fix recorded in its CSI still exists in the library. Ideally, the contents of a library should match what the CSI records, but occasionally this is not the case.

The integrity of the operating system depends on the accuracy of the CSI. When you apply product maintenance and install new program products using SMP/E, the accuracy of the CSI can determine whether the installation is successful. Despite its importance, use of SMP/E is optional. You can install changes without its knowledge or permission, making the CSI inaccurate.

Systems programmers can compromise the accuracy of the CSI by applying critical fixes without using SMP/E, usually for the sake of expediency. Additionally, some sites can implement local exits that heavily impact the operation of the system. Often, SMP/E does not manage these exits. Moving, copying, or adding programs to a library outside the control of SMP/E also can cause maintenance problems, such as the loss or regression of critical PTFs. You can execute a copy of a load module that is different from the version that SMP/E maintains. Over time, changes made to the SMP/E‑managed version make it different than the copy.

Copies of modules can be introduced into the system for some of the following reasons:

• TSO commands that are normally resident in linklist libraries are sometimes copied to link pack area (LPA) libraries for improved performance.
• Some sites acquire a measure of virtual storage constraint relief (VSCR) by moving modules from LPA libraries to linklist‑resident libraries.
• Load modules are copied from test systems to APF‑authorized libraries to let new versions of utilities execute with APF authorization.

Other circumstances, such as a system crash or an SMP/E abend, can also cause the CSI to lose its integrity.

You can use CA Auditor to detect discrepancies between libraries and information maintained in the CSI. CA Auditor lets you:

• Identify programs in the library that SMP/E does not maintain
• Detect modules that were added, moved, or copied to libraries outside of SMP/E control
• Detect alias relationships that are not correctly maintained
• Identify CSECTs that SMP/E updated or were replaced outside of SMP/E control

The Library Analysis Display (2.3.5) compares the contents of a given library to entries in a selected CSI. This display uses the CSI and zones that you selected on the SMP/E CSI Search Display (0.5.2 or 2.3.1) for its comparison. If you want to search more than one CSI, rerun this display for each CSI. We suggest that you do not limit processing to a particular zone during an audit. If you are a systems programmer, however, you might want to limit CA Auditor processing to a particular zone or group of zones when you are using CA Auditor to monitor an SMP/E installation of a product.