Installation Guide › Servicing Your Product

Servicing Your Product

This section provides information on how to perform service updates using VMSES/E.

This section contains the following topics:

VMSES/E Service Overview

Step 1. Prepare to Receive Service

Step 2. Receive the Service

Step 3. Apply the Service

Step 4. Update the Build Status Table

Step 5. Build Serviced Objects

Step 6. Deploy Service to Production

VMSES/E Service Overview

Service is a process that includes the following:

• Correcting a software problem
• Circumventing a software problem
• Adding function to a previously installed product

There are two basic types of service.

• Corrective service is intended to resolve a specific software defect. A corrective service envelope contains a specific Program Temporary Fix (PTF) for one specific problem, plus any requisite fixes.
• Preventive service is a collection of fixes as of a certain calendar date. It might contain all published PTFs, or some subset of them (for example, high impact fixes). The procedure for processing either type of service is identical, so the procedures below work for either type. In a collection of fixes, VMSES will ignore any fixes in the collection which have already been applied to your product materials.

Note: For more information about VMSES Service Process, see the chapter "Using VMSES/E for Service" in the IBM VMSES/E Introduction and Reference manual.

Servicing VMSES/E components consists of the following steps; each step is described in detail in later sections.

1. Prepare to Receive Service

   Load informational files from the PTF envelope file. Establish the search order for working with the product code. Optionally, you may merge the alternate APPLY disk to the production APPLY disk to isolate the new service you are about to receive.

2. Receive the Service

   Load the product service from the PTF envelope file, using the VMSES VMFREC command.

3. Apply the Service

   Define a new service level by applying the PTFs. The VMSES VMFAPPLY command validates the loaded PTFs before adding them to the maintenance level.

4. Update the Build Status Table

   Use the VMSES VMFBLD command with the STATUS option to update the Build Status Table.

5. Build Serviced Objects

   Use the VMSES VMFBLD command with the SERVICED option to build the serviced objects.

6. Deploy Service to Production

   Use the VMDEPLOY command to copy the serviced code to the production disks.