In a mainframe IT organization, the systems programmer plays a central role with a diverse set of technical skills.

A systems programmer is responsible for maintaining a fully operational environment and resolving problems quickly. Responsibilities of the job include technical services, support, and consultation to the entire IT organization. The system programmer installs, customizes, and maintains the operating system, and installs or upgrades other software products that run on the system.

A highly experienced systems programmer:

• develops operational procedures
• develops systems administration procedures
• develops application development procedures
• assists systems administration staff with issues involving operating system services
• assists development staff with issues involving operating system services
• provides on-call support for any escalated issue beyond the technical capability of other groups

A software tool exists to install z/OS and z/OS software products. The software tool tracks all modifications to z/OS and z/OS software products. The software tool is Systems Modification Program/Extended (SMP/E)

When an operating system problem is encountered and the failing component appears to be an IBM owned component, the Systems Programmer contacts IBM with the error messages. IBM will request information about the maintenance level applied to various components of the operating system. SMP/E is used to quickly answer those questions. An understanding of SMP/E is required to work with IBM to resolve problems.

SMP/E is a repository of details about the highly advanced IBM Z flagship operating system, z/OS, and the IBM products added to the z/OS environment, such as DB2 and COBOL.

Learning SMP/E is an exercise in comprehending terminology. The specialized SMP/E skill is expected of any z/OS Systems Programmer position.

z/OS system might appear to be one large block of code. Actually, z/OS is a complex system comprising of many different smaller blocks of code. Each of those smaller blocks of code perform a specific function within the system.

Each system function is composed of one or more load modules. In a z/OS environment, a load module represents the basic unit of machine-readable, executable code.

The following terminology will be referred to in the challenge. You are not expected to memorize any of the terminology. Awareness of the terminology puts you on the learning path to be a skilled Systems Programmer.

Overview of SMP/E Terminology

• LMOD
    SMP/E terminology for load module
    Load modules are created by combining one or more object modules and processing them with a link-edit utility
• MOD
    SMP/E terminology for an object module used to create a load module, LMOD
    LMOD can consist of one or many MODs
• MAC
    Macro source code
    While MODs are shipped as object modules, in some cases a MOD is required to be assembled by SMP/E
    because a z/OS distributed MAC, macro, source code changed
  
  
    These building blocks, MAC, MOD, LMOD, are called elements by SMP/E.
    A change to an element is a system modification and called SYSMOD by SMP/E
    Note: Other SMP/E elements exist, but understanding MAC, MOD, and LMOD will make learning about the other SMP/E elements pretty easy.
    The challenge is limited to SMP/E elements, MAC, MOD, and LMOD
• CSI
    Consolidated Software Inventory
    A related group of SMP/E data sets with information about the elements
• RECEIVE
    SMP/E command to read SYSMODs into SMP/E CSI data sets
    Global Zone stores information about software "received"
• APPLY
    SMP/E command to update SMP/E CSI data sets with SYSMODs previously received
    Target Zone stores information about software "applied"
    Target Libraries stores the software used by running system
• ACCEPT
    SMP/E command to update SMP/E CSI data sets accepting SYSMODs as permanent
    Distribution Zone store information about software "accepted"
    Distribution Libraries stores the initial installation software and "accepted" software used in the event a backout ("restore") is necessary
• RESTORE
    SMP/E command to update SMP/E CSI data sets backing out previously applied SYSMOD
  
  
  
• FUNCTION SYSMOD
    Entire operating system or product consisting of many components
    FMID unique 7 digit alphanumeric value used to identify various FUNCTION SYSMODs
    FMID - Function Management IDentifier, example HBB77A0
• PTF SYSMOD
    Fix for operating system component or product component
    RMID unique 7 digit alphanumeric value is used to identify various PTF SYSMODs
    RMID - Replacement Management IDentifier, example UA12345
• APAR SYSMOD
    Fix for operating system component or product component (NOT FULLY TESTED)
    RMID unique 7 digit alphanumeric value is used to identify various APAR SYSMODs
    RMID - Replacement Management IDentifier, example OA12345
• USERMOD
    Customer modification to the z/OS environment such as local system exit
• PUT
    Program Update Tape
    Collection of PTF SYSMODs(fixes) routinely published to keep software maintenance current
• RSU
    Recommended Service Update
    Collection of PTF SYSMODs (fixes) routinely published to keep software maintenance current