SMP/E Fingerprint Library for Self-Describing Mainframe Products
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mainframe SMP/E based products do not inherently provide a uniform set of tracking information within product libraries, making it difficult for system administrators to query installed product libraries for description, version, or maintenance level without the use of SMP/E.
Innovation Solution
A fingerprint library is generated and embedded with product function attributes, allowing for self-description of SMP/E based products, enabling querying of installation information without relying on SMP/E, even in distributed mainframe environments across multiple logical partitions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If SMP/E is used to manage and track software libraries, then centralized control and audit records are provided, but tracking information is not uniformly available within the product libraries themselves
Solution Approach 1:
Product function attributes are collected during the build phase and converted to structured format before installation. This preliminary action ensures tracking information is embedded in the fingerprint library beforehand, making it available without requiring SMP/E involvement at query time.
Solution Approach 2:
A fingerprint library acts as an intermediary between SMP/E managed products and query mechanisms. It contains embedded product function attributes that can be queried directly, serving as a mediator that provides tracking information independently of SMP/E while maintaining compatibility with SMP/E managed installations.
2Productivity
If product libraries are copied to multiple locations via simple copy utilities, then distribution efficiency is improved, but the ability to query installation information without SMP/E is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The fingerprint library containing embedded product function attributes is copied along with the product libraries to multiple locations. This copying approach maintains the self-describing capability at each location, enabling queries without SMP/E involvement while supporting efficient distribution via simple copy utilities.
3Reliability
If SMP/E work processes are followed for product installation, then standardized management and tracking are achieved, but additional overhead and complexity are introduced
Solution Approach 1:
Products become self-describing by embedding their own function attributes in the fingerprint library. This self-service approach allows products to provide their own tracking information without requiring external SMP/E query processes, reducing system overhead while maintaining standardized information availability.
4Loss of information
If uniform tracking information is embedded in product libraries, then querying capability is improved, but additional processing during build and installation is required
Solution Approach 1:
Product function attributes are collected and converted to structured format during the build phase, before installation. This preliminary processing consolidates the complexity into a one-time build step, enabling uniform tracking information to be embedded in the fingerprint library without adding ongoing complexity to installation and maintenance processes.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods of providing information from run-time installations of mainframe SMP/E based products. Information is embedded into a fingerprint library. The fingerprint library may then be associated with a product installed via SMP/E. The fingerprint library may then remain with the product when it is copied to its distributed location. A system administrator may later query the run-time installation and retrieve information previously only known to the SMP/E tool in an SMP/E controlled installation. In one embodiment, information may be embedded into a fingerprint library at product build time.