The Fast Service Upgrade for VSE By Anthony L. Kelley The Fast Service Upgrade (FSU) used in both Version 3 and 4 of VSE/SP provides the highest upgrade of all IBM supplied modules to your installed version level. It is serviced different from a mass application of PTFs, in that it replaces whole libraries to a specific pretested level. There are several reasons to expend the effort to install the FSU: o Where no programming support for new devices exist. The new S/9000 CPU and its associated IBM 9336 disk storage devices need VSE/SP at Version 4.1.2.A. The .A is a new designation used for this upgrade. o Where the need for installing a new subsystem may require massive application of Program Temporary Fixes (PTFs). To get the CICS Report Program Controller operational, it may be better to do the FSU and upgrade from 3.0.1 to 3.1.2, rather than apply the massive number of PFTs required. o Where an upgrade from an initial version to the latest level is needed because of the future stability of a system. A system that will be stable for many years should be at the latest level to avoid an upgrade cost of a new version. (This is a weak argument when you see the amount of effort that goes into an FSU installation.) The following outlines the preparatory steps for an FSU: They are close to the steps necessary to install a complete new version! o Send a letter to the IBM Branch office requesting the FSU for your installed version. There may be a distribution charge for the tapes. You will get only the system upgrade, unless you request specific optional products. If you have the generation feature installed, also request it's refresh. o Start your reading assignment! Specifically the VSE/SP Installation Manual: for Version 3, SC33-6305 pages 132 and following; for Version 4, SC33-6404 pages 89 and following. Call IBM Tampa support center to request the "buckets" for the version you will be receiving. This is another vital part of your reading assignment. Remember, after the version level you will receive was frozen and tested, there may have been additional PTFs made available and some may be critical. There may also be specific FSU information. o After the tapes arrive, follow the Interactive User Interface (IUI) screens; selecting Installation, IBM Service and FSU (145). This will display the three steps of the FSU procedure. 1) Submit the down level check: Select 1 to generate the down-level check to find which higher service level products will be replaced by a back level during the FSU. Message M089D indicates you have extra work to do after the FSU is finished. For instance, an old version of the Environmental Recording Error Program (EREP) on the FSU tapes could replace a more advanced version in your system. You will have to find the prior PTF tape you used to apply that upgraded EREP and reapply it after the FSU is complete. Reapplying that PTF will replace the down-leveled EREP installed during the FSU with your original version. After step 1 is done, you will know the prompts needed for the final stage. 2) Submit the FSU preparation jobs. The second step of the preparation procedure will install FSU Job Manager routines specific to your present version in IJSYSRS.SYSLIB. You will have to disconnect the DTSFILE for about three minutes to add job streams into ICCF library #67 then connect the DTSFILE. 3) Submit the FSU installation job streams: Before any installation, analyze the impact of the changes you will be making. A new RES will be created on SYSWK1 in stage I, and you IPL from it with a specific JCL PROC to start stage II. The following libraries will be completely replaced: IJSYSRS.SYSLIB, PRD1.BASE; and the generation libraries if you have the generation source code. If you have modified any source generation code to satisfy some OEM product, you will have to save the changes in a different library and reapply them after the FSU. Specific ICCF members and/or libraries are replaced (#52 to #69) and the common library #2 is updated. The compile members of library #2 (C$$ items) are replaced. One of my clients modified the Fortran procs (C$$FOnnn) to compile old Display Management System (DMS) panels. Copy library #2 to a save library so you can match new members with ones you have created or modified. Be sure ICCF has free space to accommodate replaced and new members (10 percent hi file). List two members of IJSYSRS.SYSLIB (IMEMBER.DTRFSU and NLSIMEM.DTRFSU) to see the names of replaced ICCF members. The following libraries may be used but their contents will be unchanged: PRD2.CONFIG, PRD2.PROD, PRD2.SAVE, PRD2.COMM2 and PRD2.COMM. The library PRD2.SAVE will be completely merged into the new RES library with a COPY *.* REPLACE=YES command. Now you see the reason for all those CONNECTs and COPYs of members to the SAVE library. It is not a save library! Just in case you haven't followed the rules, a COPY *.PROC REPLACE=NO and COPYs of STDLABEL.PROC, STDLABUP.PROC and STDLABUS.PROC all with REPLACE=NO are performed to prevent catastrophe. Examine the contents of PRD2.SAVE to determine what members belong there and which ones are missing. The following list (some of which came from the ICCF library #59 skeletons and may not have the same names) may not be complete for your installation but most should be in PRD2.SAVE: any custom IPL exit phases, IPL PROCs, all partition start PROCs ($$JCL370), power start PROC (PWRSTRTn.PROC), all FCBs, any Power Reader exit phases, USERBG.PROC, the partition allocation procedure (VSEALCnn.PROC), a CPUVAR.PROC, a SETSDL.PROC, three standard label procedures (STDLABEL, STDLABUP, STDLABUS); DTRICCF; DTRPOWR; and any OEM software phases needed in IJSYSRS (e.g., a software security package, VSAM compression phases, VTAM compression phases, VTAM subtasking products). DTRICCF and DTRPOWR would only be necessary if multiple VSE guests were running from the same SYSRES with multiple ICCF libraries, or the assign for the DTSFILE was changed. If additional POWER data files were added or the assignments changed to another volume, the DTRPOWR procedure would need to be in PRD2.SAVE. Call all vendors of OEM software to check their PTFs against the updated release. Installation After you are sure PRD2.SAVE has only those members you want copied to the new RES, generate the FSU installation job streams from third step of the IUI service panel. Schedule several hours of system time. The FSU installation is divided into two stages and can be interrupted between them, but be careful of interim system modification. A new SYSRES has been created on SYSWK1 and PRD2.SAVE merged into it, but you have not completed the FSU. Near the beginning of stage II, a distribution tape was found defective and a hold was put on the installation for several days; the old DOSRES was IPLed. During this hold, the partition allocation procedure was modified. When the FSU execution resumed (by IPLing SYSWK1), the FSU finished and the new DOSRES IPLed; the old allocation was active. All stages are under control of the Job Manager. If you abend, as with the defective tape, you can resume later by releasing the ABEND step from the reader queue (R RDR DTSFSUAB). The Job Manager will restart the proper step. Stage I steps are numbered 11 through 19, the most important are: Step 11 -- Check for an existing Job Manager. Step 12 -- Back up IJSYSRS, PRD1 and DTSFILE to tape. Step 15 -- Restore the new RES to SYSWK1. It is called IJSYSR1 and has a VTOC entry of SYS.NEW.RES. Step 17 -- Copy PRD2.SAVE to IJSYSR1 with REPLACE=YES. Copies STDLABEL, STDLABUP and STDLABUS and *.PROC from IJSYSRS with REPLACE=NO. Step 18 -- Copy into IJSYSR1 all Job Manager jobs that have to run under control of IJSYSR1. Step 19 -- Clean up stage I Job Manager queues and display Fig#1 (with misspellings) on the console. Backup all power queues to tape to be able to reload after the power queues are formatted. See Figure 1. This first stage took about 3.5 hours and could have been shortened with faster tape drives. According to the IBM manuals, stage II should be performed immediately after stage I, but experience shows it can be delayed if the above maintenance gotcha is observed. To start stage II, IPL from SYSWK1, interrupt the IPL procedure and specify IPL=$IPLnnn, JCL=$$JCLFSU (where nnn is the regular IPL proc). The major steps of stage II are: Step 21 -- Set up the Job Manager for Stage II. Step 22 -- Catalog modified ICCF members. Step 23 -- Restore PRD1.BASE as a completely replace. Step 24A -- Refresh the National Language Service (NLS). Step 24B -- Refresh the Message file. Step 24C -- Refresh the ICCF language dependent file. Step 24D -- Refresh the Text Repository file. Step 26 -- Copy the new SYSRES (IJSYSR1) from SYSWK1 to DOSRES (IJSYSRS). Step 27 -- Update the System History file and clean up the Job Manager and display Fig #2 on the console. See Figure 2. Stage 2 took about four hours and tape drive speed doesn't seem to be a consideration. The IJSYSR1 to IJSYSRS copy is most time consuming. During the final step, ICCF will become active. Examine the FSU listings to compare modified members of the new common library #2 against the saved library #2 to see if you have any remodifications to perform. The ICCF library 59 member readme has changes in IBM manuals. Reload the power queues from the backup tape. You have to do some specific steps during this ICCF execution. Log on as SYSA, submit TCTs for recompile and recatalog the VTAM.B members. From the initial IUI screen key in 212 and after the Maintain Selection Panel screen appears, depress PF6. Do the same with 213 and after the Maintain Application Profiles screen appears, depress PF6. Shut down the FSU system and IPL from DOSRES to start the new system. The service applied to ICCF may have caused fragmentation of the DTSFILE; reorganize it only after this restart if necessary. Conclusion After this FSU has been performed, you may develop a new set of problems! Some restrictions on commas or continuation dashes that you got away with will be noted as errors. This is typical of any version change, but will be observed in an upgrade within the same version. The FSU is a rather straightforward refresh method for VSE/SP Versions 3 and 4. You may not use Version 4 tapes to upgrade Version 3 via the FSU. According to IBM documentation, the customer programs and files will not be changed. This is almost true: some modifications as shown above do take place. The preparation steps, the examination of PRD2.SAVE contents, can be eased if the skeletons from library #59 are used with the CONNECT and COPY intact. Those who don't follow VSE's rules from the start have more work to do. The alternative to the FSU would be an attempt to replace IJSYSRS.SYSLIB, PRD1.BASE and update the History files and Message files (i.e., performing all the stage I and II jobs by hand). A most prolonged and odious option. Nothing is easy in systems programming -- short cuts result in problems. There is only one rule: do your homework before you start! /* Was this article of value to you? If so, please let us know by circling Reader Service No. 00.