Lesson plan

Program temporary fix

In IBM terminology, a program temporary fix or product temporary fix (PTF) is a software fix, or a group of fixes, distributed in a form ready to install. A PTF normally follows an Authorized Program Analysis Report (APAR). When an APAR fix is issued, the PTF is generally a tested APAR fix, or a set of APAR fixes. However, if an APAR is resolved as "Fixed If Next" or "Permanent Restriction", there may be no PTF for the current release, only a correction in a later release. PTFs are used across multiple IBM platforms and are installed using platform-specific service tools. On IBM i, PTFs can be applied either temporarily or permanently, with temporarily applied fixes remaining reversible until they are made permanent. IBM i also distributes fixes in aggregated forms such as cumulative PTF packages and PTF groups. On z/OS, PTFs are commonly installed and tracked using System Modification Program/Extended (SMP/E). On z/VM, VMSES/E provides an installation and service toolset used for servicing software levels, including corrective service delivered as PTFs.

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Article summary

In IBM terminology, a program temporary fix or product temporary fix (PTF) is a software fix, or a group of fixes, distributed in a form ready to install. A PTF normally follows an Authorized Program Analysis Report (APAR). When an APAR fix is issued, the PTF is generally a tested APAR fix, or a set of APAR fixes. However, if an APAR is resolved as "Fixed If Next" or "Permanent Restriction", there may be no PTF for the current release, only a correction in a later release. PTFs are used across multiple IBM platforms and are installed using platform-specific service tools. On IBM i, PTFs can be applied either temporarily or permanently, with temporarily applied fixes remaining reversible until they are made permanent. IBM i also distributes fixes in aggregated forms such as cumulative PTF packages and PTF groups. On z/OS, PTFs are commonly installed and tracked using System Modification Program/Extended (SMP/E). On z/VM, VMSES/E provides an installation and service toolset used for servicing software levels, including corrective service delivered as PTFs.

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  1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
  2. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
  3. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

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