Endevor: 3 scenarios for SYNCHRONIZATION errors

This topic explains three common scenarios that generates SYNC errors.

When you add your program into Endevor, that version is assigned a BASE date that will be EQUAL to the CURRENT SOURCE Date of the module you took ( do a display element and then an M to see the two screen display, hit enter to see the SECOND page, (PANEL 2 OF 2)). the BASE DATE information  looks like this:

 -----------------------------------  BASE  ------------------------------------
 USERID:  TXXAKX9    DATE/TIME: 01JUL11 06:53                                         

This date is the CURRENT SOURCE DATE  of the element in the next highest stage, essentially. Display it and look at (PANEL 1 OF 2).  That relationship makes sense. The next highest up is your "starting point" or what your code is "based" on. From that point forward, Endevor will ALWAYS know that you code was 'based' on that code.

Here are three scenarios that WOULD cause out of sync or SYNCHRONIZATION ERRORS. All require that you 'do' something. A synchronization error ALWAYS requires that you do something.. 

1) the code 'above' yours wasn't quite right and needed a few more changes.... it wasn't perfect. That NEVER happens, right? Someone with the AUTHORITY to  make changes at that level in the lifecycle makes changes directly to it. This causes the CURRENT SOURCE DATE of that program to change. Your program was "based" on changes prior to that, WITHOUT these 'corrections' so your BASE DATE no longer is equal to the CURRENT SOURCE date of the program above it. If you try to promote that program, Endevor will tell you that the CURRENT SOURCE in the stage above is NOT what you based you program on.... Endevor is saying,  there have been changes to that upper version that you might not be aware of and may not have included in your version. If you tell Endevor to ignore that SYNC error and proceed and you have not examined and then included any subsequent changes from the upper version into your version (using PDM, for example to insure you have all the current code) , when you move your program your version will appear to be 'deleting' those "corrections" that occurred after you initially took you 'copy' of the program. You will reintroduce the reason for the correction if you do not alter you code to include that change. Once you have assured yourself that ALL corrections have been include you CAN safely ignore the SYNC error at that point. .   

2) Same setup. There is a program ahead of you, you take a copy, make your changes and add it back. Your BASE DATE matches the CURRENT DATE of the source ahead of you .Everything is fine. All of a sudden, out of the blue, the project ahead of yours is cancelled!! Pretty unlikely, huh? Well, the person who added that program DELETES it from Endevor. guess what? You program now is based on a program that doesn't even EXIST!  In the Endevor world, the simple rule that your BASE DATE does not match the CURRENT SOURCE date of the module above it is violated. A synchronization error will be issued. If you ignore it without doing a retrofit to your code, you will be 'installing' that cancelled project when you promote your module.

3) The OM team has an abend at night. They make a slight change and promote that module through the EMER path into PRODuction. In effect, they have changed the CURRENT SOURCE DATE for the highest module in the lifecycle. If anyone else was modifying that program on ANY of the paths, they will all be affected. See number 1) as the situation from here on, the resolution and actions required are the same and the danger is the same.

Examine these scenarios, try them yourself. These are then three most common situations but there are others. The main thing to remember is that relationship. Do a list element with 'search the map' .You will see that this relationship holds true always and if not, expect a SYNC error and that some 'action' will be required.