> Can a vendor produce product information files without their providing 
> portable instances for installing the product(s)?   Or is that file an 
> artifact of creating portable instances?   It seems like I could 
> theoretically hand-build a product information file to supply a EOS date?   

A portable software instance (PSWI) is NOT required.  However, identification 
of the Products contained in the software instance is required.  For SMP/E 
managed software this is done by the provider with ++PRODUCT and ++FEATURE 
statements, which yield PRODUCT and FEATURE entries in the global zone.  
However, I believe not all vendors exploit ++PRODUCT/++FEATURE.  In that case 
you can manually add the Products to the definition of the software instance.  
Click the Modify action for a software instance and go to the Products tab 
where you can Add individual Product definitions.  You can even specify the 
end-of-service date for the product right on the Add page.

If the subject software does exploit ++PRODUCT/++FEATURE then you sure can 
hand-build your own file containing end-of-service dates which z/OSMF can read 
and correlate with the software instances.  See here for more information:  
https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/zos/2.5.0?topic=guide-creating-product-information-files-software-management-task

Kurt Quackenbush
IBM  |  z/OS SMP/E and z/OSMF Software Management 

Chuck Norris never uses CHECK when he applies PTFs.

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