Introduction to VSAM data sets

• • describe the structure, organization, and use of VSAM clusters
• • explain the function of Control Intervals (CI) and Control Areas (CA)
• • describe the purpose of CI splits and CA splits and how they are accomplished
• • estimate DASD space requirements for various cluster types

ICF catalogs

• • discuss the use of the ICF catalog
• • describe the structure, purpose, and basic contents of the master catalog
• • describe how the master catalog is located at initial program load (IPL) time
• • discuss the structure, purpose, and basic contents of user catalogs
• • create the ICF catalogs
• • describe the catalog search
• • discuss and create the two types of alias

IDCAMS commands, part 1

• • discuss the IDCAMS program
• • code the JCL to run IDCAMS
• • code the DEFINE CLUSTER command to create specific VSAM data set organizations
• • code the LISTCAT command to format and print entries from the catalog

JCL for VSAM

• • explain creation and deletion of VSAM clusters using JCL and the DFSMS data class facility
• • describe the additional JCL parameters that support VSAM clusters
• • discuss the purpose of data class
• • explain the assignment of data class through JCL and the Automatic Class Selection (ACS) routines

IDCAMS commands, part 2

• • describe the function of REPRO, PRINT and DELETE commands
• • use REPRO to load and back up a VSAM cluster
• • use PRINT to print a VSAM cluster in various formats
• • use DELETE to remove the catalog entry for the data set and scratch the data set from the volume
• • describe and code modal commands to provide for conditional execution of Access Method Services (AMS) statements

Buffering

• • explain how buffer space may impact performance either positively or negatively
• • explain the use of data and index buffers in sequential processing and direct processing
• • evaluate the use of JCL Access Method Parameters (AMP) keywords to manage buffers
• • code the buffer keywords on the Dataset Definition (DD) statement

VSAM integrity and security

• • explain how integrity and security is maintained
• • discuss the meaning and use of SHAREOPTIONS
• • discuss the need for serialization of updates to a data set
• • describe how ENQ/DEQ macros are used to serialize data set updates in multiregion and multisystem environments
• • explain the impact of buffering and SHAREOPTION modifications
• • explain VSAM record level sharing
• • use the VSAM integrity and security options: RECOVERY, ERASE, VERIFY, and passwords
• • compare VSAM passwords with Resource Access Control Facility (RACF) security

Tuning

• • explain the use of CI and CA FREESPACE
• • discuss the performance impact of cache
• • describe the space allocation process with KEYRANGES and multivolume data sets
• • explain the contents of an Index CI
• • explain how VSAM key compression works

IDCAMS ALTER

• • explain the basic functions of the ALTER command
• • code the ALTER command to modify options for processing existing VSAM objects
• • code the ALTER command to modify options for buffering, FREESPACE, SHAREOPTIONS and passwords

Alternate indexes

• • describe the reasons for using an alternate index
• • discuss the basic contents of an alternate index
• • use a PATH to process base cluster records directly and in alternate key sequence
• • define and load an alternate index
• • explain the impact of SHAREOPTIONS when opening a base cluster and associated alternate indices
• • explain programming and JCL considerations

Advanced functions and extended format data sets

• • explain VSAM advanced functions, extended format data sets, and their major features
• • explain data stripping
• • explain compression
• • explain multivolume allocation options
• • explain extended addressability
• • explain system managed buffering
• • explain partial space release
• • explain space constraint relief
• • Data set reorganization, backup, and recovery
• • describe the need for data set backup
• • explain the advantages and disadvantages of REPRO
• • explain the advantages and disadvantages of EXPORT / IMPORT
• • explain the advantages and disadvantages of DFSMS Data Set Services (DFSMSdss) DUMP / RESTORE
• • explain the advantages and disadvantages of DFSMS Hierarchical Storage Management (DFSMShsm) HBACKDS / HRECOVER
• • discuss backup frequency
• • determine when reorganization is required
• • code the AMS commands for backup, recovery, and reorganization

Linear Data Sets (LDS)

• • describe Data-In-Virtual (DIV)
• • explain the structure and use of LDS
• • explain the use of the DIV macro to access LDS
• • discuss candidates for LDS

Management and problem analysis aids

• • explain the use of the DCOLLECT command to gather management and planning information about the storage subsystem
• • discuss tools used to identify and trace VSAM errors
• • code the AMS EXAMINE command to test the structure of a Key Sequenced Data Set (KSDS)
• • interpret EXAMINE output to determine how to recover from a KSDS structural error
• • invoke the Generalized Trace Facility (GTF) to track VSAM-related events
• • invoke utilities to print GTF trace output

Local and global shared resources

• • explain techniques to conserve virtual storage by sharing buffers and control blocks
• • discuss the concept of shared resource pools
• • discuss the advantages and disadvantages of Local Shared Resources (LSR)
• • discuss the advantages and disadvantages of Global Shared Resources (GSR)
• • describe macros that control use and allocation of shared resources
• • discuss how to specify and monitor shared buffer allocation in CICS and Information Management System (IMS)

CICS VSAM recovery

• • describe the major functions of CICS VSAM recovery
• • explain the concept of transaction processing, backup, and recovery
• • explain how to implement and manage CICS VSAM recovery

Application coding considerations

• • describe VSAM processing terminology
• • define various VSAM processing options
• • explain the merge of catalog entries, JCL parameters, and program definitions that determine processing options
• • discuss VSAM programming support, and JCL requirements in Common Business Oriented Language (COBOL), Programming Language One (PL/I), and Assembler languages
• • describe JCL and programming requirements for COBOL, PL/I, and Assembler languages