Detailed Course Outline
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