VSAM Essentials Workshop

Objectives
On successful completion of this course, attendees will be able to:

• describe and explain the concepts of the z/OS access methods
• analyse the structure of the RRDS, ESDS, KSDS and LDS data sets
• use the Access Method Services utility program IDCAMS to define, load, backup, monitor and manipulate VSAM data sets with particular emphasis on the KSDS file type
• develop guidelines for optimised allocation of VSAM files for use at their installation
• identify performance related issues in the batch and online environments that can be found when using the KSDS file type.

Who Should Attend
All programmers, systems programmers, operators and operations analysts.

Duration
3 days

Course Code
MVSE

Contents
VSAM overview
MVS and I/O processing; MVS access methods; VSAM terminology; VSAM dataset structures: ESDS, RRDS, KSDS, linear datasets; ICF catalogs and VTOCs.


VSAM data set structure
Control Areas; Control Intervals; CI structure ppanned records; CI splits; CA splits.


Using Access Method Services
Modal commands; creating VSAM clusters; Modal command examples; error messages.


Defining VSAM data sets
Define command; define cluster parameters; space allocations; defining ESDS, KSDS & RRDS.


Listing catalog information
Listcat command; listcat options.


VSAM data set management
Management commands; REPRO; REPRO options; copying & merging.


Alternate indexes
Defining an AIX; BLDINDEX; UPGRADE vs UPDATE; using AIX.


VSAM data integrity
VSAM SHAREOPTIONS; Cross System Sharing; passwords; EXPORT/IMPORT.


VSAM performance considerations
IMBED; bufferspace; KSDS space requirements; NSR; LSR.