z/OS VSAM and Access Method Services

Module 1: 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

Module 2: 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

Module 3: 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

Module 4: 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

Module 5: 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

Module 6: 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

Module 7: 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

Module 8: 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

Module 9: 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

Module 10: 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

Module 11: 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

Module 12: 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

Module 13: 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

Module 14: 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

Module 15: 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)

Module 16: 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

Module 17: 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

Hands-On Labs

Eight labs are included to address:

• IDCAMS commands, including ALTER, DEFINE, CLUSTER, EXPORT, IMPORT, EXAMINE, LISTCAT, REPRO, and PRINT
• Tuning VSAM and the VSAM buffers
• Alternate indexes