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
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
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
4. JCL for VSAM
- Explain the 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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)
16. CICS VSAM recovery
- Describe the major functions of CICS VSAM recovery
- Explain the concept of transaction processing, backup, and recover
- Explain how to implement and manage CICS VSAM recovery
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