On successful completion of this course you 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 datasets
• use the Access Method Services utility program IDCAMS to define, load, backup, monitor and manipulate VSAM datasets with particular emphasis on the KSDS file type
• develop guidelines for optimised allocation of VSAM files for use at their installation.

• VSAM Overview
  • MVS and I/O processing
  • The access methods
  • The IOS Drivers
  • The I/O Supervisor (IOS)
  • The Back-End process
  • MVS access methods
  • Queued Sequential Access Method
  • Basic Direct Access Method
  • Basic Partitioned Access Method
  • PDSE processing
  • And now to VSAM
  • VSAM features
  • Entry Sequenced Data Set (ESDS)
  • Key Sequenced Data Set (KSDS)
  • Relative Record Data Set (RRDS)
  • Catalog concepts
  • ICF catalogs and VTOCS
  • ICF catalogs (BCS)
  • VSAM Volume Data Set (VVDS)
  • Cluster Catalog (BCS) entries
  • Alternate indexes and paths
  • VSAM overview - exercises
• VSAM Dataset Structure
  • Control Areas
  • Control Intervals
  • Control Interval structure
  • CI structure of fixed length records
  • CI structure of variable length records
  • Control Area structure
  • Relative Byte Address (RBA)
  • Spanned records
  • Storage of data on DASD volumes
  • Entry Sequenced
  • Key Sequenced
  • Index component
  • Free space
  • RRDS characteristics
  • KSDS processing example
  • The Control Interval is rewritten
  • Deleting a record
  • Record insertion
  • CI split
  • CA split
  • VSAM dataset structure - exercises
• Using Access Method Services
  • Access Method Services (AMS)
  • AMS command format
  • Example - define an ESDS
  • Modal commands
  • Cancelling IDCAMS steps
  • Using the ELSE and SET commands
  • Comments
  • Error messages
  • Dataset already exists
• Defining VSAM Datasets
  • IDCAMS commands
  • DEFINE command - main parameters
  • Defining a cluster
  • Cluster sub-parameters
  • IDCAMS required parameters
  • Space allocation and reuse
  • SHAREOPTIONs (x region, y system)
  • Control Interval Size
  • More IDCAMS parameters
  • DATA and INDEX sub-parameters
  • Defining an ESDS
  • Defining an RRDS
  • Defining a KSDS
  • FREESPACE
  • DELETE MASK | NOMASK
• Listing Catalog Information
  • Listing catalog information - LISTCAT
  • Catalog information
  • LISTCAT
  • LISTCAT parameters
  • LISTCAT examples
  • LISTCAT output
• VSAM Dataset Management
  • VSAM data management commands
  • Loading datasets
  • REPRO
  • REPRO parameters
  • Copy ESDS to KSDS
  • Copy partial RRDS to RRDS
  • Copy keyrange from KSDS to KSDS
  • Merge two KSDSs
  • Copy KSDS to tape
  • Printing datasets
  • PRINT parameters
  • PRINT examples
  • PRINT output example - CHARACTER
  • Altering catalog entries
  • Deleting catalog entries
  • DELETE parameters
  • DELETE examples
• Alternate Indexes
  • Why use alternate indexes?
  • Alternate index design
  • Alternate index record
  • Defining a route to the base cluster
  • Update of an alternate index
  • Defining an alternate index
  • Alternate index sub-parameters
  • Alternate index (SMS)
  • AIX record size calculation
  • Building an alternate index
  • Defining a Path
  • Printing a base KSDS
  • Printing via an alternate indexes using PATH
• VSAM Data Integrity
  • Data integrity
  • Disposition processing
  • VSAM SHAREOPTIONS
  • Cross system sharing
  • VSAM back-up options
  • The EXPORT command
  • VSAM recovery options
  • The IMPORT command

Live instructor-led training, with plenty of opportunities for hands-on exercises and discussion.
This course is also available for exclusive, one-company presentations and for live presentation over the Internet, via the Virtual Classroom Environment service.

Delivered as a live, interactive online training

Familiarity with basic z/OS principles and a working knowledge of TSO/ISPF and JCL.

All programmers, systems programmers, operators and operations analysts.