Describing ADABAS Files to FOCUS

Before you can access an ADABAS file using FOCUS, you must first describe it to FOCUS in two files: a Master File, and an associated Access File. A Master File is required to describe the ADABAS file in standard FOCUS terminology to the ADABAS Interface. The Access File describes the database access information, for example, database number, file number, and descriptor fields.

Under MVS, the Master File is a member of a PDS with ddname MASTER. The Access File is a member of a PDS with ddname FOCADBS or ACCESS. Under CMS, the Master File is stored with a filetype of MASTER. The Access File is stored with a filetype of FOCADBS or ACCESS.

Analyze your ADABAS structures to decide how you want to describe them to FOCUS. Once that is done, your next step is to create their Master and Access Files. The preferred way to create Master and Access Files is to use the AUTOADBS facility described in The AUTOADBS Facility. This chapter is helpful if your site does not have the Predict dictionary or if you want to modify the Master and Access Files.

FOCUS processes a report request with the following steps:

  1. It locates the Master File for the ADABAS file. The filename in the report request is the same as the MVS PDS member name or CMS filename for filetype MASTER.

  1. It detects the SUFFIX attribute, ADBSINX, in the Master File. Since this value indicates that the data resides in an ADABAS file, it passes control to the Interface.

  2. The Interface locates the corresponding Access File and uses the information contained in both the Master and Access Files to generate the ADABAS direct calls required by the report request. It passes these direct calls to the ADABAS DBMS.

  3. The Interface retrieves the data generated by the ADABAS DBMS and returns control to FOCUS. For some operations, FOCUS may perform additional processing on the returned data.

Topics:

Information Builders