Application Files Under MVS

In this section:

This topic describes how WebFOCUS references and searches for your application files.


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Master Files Under MVS

The DCB attributes of the MASTER are: RECFM=FB, LRECL=80, with BLKSIZE a multiple of LRECL.

Master Files are comma-delimited files that contain metadata about data sources. When WebFOCUS needs a Master File, it searches for the ddname MASTER. If it does not find the member there, it next searches the ddname HOLDMAST, followed by EDASYNM. If it does not find the member in HOLDMAST either, WebFOCUS returns an error message.

The partitioned data set (PDS) member names must correspond to the WebFOCUS names of Master Files. For example, the command TABLE FILE CAR requires a member CAR in the MASTER file PDS.

Several partitioned data sets of Master Files can be concatenated under the ddname MASTER, provided that they have identical LRECL and RECFM attributes.

To create and maintain Master Files under TSO, use the ISPF editor.



Example: Allocating a Master File Under MVS

A typical allocation for a Master File is:

//MASTER DD DSN=qualif.EDAMFD.DATA,DISP=SHR

The entire PDS (and not a particular member) must be referenced in the allocation.


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Access Files Under MVS

For some data sources, an Access File supplements a Master File. An Access File includes additional information that completes the description of the data source. For example, it includes the full data source name and location. You need one Master File, and for some data sources, one Access File, to describe a data source.

An Access File is allocated to ddname ACCESS. The DCB attributes of the ACCESS PDS are: RECFM=FB, LRECL=80, with BLKSIZE a multiple of LRECL.

The PDS member names must correspond to the name of the Master File. For example, the FOCUS command TABLE FILE CAR requires a member CAR in the ACCESS file PDS.



Example: Allocating an Access File Under MVS

A typical allocation for an ACCESS file is:

//ACCESS DD DSN=prefix.ACCESS.DATA,DISP=SHR

The entire PDS must be referenced in the allocation, not a particular member.


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Procedures Under MVS

A procedure can be stored in one or more partitioned data sets allocated to ddname FOCEXEC. The name of the procedure corresponds to the member name.

The DCB attributes: RECFM=FB, LRECL=80, with BLKSIZE a multiple of LRECL.

In TSO, you can also create a procedure using the ISPF editor. In batch mode, you can create procedures with the utility programs IEBPTPCH and IEBUPDTE.

Several partitioned data sets of EDARPC procedures may be concatenated under the ddname of FOCEXEC.



Example: Allocating a Procedure Under MVS

A sample allocation for a procedure is:

//FOCEXEC DD DSN=qualif.EDARPC.DATA,DISP=SHR

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FOCUS Data Sources Under MVS

FOCUS databases contain data written in FOCUS format. The maximum size of a FOCUS database is 2G. Each data source is allocated to a ddname that matches the member name for the Master File in the PDS that is allocated to ddname MASTER. For example, if the Master File for the data source has the member name LEDGER, then the data source is allocated to ddname LEDGER. (If you want to override this default, you can issue the USE command, or use the a DATASET attribute in the Master File or Access File. For more information, see Accessing a FOCUS Data Source.

FOCUS data sources are formatted in 4096-byte pages. We strongly recommend that you allocate FOCUS data sources in cylinders, if the file is big enough to justify this.



Example: Allocating a FOCUS Data Source

The following example applies to a new FOCUS data source:

//CAR   DD DSNAME=CAR.FOCUS,UNIT=SYSDA,DISP=(NEW,CTLG),
//   VOL=SER=MYVOL,SPACE=(CYL,(5,5)), LRECL=4096, RECFM=F, BLKSIZE=4096

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Using FOCUS Data Sources Under MVS

Existing FOCUS data sources can always be allocated as SHR even when being modified. Concurrent destructive updates are prevented by WebFOCUS itself, by reserving exclusive use of the data source, for update purposes, for the duration of the MODIFY command. At the conclusion of the MODIFY, the user which had possession of the data source relinquishes control, making the data source available to the other users.

While only one user is allowed to update the data source, multiple users may have the data source open for read-only purposes, concurrently. This scheme offers the same protection as exclusive allocation (DISP=OLD), but it is more flexible, because with DISP=OLD, the data source is reserved for the duration of the allocation. (For a batch job, this is the entire time from initiation to termination.)

If a user attempts to modify a FOCUS data source currently being modified by another user or batch job, or if the data source is controlled by a sink machine, the result is a message stating that the data source is in use elsewhere. The MODIFY command flushes to the END statement allowing you to perform other tasks. On the other hand, if a batch job encounters the same situation, it will wait until the data source is free (that is, until the MODIFY currently in control ends or the sink machine is terminated).

When TABLE and TABLEF commands are run for the purpose of locating cross-referenced segments (segment types KU and KM), you must allocate the data source with DISP=OLD or NEW. This is so their addresses may be written into the data source from which they are being cross-referenced. This process, called pointer resolution, does not take place if the disposition of the data source is SHR or if the data source resides on a sink machine.


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External Indexes for FOCUS Data Sources Under MVS

An external index is a FOCUS data source that contains index, field, and segment information for one or more specified FOCUS data sources. The external index is independent of its associated FOCUS data source and is used to improve retrieval performance.

The external index is automatically allocated as a temporary file when it is created using REBUILD. To create a permanent external index, you must allocate it before you issue the REBUILD command.

SORTOUT is a work file that is used during the process to create an external index. You must allocate the work file with the proper amount of space, minus DCB parameters. To estimate the amount of space, use this formula:

bytes = (field_length + 20) * number_of_occurrences

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Other Supported Data Sources Under MVS

You can use the FOCUS query language to read external files that are not in FOCUS format. WebFOCUS can read tables and files for QSAM, ISAM, VSAM, IMS, CA-IDMS/DB, ADABAS, TOTAL, SYSTEM 2000, MODEL 204, Millennium, Supra, DB2, SQL/DS, CA-DATACOM/DB, Teradata, and Oracle.

The ddname under which you should allocate the external file depends on the type of file. For more information about external files, see your Reporting Server documentation.


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WebFOCUS StyleSheet Files Under MVS

WebFOCUS StyleSheets enable you to style and produce reports that highlight key information. With StyleSheets, you specify various stylistic characteristics of a report and style report components individually. You can also use StyleSheets to define a hyperlink from any reporting object.

You can create StyleSheets externally or within a report request. For details, see the Creating Reports With WebFOCUS Language manual.

The FOCSTYLE data set stores any external StyleSheets used by FOCUS procedure StyleSheet declarations.



Example: Allocating Space for ddname FOCSTYLE Under MVS

The following example shows how to allocate space for the FOCSTYLE data set:

//FOCSTYLE DD DSN=qualif.STY.DATA,DISP=SHR

where:

qualif

Is the high-level qualifier for your site.


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Profiles Under MVS

WebFOCUS supports the following levels of profiles to provide flexibility in designing and running applications.

For details on profiles, see your Reporting Server documentation.


WebFOCUS