> -----Original Message----- > From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List > [mailto:IBM-MAIN@bama.ua.edu] On Behalf Of Edward Jaffe > Sent: Friday, February 17, 2012 1:58 AM > To: IBM-MAIN@bama.ua.edu > Subject: Re: Archaic allocation in JCL (Was: Physical record > size query) > > On 2/13/2012 9:38 AM, Joel C. Ewing wrote: > > Requiring application programmers to think in terms of > tracks and cylinders > > and to understand interaction between physical block size > and track capacity > > is indeed archaic, as are artificial restrictions on number > of extents or > > volumes. > > TRKs and CYLs? Most of our allocations are in MEGs. Doesn't > everyone do that > these days? > > SPACE=(1,(5,1),RLSE),AVGREC=M Allocate in MEGs > > -- > Edward E Jaffe
No. Our programmers allocate in CYLs. Why? "I understand what a cylinder is. This megabyte stuff just doesn't make sense to me." Seems weird, but they will say that they don't know how many records are going to be in a file, or how big the record may be when it is variable in length. But they __do__ have an estimate of how many cylinders it needs to have allocated. HUH? Any more, with SMS, we have the normal DATACLAS have a DVC value of 59 (maximum). The person who was the storage administrator simply told the programmers to use a "standard" allocation value and let the system take care of extending the dataset on a volume, and onto more volumes. This works about 95% of the time here. The other 5% of the time, the programmer needs to use a "really large" value for their DEFINE of a VSAM KSDS. But we know what those datasets are and how big they need to be. We are a fairly static shop on the z side any more. The "high level" application designers are all Windows trained and d! on't even consider how to use z/OS to accomplish company goals. Their response to almost anything is "z/OS can't do that". What they really mean is "I don't know how to get z/OS to do that, and I don't intend to learn either. I know Windows and so Windows is the answer." -- John McKown Systems Engineer IV IT Administrative Services Group HealthMarkets(r) 9151 Boulevard 26 * N. Richland Hills * TX 76010 (817) 255-3225 phone * john.mck...@healthmarkets.com * www.HealthMarkets.com Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message may contain confidential or proprietary information. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message. HealthMarkets(r) is the brand name for products underwritten and issued by the insurance subsidiaries of HealthMarkets, Inc. -The Chesapeake Life Insurance Company(r), Mid-West National Life Insurance Company of TennesseeSM and The MEGA Life and Health Insurance Company.SM ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@bama.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
