VSAM To OSAM PDF

Session: K10
How to Tell if Your Database is Getting Full

and What Are Your Options if it is?
Mark Henderson
CA
May 21, 2008 • 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Platform: z/OS
1
Session K10
How to Tell if Your Database is
Getting Full and What Are Your
Options if it is?
Mark Henderson
CA
mark.henderson@ca.com
2
Session aims
• How to detect whether you have a problem with
database space
• What to do when you determine you have a

problem with database space
3
Database space components
• RBA
• High-used RBA
• High-allocated RBA
• Bitmap
• CI/CA splits
• Allocation parms
• Volume(s)
4
• RBA – relative byte address
Has 32 or 33 bit value
Permits 4G or 8G of addressing
5
• High-used RBA
How much of the 4G/8G you have used
The distance between the start of the database

and logical EOF
When approaching 4G/8G you have a problem
6
• High-allocated RBA
The highest RBA permitted by the sum of the

currently-allocated primary and secondary extents
7
• Bitmap
Freespace algorithms work at the DBD-level so if

you have one very long segment it can distort the
amount of apparent freespace
8
• CI/CA splits
VSAM KSDS (indices) only
Can cause space problems
9
• Allocation parms – primary & secondary extents
OSAM permits up to 16 extents per volume and

somewhere between 52 and 60 extents in total
VSAM permits up to 123 extents per volume and

255 extents in total
VSAM guaranteed free space
10
10
• Volume(s)
Concern if your “end volume” has insufficient

space to allow a secondary allocation
11
11
An example
Let’s imagine an OSAM database
Blocksize of 27,998
Tracksize of 56,664
Defined with SPACE=(TRK,(1000,600))
Allocated on a single volume
Two extents have been taken
400 tracks of the secondary allocation are in use
12
12
An example
1. High-allocated RBA of
(1000+600)*56K = X’00578000’
2. High-used RBA of
(1000+400)*56K = X’004C9000’
13
13
Why should we worry ?
• Are we close to exceeding the maximum RBA?
• Are we close to taking another extent ?
• If we take another extent are we going to exceed the
maximum number of extents ?
• Are we close to 64k tracks on a volume ?
• Does the volume contain a free extent large enough to allow
us to take another ? Remember, VSAM always takes a
primary extent as its first extent on a volume.
• Is another volume available ?
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In our example….
• No worry on RBA– X’004C9000’ is well below
X’FFFFFFFF’ maximum
• No worry on existing extent - 200 tracks left
• No worry on the number of extents taken
• Maybe worry as to whether volume has 600
contiguous free tracks ?
• Maybe worry - if the volume doesn’t have 600
contiguous free tracks – no alternative volume
15
15
How to deal with the general subject
• All of the information is available but it has to be
gleaned from many places
• Out-of-the-box IMS provides nothing to help
• Vendors sell pointer checkers that collate the

information
16
16
Difficulties in dealing with the subject
• Write your own utility – unlikely
• Need a system-wide picture - pointer checkers
execute at the database level
• Need a cheap solution - pointer checkers can take
a while to execute
• Need current information – due to online systems
pointer checkers may not see the current picture
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Database Space Analyzer (DSA)
• Batch utility free with CA’s Database Analyzer
• Uses RECONs to populate threshold PDS
• Checks the databases in an IMS/DC region
• Collects some of its data from online control blocks
to provide an up-to-the-minute picture
• Collects the rest of its data from the catalog or the
VTOC
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• Thresholds are applied to each database
• Report produced
• Exceptions are highlighted
• Problems are predicted
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• ALCUSED – % of used space to allocated space
• PCTMAX - % of used space to theoretical limit
• XTAVAIL - # available extents to hold sec alloc
• XTOSAM - # extents in use by OSAM database
• XTVSAM - # extents in use by VSAM database
• CASPLIT - % of CA splits
• CISPLIT - % of CI splits
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DSA0400E 150 DATASETS HAD THRESHOLD EXCEPTIONS.
DSA0401I SUMMARY OF DSN THRESHOLDS EXCEEDED
Number of extents, OSAM : 3
Number of extents, VSAM : 0
Number of available extents : 26
Allocation used (percent) : 140
Percent max theoretical size : 0
Percent CI splits : 2
Percent CA splits : 1
** Total number of exceptions : 172
** Total number of DSNs with exceptions : 150
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A Ending Total Alloc (Cyl)
DBDname DDname DBtype M Data Set Name Volser Cyls Ext Prmry Scdry Threshold Exception(s)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DVAS8410 VAS08410 INDEX K TST.HPO.XCF1.DVAS8410.IX IDI002 50 1 50 0 Avl xtnts= 0, Threshold= 3
CI splits= 31% Threshold= 20
CA splits= 50% Threshold= 35
DSADB003 DSADB03D INDEX K IDI.SYSTEST.DSADB003 IDI127 3 1 3 0 Avl xtnts= 0, Threshold= 3
Alloc Used= 33% Threshold= 20
D17 MARKHI1A PHIDAM O IDI.SYSTEST.XCF1.D17.DATABASE.A00001 RJC004 22 22 1 1 Extents= 22, Threshold= 5
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• For all datasets whose ALCUSED is exceeded
space simulation occurs:
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<-- Threshold --> <- Simulation -
C C P E X A P E V O
I A C X T L C X O V
T T A C T T L E
S S E V E R
P P M N A U M N S 6
A L L A T I S A T P 4
DBDname DDname DBtype M T T X S L D X S C K Data set name
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D18 D18P05L ILDS K * IDI.SYSTEST.XCF1.P1EPT05.L00005
D18P12X PHINDX K * * * IDI.SYSTEST.XCF1.P1EPT12.X00012
D18P15L ILDS K * * * IDI.SYSTEST.XCF1.P1EPT15.L00015
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Large Database Alternatives
• Note, even if you’re not close to the 4G/8G limit you should
still consider these suggestions.
• Reorganize the database (reviewing FSPC or segment

lengths)
• Candidate volumes can be dynamically added for VSAM
• LFD ?
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• Per Bill Keene of NESI in his excellent white paper
titled “Large Database Alternatives”:
http://www.neonesoft.com/resources_whitepapers.html
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Database purging
• Write a program to purge or archive old data.
• Less DASD, less admin overhead, increased
availability, no application or JCL changes,
greater database longevity.
• Only cost is in coding the program.
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27
Convert VSAM databases to OSAM
• Double the capacity
• Better performance, increased availability, no
application or JCL changes, greater database
longevity.
• Must change DBD, reregister database in DBRC,
buffer pool specifications, dataset allocation
procedures.
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28
Multiple Dataset Groups
• Up to 10 DSGs permitted
• Increased addressing, no application changes,
performance improvements if done correctly.
• DBD changes, multiple I/O operations needed for
record retrieval, dataset allocation procedures,
DFSMDA members or JCL changes, backup
procedures.
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Segment compression
• DBD-based
• Less space, no application or JCL changes, less
admin overhead, possible I/O improvements.
• Extra CPU, possible increase in I/O due to
separated prefix & data, possible increase in
logging data.
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Convert to DEDB
• Permits 2,048 areas of 4G each
• Increased addressing
• Different philosophy, application changes, no DL/I
support, no indexing, no logical relationships.
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Database partitioning
• HALDB or PDF from NESI
• Increased addressing, few (if any) application
changes, increased availability, easier admin in
terms of manageability, more flexible.
• DBD changes, more admin in terms of setup,
DBRC requirements.
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Recommendations
1. Purge or archive old data
2. Implement segment edit/compression where
suitable
3. Implement partitioning
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CI/CA splits
• Repro index to work file and back again
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Too many extents
• Reorganize database changing primary &
secondary space allocations
• Consider making primary allocation large enough

to hold all data – improves performance
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Volume-type issues
• Clear up volume(s)
• Add extra volumes dynamically via utility
• Reorganize database specifying extra volumes or

different SMS parms at allocation time
• VSAM guaranteed free space
36
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Any questions ?
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Session: K10

How to Tell if Your Database is Getting Full

May 21, 2008 • 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

• What to do when you determine you have a

Has 32 or 33 bit value

How much of the 4G/8G you have used

The distance between the start of the database

When approaching 4G/8G you have a problem

The highest RBA permitted by the sum of the

Freespace algorithms work at the DBD-level so if

VSAM KSDS (indices) only

Can cause space problems

OSAM permits up to 16 extents per volume and

VSAM permits up to 123 extents per volume and

VSAM guaranteed free space

Concern if your “end volume” has insufficient

• Out-of-the-box IMS provides nothing to help

• Vendors sell pointer checkers that collate the

• Exceptions are highlighted

• Problems are predicted

** Total number of DSNs with exceptions : 150

• Reorganize the database (reviewing FSPC or segment

• Candidate volumes can be dynamically added for VSAM

• Consider making primary allocation large enough

• Add extra volumes dynamically via utility

• Reorganize database specifying extra volumes or

• VSAM guaranteed free space

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