VSAM

Virtual Storage Access Method Allows for interactive updates (adds,

changes, and deletes)

1-1

Three Types of VSAM files

KSDS Keyed Sequence Data Set RRDS Relative Record Data Set ESDS Entry Sequence Data Set

1-2

KSDS
Allows for users to access records sequentially or

randomly Includes an index and data components

A CLUSTER consists of both the index and data components together Index relates a value in a key field to the actual location of the record on disk Index is only used in random (or dynamic) processing

1-3

VSAM Data Component Storage Concepts

Control Interval (CI) Fixed amount of storage; Must be multiple of 512 Usually 2048 or 4096 bytes Data records are stored in a CI
A CI of 4096 bytes can store forty 100-byte records

Control Areas (CA) One cylinder in size Size of a cylinder varies by disk drive Contains numerous CIs
1-4

Approximate number of records in a CI

(CI size - 10) / record length

1-5

Records in a CI

Calculate the number of records in a CI formula on

previous slide Determine the percentage of records in a CI to be added or insert in an average CI

Concept of FreeSpace
Space where records can be added on the fly

1-6

CI in a CA
A fixed number based on CI size and disk

drive

For disk drive with ACD001:

CI of 2048: 315 CI in a CA CI of 4096: 180 CI in a CA

Determine the percent of the CI to be left open for additions Known as CA freespace
1-7

Freespace in a CI

Is used to add records which belong in the CI Records in a CI are shifted automatically

within the CI to accommodate the inserted record

1-8

CI Splits
If there is no freespace in the CI in which the

record is to be inserted:

CI split Half of the records in the CI are moved to a free CI in the same CA The inserted record is then inserted in the proper CI These happen routinely and are accomplished quickly

1-9

CA splits
If a CI needs to split and there is no free CI in the

CA: CA split
Half of the CI are moved to a free CA (usually at the end of the file, there is unused space) Therefore, each of the two CI have 50% free space The original CI can now split CA splits have much overhead and should be avoided!!!

1-10

Avoid CA splits
Reorganization of files Import: Copy the VSAM file to a sequential dataset Export: Delete and reload the VSAM file from the sequential data set: Resets the freespace as in the define cluster Allocate adequate freespace Analyze the primary key

1-11

Primary Key Analysis

Is the pattern in the PK Example: The Financial Aid office must keep three years of data on-line.
Previous year: State reporting

Current year: Distributing aid to students

Next year: Granting/guaranteeing aid for next year

1-12

Primary Key Analysis

Key options for the financial aid file 1-digit year + SSN
Little on-line activity on first third of file Most adds are in last third: CI/CS split likely

SSN + 1 digit year

Activity is spread evenly throughout the file Recommended

1-13

VSAM Index Component

Every KSDS as an index component for each

primary key AND each foreign key Base cluster: Primary key index and Data components Foreign key index is known as the alternate index

1-14

Primary Key Index and Data

Two parts of the index: Sequence set Index set

1-15

Primary Key Index and Data

Sequence Set Lowest level of the index component Contains information that relates key values to a specific CI Links the highest PK in a CI to the address of that CI
Stores all the key-address pairs for the Cis in a CA in one CI of

the sequence set There is a separate CI in the sequence set for each CA in the data

1-16

Primary Key Index and Data

Index Set Highest level of the index component Key-address pairs stored in one CI (can be stored in main memory for processing efficiency)
Address Pointer links to address of the appropriate sequence

set Based on size of data component (number of cylinders or CA needed to store data component), you may need a intermediate index

1-17

Alternate Index and Data Component

Alternate index relates alternate key to primary

key
Then uses the primary key index to locate the data Can have unique or non-unique AI Figure 2-4 (unique) Figure 2-5 (non-unique)

1-18

Alternate Index
Systems analyst determines whether to update

the AI each time the cluster is changed Can cause much overhead to update all indices especially in the case of a CA split Other alternative is to re-build the index periodically (every night)

1-19

Relative Record Data Set (RRDS)

Lets the user access each record at random without

the overhead of maintaining an index Instead each record in a RRDS is numbered, starting with 1 for the first record RRDS consists of a specified number of areas or slots
Known as the relative record number (RRN)

1-20

RRDS
May need a routine to convert the PK of a record

to a relative record number

Hashing Most common hashing routine: The remainder option on the divide Can cause empty slots. Can waste storage; But we avoid CI/CA splits Difficult to HASH if PK is non-numeric

1-21

RRDS
Collision If hashing routine results is same RRN for two different PK Must set secondary searching technique in case of collisions Usually linear probing: check the next record up to a maximum number of tries.
Needed to know if record to be added already exists Needed to determine if record to be retrieved exists without reading entire file

1-22

RRDS
Advantages No index overhead Direct relationship between data and location of the data Permits both random and sequential processing If good hashing routine with minimal collisions: performance efficiency is excellent

1-23

RRDS
Disadvantages Storage efficiency Collisions Difficulty in determining good hashing technique Difficulty with alphabetic key Does NOT support the concept of FK or AI Not widely used

1-24

ESDS
Entry Sequenced Data Set
The simplest type of VSAM file Records are stored sequentially at time of entry

1-25

ESDS
Similar to sequential processing Does allow to OPEN EXTEND to add records

to the end of the file

1-26

ESDS

Author does not recommend it Says it is restricted to sequential processing BUT you can build an AI for a FK BUT as of my current COBOL manuals, COBOL cannot use the AI and processing must be sequential. This is my current topic for career day questions

1-27