Application Programming Basics Flashcards
Dataset
A unit of data storage or retrieval consisting of one or more data records
Where in standard computing environments, it is a directory, what is it in mainframe?
A catalog
What is a catalog?
A dataset with information about other datasets
What type of information does a catalog keep about datasets?
Type, location, size, and format
What is the “root”, or “base” catalog structure called?
The master catalog
What does the master catalog contain?
Entries for datasets and for subcatalogs
What else is a subcatalog referred to as?
User catalogs
How do places organize catalogs to improve performance, security, and manageability.?
They create user catalogs to reduce the number of entries in the master catalog
Using which application would you list a dataset?
ISPF
What utility would you use to list datasets?
DSLIST utility
How are dataset names organized?
Hierarchical qualifiers. ex. zfs.S01.DEV
How can RACF be used to enforce security on a dataset
At the hierarchical level, for example, all datasets beginning with ZFS
When allocating a dataset, how do you specify space?
In blocks, records, tracks, or cylinders
Blocked data sets
Contain multiple records of fixed or variable record size
Unblocked data sets
Contain blocks of single records
On what is DASD data stored?
Tracks
Tracks
A unit of space on a DASD
How are tracks described?
As the number of bytes that can be written by a single read-write head in one position over the surface of a disk.
What is the maximum number of bytes on a 3390 track if a single record is written?
56,664
Storage waste occurs if the size of the track ____
is not a multiple of the block size
What’s a more accurate way to measure the amount of storage used by a dataset?
The number of tracks whose size is consistent for a device type
What is the largets unit of allocation?
A cylinder, made up of several tracks.
Name that acronym
AM
Access Method
Name that acronym
BSAM
Basic Sequential Access Method
Name that acronym
QSAM
Queued sequential access method
VSAM
Virtual Storage Access method
BDAM
Dasic Direct access method
BPAM
Basic partitioned access method
What is the simplest of basic data storage types?
flat file
How is a flat-file accessed?
Flat files are usually QSAM but are occasionally BSAM data sets.
PDS
Partitioned data set
Partitioned data set
A data set that is divided into sections called members.
A PDS has a directory of its members that can contain addition information. What is this called?
Statistics
True or False
A Members of a PDS inherit the same format type?
True
What is the use case for PDS?
PDS are used to store and organize most of the source and executables required to run and manage applications on an enterprise system.
Is the following record a PDS or a member of a PDS?
IBMUSER.JCL(ARUNREP)
Member
Is the following record a PDS or a member of a PDS?
IBMUSER.JCL
PDS
When is a PDS referred to as libraries?
When they use a naming convention indicating the type of source or module that the PDS contains
How are libraries often organized?
Into production or application groupings
When organizing libraries into groupings, what type of grouping are often used?
site-specific naming conventions, such as PROD.APP.librarytype or DEVEL.APP.librarytype.
How is library security managed?
Through RACF or a similar security system
SCM
Software configuration management
How is access to the underlying PDS and migration of the PDS members between environments managed?
Using a Software configuration management (SCM)
VSAM
Virtual storage access method
Virtual storage access method
VSAM) refers to the access method software for direct processing by key or record number, or sequential processing of fixed and variable length records.
CLUSTER
Used for certain VSAM files such as the Keyed Sequential Data Set (KSDS)