The definition of a user catalog

  • Post category:Catalog
  • Reading time:1 mins read

Ok another short one: just a small JCL script with working example for the definition of a user catalog. This would accompany the example of the alias definition for a user catalog that can be found here.

//DEFCAT   EXEC PGM=IDCAMS                               
//SYSPRINT DD SYSOUT=*                                  
//SYSIN    DD *                                       
DEFINE UCAT (NAME(SYS1.USERCAT.PROD) VOLUME(DASD1B) - 
        CYL(6,1) ICFCAT  )         

Enjoy.

Pierre G.

How to copy the contents of a catalog: IDCAMS

  • Post category:Catalog
  • Reading time:1 mins read

A very short one, but regularly asked by my mentees: how to copy the contents of a catalog? Just use IDCAMS’ REPRO facility, like you would for a regular VSAM dataset 

//COPYCAT   EXEC PGM=IDCAMS                           
//SYSPRINT DD SYSOUT=*                         
//SYSIN    DD *                                      
REPRO  INDATASET(CATALOG.MVSICFM.VD9ECAT) -         
        OUTDATASET(SYS1.MSTRCTLG)   

//Pierre G

Allocate a page dataset / page space for new system, in a second master catalog

  • Post category:JCL
  • Reading time:1 mins read

This job shows you how you can define a page dataset in another master catalog than the currently active master catalog. This technique is typically used when you are building a new system from a driver system. The master catalog referred to via the CATALOG statement below is the to-be master catalog of the new system you are building.

//DEFPAGE EXEC PGM=IDCAMS
//SYSPRINT DD SYSOUT=*
//PAGE2    DD UNIT=3390,VOL=SER=PSYS1B,DISP=OLD
//SYSIN    DD *
  DEFINE PAGESPACE( -
      FILE(PAGE2) -
      NAME(SYS1.MVST.PLPA2) -
      CYLINDERS(300) -
      VOLUME(PSYS1B) ) -
    CATALOG(SYS1.MSTRCAT0)
/*

//Pierre G.

Define an ALIAS for your User Catalog

  • Post category:Catalog
  • Reading time:1 mins read

This JCL defines an ALIAS in the current master catalog. The alias points to the user catalog named in the RELATE clause.

Use a STEPCAT pointing to another master catalog when needed.

//DEFCAT   EXEC PGM=IDCAMS 
//* STEPCAT DD DISP=SHR etc when needed     
//SYSPRINT DD SYSOUT=*
//SYSIN    DD *        
  DEF ALIAS (NAME(PROD) RELATE(SYS1.USERCAT.PROD)) 
/*
//

//Pierre G

Compare Disk contents with Catalogs – a custom Rexx and JCL solution

  • Post category:Rexx
  • Reading time:2 mins read

This one is untested since 1997. A little warning, though I believe it will still work.

During a z/OS migration (probably still MVS/ESA or maybe OS/390) we needed to restructure the catalog layout. The client did not have a good catalog structure in place and almost everything had ended up in the master catalog. A small nightmare, especially for a smooth upgrade. BEtter worded: they made a mess of their catalogs. (The company does not exist anymore.)

I created some custom programs to compare catalog contents with contents on disks.

The job in CMPLCLVJ does the following:

CMPLCLVJ

  • Step INTRPOLD – Interpret an existing LISTCAT result for easier handling during the compare
  • Step LIST: Create LISTVTOC of desired volumes
  • Step INTRPLV – Interpret the LISTVTOC output for easier handling during the compare
  • Step COMPLCLV – Compare the Listcat and LISTVTOC

The following Rexx programs are used in this job:

INTLISTC – interprets the LISTCAT output.

INTLISTV – interprets the LISTVTOC results

CMPLCLV – compares the interpreted (transformed) listcat and listvtoc results and reports the results.

// Judd Froam