SdU file system

The SdU (SMARTdata Utilities) file system supports sequential, indexed, and relative files.

When you create an SdU file using OPEN OUTPUT and WRITE statements, multiple files are created:
  • The file attributes are stored in files that have suffix .DDMEA.
  • The primary index is stored in a file whose name begins with the character @, followed by the file name.
  • The alternate indexes are stored in files whose names end with suffix .@00, .@01, and so forth.
Because SdU files consist of multiple files that refer to one another internally, do not attempt to copy, move, or rename them. When you delete an SdU file (using the rm command), be sure to also delete all its component files, some of which are hidden due to their having names that begin with a period (.). To list all the components of an SdU file named Log123 in the current directory for example, use the following command:
ls -l *Log123* .*Log123*

The SdU file system conforms to 85 COBOL Standard.

Restrictions:
  • SdU files must not be accessed other than from COBOL or PL/I programs, because the metadata for SdU files is stored separately from the files (as described above).
  • The SdU file system is not safe for use with multiple threads.

related concepts  
File organization and access mode