INQUIRE DSNAME

Retrieve information about an external data set.

INQUIRE DSNAME

Read syntax diagramSkip visual syntax diagramINQUIRE DSNAME( data-value)ACCESSMETHOD( cvda)AVAILABILITY( cvda)BACKUPTYPE( cvda)BASEDSNAME( data-area)FILECOUNT( data-area)FWDRECOVLOG( data-area)FWDRECOVLSN( data-area)OBJECT( cvda)LOGREPSTATUS( cvda)LOSTLOCKS( cvda)QUIESCESTATE( cvda)RECOVSTATUS( cvda)RETLOCKS( cvda)VALIDITY( cvda)

Conditions: DSNNOTFOUND, END, ILLOGIC, IOERR, NOTAUTH,

For more information about the use of CVDAs, see CICS-value data areas (CVDAs).

Description

The INQUIRE DSNAME command returns information about the object associated with a FILE resource definition, which can be a BDAM data set, a VSAM data set, or a VSAM path to a data set through an alternate index.

Data sets are associated with files either dynamically, through the DSNAME attribute in the FILE definition, or statically, through the DSN option on the associated JCL DD statement. Many of the attributes of a data set cannot be determined until the first file that references the data set is opened by the CICS® region in which the command is issued. Where an attribute is not valid until a file is opened, the NOTAPPLIC state is returned.

Note: Using options that require a read from the ICF catalog can slow down the processing of this command.

Browsing

You can also browse through all the objects associated with files installed in your system, by using the browse options (START, NEXT, and END) on INQUIRE DSNAME commands. See Browsing resource definitions for general information about browsing, including syntax, exception conditions, and examples.

Options

ACCESSMETHOD(cvda)
Returns a CVDA value identifying the access method used with this data set. CVDA values are:
BDAM
The access method is BDAM.
NOTAPPLIC
The data set has not been opened by the CICS region in which the command is issued.
VSAM
The access method is VSAM.
AVAILABILITY(cvda) (VSAM only)
Returns a CVDA value indicating whether the data set is currently flagged, in this CICS region, as available or unavailable for use. The availability indicator is a local flag that a CICS region maintains in a data set name block (DSNB) for each data set. CVDA values are:
AVAILABLE
The data set is available for use according to the CICS data set name block. CICS can issue both RLS and non-RLS open requests for this data set.
Note: Although a data set is available according to information held by CICS, an open request can still fail if the ICF catalog indicates otherwise. This can occur, for example, if data set recovery is pending or in progress.
NOTAPPLIC
The data set is not a VSAM data set, or the data set has not been opened by the CICS region in which this command is issued.
UNAVAILABLE
Returned for a data set that CICS has marked as not available for use. The CICS region is unable to open the data set in either RLS or non-RLS mode.
BACKUPTYPE(cvda) (VSAM only)
Returns a CVDA value identifying the type of backup used for this data set. CVDA values are:
DYNAMIC
The data set is eligible for “backup while open” (BWO) processing; that is, a data set manager with the required function can take a backup of the data set while it is open for output. The data set can also be backed up while it is closed. The data set is eligible for BWO and it is accessed in non-RLS mode.

If the data set is opened in RLS mode, you need to look in the VSAM catalog to find out whether the data set is eligible for BWO. NOTAPPLIC is returned as the BACKUPTYPE for data sets opened RLS mode.

NOTAPPLIC
The data set has not been opened by the CICS region in which the command is issued, or the data set is BDAM or a VSAM PATH. Also, if the data set has been opened in RLS mode, NOTAPPLIC is returned. The VSAM catalog should be referred to get the BWO status.
STATIC
The data set is accessed in non-RLS mode, and is not eligible for BWO processing. All CICS files open for output against this data set must be closed before a data set manager, such as DFSMShsm or DFSMSdss, can take a backup copy. Hierarchical storage manager (DFSMShsm) and data set services (DFSMSdss) are components of Data Facility Storage Management Subsystem (DFSMS/MVS).

If the data set is opened in RLS mode, you need to look in the VSAM catalog to find out whether the data set is eligible for BWO.

UNDETERMINED
Returned for base files if RECOVSTATUS is UNDETERMINED.
BASEDSNAME(data-area) (VSAM only)
Returns the 44-character name of the base cluster associated with a VSAM path, when the object of the inquiry is a path. When the object is a VSAM data set, this option returns the same value as the DSNAME option.

Blanks are returned if the access method is BDAM, or if the data set has not been opened by the CICS region in which the command is issued.

DSNAME(data-value)
Specifies the 44-character identifier of the object about which you are inquiring. It must be associated with a FILE definition installed in CICS, named either in the DSNAME option of that definition or the JCL DD statement specified in the DDNAME option.
FILECOUNT(data-area)
Returns a fullword binary field indicating the number of installed file definitions that refer to this data set.
FWDRECOVLOG(data-area) (VSAM only)
Returns, as a halfword binary value, the numeric journal identifier of the journal being used as the forward-recovery log, if this is a forward-recoverable data set.
FWDRECOVLOG is undefined if the data set is not forward-recoverable. A data set can be defined as being forward recoverable in the ICF catalog or, if it is accessed in non-RLS mode, in the file definition.
This option is valid for data sets accessed only in non-RLS mode, and for which the recovery attributes are obtained from the file resource definition.
CICS returns a value of zero for forward-recoverable data sets accessed in RLS mode, or for non-RLS mode data sets for which CICS obtains the recovery attribute from the ICF catalog.
FWDRECOVLSN(data-area) (VSAM only)
Returns the name (up to 26 characters) of the log stream that is used to log the updates if this is a data set defined with forward-recovery attributes or replication logging. CICS returns blanks if the data set is not forward recoverable and not using replication logging.
The log stream name returned is either:
  • The log stream name specified directly in the ICF catalog for forward recovery or replication logging
  • For a non-RLS access mode data set that does not have forward recovery attributes in the ICF catalog, it is a log stream name identified by CICS through a journal name generated from the FWDRECOVLOG value.
LOGREPSTATUS(cvda)
Returns a CVDA value identifying whether the data set was defined with LOGREPLICATE. The valid values are:
LOGREPLICATE
All updates to the data set are logged for replication.
NOLOGREPLICA
Updates to the data set are not logged for replication.
NOTAPPLIC
The data set has not been opened by the CICS region in which the command is issued, or the data set is BDAM .
LOSTLOCKS(cvda) (RLS only)
Returns a CVDA value indicating whether there are any lost locks for this data set. CVDA values are:
NOTAPPLIC
This is not an RLS data set, or the data set has not been opened by the CICS region in which the command is issued.
NOLOSTLOCKS
The data set has no lost locks.
REMLOSTLOCKS
The data set has lost locks, hence is unavailable, but no recovery is required on this CICS region.
RECOVERLOCKS
The data set has lost locks, hence is unavailable, and the CICS region is performing lost-locks recovery.

See the RESETLOCKS and the FORCE|COMMIT|BACKOUT options on the EXEC CICS SET DSNAME command for information about purging units of work that might be holding up lost locks recovery.

OBJECT(cvda) (VSAM only)
Returns a CVDA value indicating whether the object of the inquiry is a real data set containing records (a VSAM KSDS, ESDS, or RRDS, or an alternate index used directly) or a VSAM path definition that links an alternate index to its base cluster. CVDA values are:
BASE
This is a data set containing records.
NOTAPPLIC
The data set has not been opened by the CICS region in which the command is issued, or it is a BDAM data set.
PATH
This is a path.
QUIESCESTATE(cvda) (VSAM only)
Returns a CVDA value indicating the RLS quiesce state of the data set. The information is obtained from the ICF catalog entry for the data set.
Note: This option is returned, whether the data set has been opened by the CICS region in which the command is issued.
CVDA values are:
NOTAPPLIC
This data set is:
  • Migrated
  • Accessed using BDAM
  • Accessed using a level of VSAM that does not support RLS (that is, DFSMS/MVS is earlier than 1.3)

NOTAPPLIC is also returned if CICS is running without RLS support (the RLS=NO system initialization parameter is specified or implied).

QUIESCED
This data set has been quiesced. CICS cannot open files in RLS mode against the data set, and no CICS region has a file currently open against this data set. However, the data set can be opened in non-RLS mode.
QUIESCING
This data set is in the process of quiescing. It applies only to the CICS region that initiated the quiesce; for other CICS regions, UNQUIESCED is returned.
UNQUIESCED
The normal value for a data set that is not quiescing or is not quiesced. It indicates that files can be opened in RLS or non-RLS mode against the data set, the mode being established by the first open. After a file is opened in one mode, other files can be opened only in the same mode.
RECOVSTATUS(cvda)
Returns a CVDA value identifying the recovery characteristics of the data set. CVDA values are:
FWDRECOVABLE
All updates to the data set are logged for both backout and forward recovery.
NOTAPPLIC
This is a BDAM data set or a VSAM path, or the data set has not been opened by the CICS region in which the command is issued.
NOTRECOVABLE
Updates to the data set are not logged.

This response may also be returned as the result of use of the XFCNREC global user exit. A program enabled at XFCNREC may indicate that file opens should proceed even if there is a mismatch in the backout recovery requirements for different files associated with same data set. In these circumstances, the data set is marked as NOTRECOVABLE to indicate that its data integrity can no longer be guaranteed. The condition remains until cleared by a CEMT SET DSNAME REMOVE or EXEC CICS SET DSNAME REMOVE command, or by an initial or cold start.

While the data set is in this state, backout logging is performed for a particular request based on the specification in the file definition. Therefore backout logging may occur for requests via one file and not via another.

RECOVERABLE
All updates to the data set are logged for backout.
UNDETERMINED
The recovery status is unknown because no files associated with this data set have been opened, or because the only files opened were defined as coupling facility data tables or as user-maintained data tables (where the recovery attributes are independent of the associated data set).
RETLOCKS(cvda)
Returns a CVDA value indicating whether there are any retained record locks, as a result of deferred recovery work by this CICS region, for the specified data set. CVDA values are:
NOTAPPLIC
This data set has not been opened by the CICS region in which the command is issued.
NORETAINED
This CICS region:
  • Has no deferred recovery work for the base data set, and therefore no retained locks, or
  • Has recovery work currently in progress.
Retained locks might be held against the data set by other CICS regions. The command needs to be issued on all regions in the sysplex to get a full picture of the state of the data set. See Batch-enabling sample programs for RLS access-mode data sets (DFH0BATx) for information about the CICS batch-enabling sample programs that assist you in doing this, and about the AMS SHCDS LIST subcommands that allow you to investigate retained locks held by CICS regions that are down.
RETAINED
This CICS region has deferred recovery work causing retained locks for the data set. One effect of this is that, if the data set was last opened in RLS mode, the locks are RLS locks and, therefore, the data set cannot be opened in non-RLS mode.

Another effect is that any FILE definitions that specify this data set cannot be changed to specify a different data set.

If the data set is a BDAM data set, or a VSAM data set accessed in non-RLS mode, the locks are CICS record locks, otherwise they are RLS record locks. The UOW that has retained locks is usually shunted, but it may be in the process of being retried.

VALIDITY(cvda)
Returns a CVDA value identifying whether the data set name has been validated against the VSAM catalog by opening a file associated with the data set. CVDA values are:
INVALID
The data set name has not been validated (validation has not yet occurred or has failed).
VALID
The data set name has been validated.
You cannot find out what the RECOVSTATUS of a data set is unless VALIDITY has a setting of VALID.

Conditions

DSNNOTFOUND
RESP2 values:
1
The data set cannot be found.
END
RESP2 values:
2
There are no more resource definitions of this type.
ILLOGIC
RESP2 values:
1
You issued a START command when a browse of this resource type is already in progress, or you issued a NEXT or an END command when a browse of this resource type is not in progress.
IOERR
RESP2 values:
40
QUIESCESTATE was specified, but an error was raised by DFSMS/MVS when reading the ICF catalog.
48
The specified operation cannot be completed because the data set is migrated. Recall the data set and reissue the command.
49
An error was raised by DFSMS/MVS when reading the ICF catalog to establish the base data set name.
Note: If an IOERR occurs within a browse it does not terminate the browse operation, and CICS attempts to return as many parameter values as possible.
NOTAUTH
RESP2 values:
100
The user associated with the issuing task is not authorized to use this command.