You can use the macros documented here to examine the contents of the index of a key-sequenced data set, if your index is damaged or if pointers are lost. Two ways to access directly the index component of a key-sequenced data set or variable-length RRDS are:

• Open the data set as a cluster and use the GETIX and PUTIX macros to process a control interval.
• Open the index component as a data set and use the GET and PUT macros to process the index component as an entry-sequenced data set.

You should not attempt to duplicate or substitute the index processing done by VSAM during normal access to data records. It is best to let VSAM maintain all indexes.