Using ISMF to Identify Ineligible Data Sets

The ISMF Data Set Application helps you to identify data sets that require special attention when you implement system-managed storage.

Most of your data sets can be system-managed. System-managed data sets must satisfy the following two major requirements:

They must be cataloged
DFSMSdss supports the automatic cataloging of data sets during migration to system management. The categories of uncataloged data sets that require additional planning before they can be migrated to system management are:
- Pattern DSCBs
  Batch jobs typically use these data sets to generate DCB information for the new GDSs. You can defer handling these pattern DSCBs until you migrate the batch data that requires them. This is discussed in Managing Batch Data.
- Uncataloged data sets whose names collide with data set names that are already cataloged in the standard search order
They must be movable
SMS is designed to reduce user awareness of device-oriented considerations. System-managed data sets should be able to reside on any volume that can deliver the performance and storage management services required. Unmovable data sets must be identified and, either isolated on non-system-managed volumes, or converted to a format that is supported in the DFSMS environment.

Recommendation: Because there are application dependencies involved when changing the data set format, weigh the effort required to convert these data sets.