Functional enhancements in IMS HP Pointer Checker 3.1

The utilities that are provided in IMS HP Pointer Checker 3.1 have been enhanced to provide improved functionality and usability.

The following subsections describe the major functional enhancements in IMS HP Pointer Checker 3.1. For information about the functions that were enhanced in the prior versions or releases, see the user's guide of the prior versions.

Subsections:

HD Pointer Checker enhancements

HD Pointer Checker (HDPC) provides the following new functions:
  • A new report, HD Pointer Checker Message Summary report, is introduced in this version of the product. The HD Pointer Checker Message Summary report summarizes all the warning and error messages in a single report in an easy-to-view format. This report, which is generated in the SUMMARY DD, provides the name of the database in which an error was detected, the identification number of the error message, and the name of the report in which the error message is shown.

    This report provides you with a quick and easy way to begin analyzing the cause of the error. When an error occurs, you can use this report first to identify the error.

  • In the prior version of the product, the Index Key Check function could not verify index keys when a source segment in an indexed database is split into prefix portion and data portion. This limitation has been removed in this version of the product. You can now use the Index Key Check function of HDPC to verify index keys even when a source segment in an indexed database is split into prefix portion and data portion.
  • In the prior version of the product, the Symbolic Pointer Checking function could verify the symbolic pointers in a secondary index database only when an index target segment is a root segment. This limitation has been removed in this version of the product. In this version of the product, the Symbolic Pointer Checking has been enhanced so that it can verify the symbolic pointers in a secondary index database even when an index target segment is a dependent segment.
  • HDPC has been enhanced to run the EPSCHK evaluation processes in parallel for HALDBs. Now when you run HDPC for multiple HALDBs with the EPSCHK=YES option enabled, the elapsed time is reduced. Additionally, the SORTIL and SORTOL DD statements are no longer needed in the HDPC JCL statements.
  • APAR PK73041 provides support for the VSAM data sets of an IMS database that is allocated on an extended address volume (EAV). EAV, which is supported in z/OS® 1.10 and later, is a type of DASD storage that has 65,521 or more cylinders per volume.
    The length of the CYLS/DEVICE field in the following reports has been increased from 5 bytes to 9 bytes so that the number of cylinders for the VSAM data set that is allocated on an EAV can be fully displayed.
    • Scan of HISAM Database report
    • Scan of Index Database report
    • Validation of a Pointer to a Target at SCAN report
    The format to display the DASD address has also been changed from CCHHRR to cccCCCCHRR in the following reports:
    • Validation of a Pointer to a Target at SCAN report
    • Validation of a Pointer to a Target at CHECK report
    • Control Card/Pointer Information report
  • APAR PM46322 enhances HD Pointer Checker to support OSAM data sets of IMS databases and image copy data sets that are allocated on extended address volumes (EAVs).
  • APAR PK96437 adds the following information in the DB Record Distribution Statistics report:
    • The BLOCKS WITHOUT ROOT SEGMENTS IN RAA field

      This field shows the number of blocks that do not have root segments in the root addressable area (RAA).

    • The Summary of Dependent Segments Distribution part
      This part contains the following fields:
      • NUMBER OF DEPENDENTS IN AS SAME BLOCK AS ROOT
      • AVERAGE DEPS IN AS SAME BLOCK AS ROOT PER ROOT
      • NUMBER OF DEPENDENTS IN THE DIFFERENT BLOCK TO ROOT
    For more information about these fields, see DB Record Distribution Statistics report.
    This APAR also adds the following information in the SUMMARY OF VL SEGMENT SIZES part of the Partition Statistics report and the Database Statistics report:
    • <= AVERAGE

      This identifier marks the size range that includes the average length of the variable-length segments.

    • MORE THAN 90 PERCENT OF SEGMENT OCCURRENCES ARE INCLUDED IN THE RANGE xxxxxx - xxxxxx

      This message shows the size range in which more than 90% occurrences belong to.

    For more information, see Partition Statistics report and Database Statistics report.
  • APAR PM90989 enhances HDPC to print the HD Pointer Checker Message Summary report in the SUMMARY data set in IMS Database Reorganization Expert jobs and IMS Database Recovery Facility jobs.
  • By APAR PM15122, PM16141,and PM90989, HDPC has been enhanced to store additional HDPC reports in the Output repository of IMS Tools Knowledge Base.
    The following additional HDPC reports can be stored in each run mode:
    • In the Standard Check in an HDPC stand-alone (FABPMAIN) job:
      • HD Pointer Checker Message Summary report
      • Scan of HISAM Database report
      • Scan of Index Database report
      • Validation of a Pointer to a Target at SCAN report
      • Validation of a Pointer to a Target at CHECK report
      • Evaluation of All Pointer to the Same Target report
      • Evaluation of Index Pointers and Keys report
      • Pointer Chain Reconstruction report
      • Evaluation of Symbolic Pointer report
      • EPS Healing report
      • Evaluation of ILKS report
      • Block Map and Block Dump report
      • Environment report (for primary and secondary indexes)
      • Run time option report (for primary and secondary indexes)
    • In the HASH Check in an HDPC stand-alone (FABPMAIN) job:
      • HD Pointer Checker Message Summary report
      • Scan of HISAM Database report
      • Scan of Index Database report
      • Validation of a Pointer to a Target at SCAN report
      • HASH Evaluation report
      • Block Map and Block Dump report
      • Environment report (for primary and secondary indexes)
      • Run time option report (for primary and secondary indexes)
    • In the single-step HASH Check under IMS HP Image Copy:
      • HD Pointer Checker Message Summary report
      • Scan of HISAM Database report
      • Scan of Index Database report
      • Validation of a Pointer to a Target at SCAN report
      • HASH Evaluation report
      • Block Map and Block Dump report
      • Environment report (for primary and secondary indexes)
      • Run time option report (for primary and secondary indexes)
    • In the HASH Check under IMS Database Reorganization Expert:
      • HD Pointer Checker Message Summary report
      • Scan of HISAM Database report
      • Scan of Index Database report
      • Validation of a Pointer to a Target at SCAN report
      • HASH Evaluation report
      • Environment report (for primary and secondary indexes)
      • Run time option report (for primary and secondary indexes)
    • In the HASH Check under IMS Database Recovery Facility:
      • HD Pointer Checker Message Summary report
      • Scan of HISAM Database report
      • Scan of Index Database report
      • Validation of a Pointer to a Target at SCAN report
      • HASH Evaluation report
      • Block Map and Block Dump report
      • Environment report (for primary and secondary indexes)
      • Run time option report (for primary and secondary indexes)
    For details about the reports that can be stored in the Output repository of IMS Tools Knowledge Base, see Report reference for HD Pointer Checker.
    Important : After you apply APAR PM15122, you must register all the reports that HDPC can store in IMS Tools Knowledge Base. Sample JCL for the registration, FABPIRG1, is provided as a member in the SHPSSAMP data set. Even if IMS HP Pointer Checker 3.1 has been already defined in the IMS Tools KB registry by using the ADDPROD statement of the IMS Tools KB product administration utility (HKTAPRA0), you must run the JCL. The JCL can be run multiple times so that you can run the JCL again to register all the reports that can be stored in the repository. For details, see Configuring the environment to store reports in IMS Tools KB.
  • APAR PM28799 enhances HD Pointer Checker to check the pointers that point to the logical records containing non-unique keys in the overflow data set of a secondary index database. This check is done during the Standard Check and the HASH Check processes.
  • APAR PM50160 adds Integrated DB Sensor function support. You can collect sensor data and store the data in the IMS Tools KB Sensor Data repository within HD Pointer Checker jobs. For more information, see Collecting sensor data with the Integrated DB Sensor function.

    This APAR also enables the Space Monitor process, when called from HD Pointer Checker, to monitor the latest space utilization of VSAM data sets of IMS online full-function databases through the IMS Tools Online System Interface. For more information, see Calling Space Monitor.

  • APAR PM61429 enhances HD Pointer Checker to check whether HALDB partition reorganization numbers are corrupted, and whether incorrect indirect list keys (ILKs) exist. HALDB partition reorganization numbers can become corrupted by inappropriate reorganization procedures and cause incorrect ILKs. You can use the new DUPILKCHK=YES keyword on the PROC statement to activate this check. For more information, see PROC statement.
  • APAR PM64745 adds support for IMS catalog databases. You can run HD Pointer Checker stand-alone jobs to check the pointers in IMS catalog databases. For more information about coding JCL to process IMS catalog databases, see FABPMAIN EXEC statement and FABPMAIN DD statements.
  • APAR PM70216 enhances the Index Key Check function of the Standard Check function to support databases that have /CK fields, which are defined by the SUBSEQ operand of the XDFLD statement. You can specify the IXKEYCKCHK keyword on the PROC statement to check index keys of such databases. For more information, see PROC statement.
  • APAR PM97584 enhances HD Pointer Checker to generate repair information records. These records can be used as input to the ILK Repair utility of IMS Database Repair Facility to repair HALDB databases that have corrupted HALDB partition reorganization numbers, duplicate indirect list keys (ILKs), or potentially duplicate ILKs. For more information, see Repairing HALDB partition reorganization numbers and duplicate ILKs.
  • APAR PI17805 enhances HD Pointer Checker to support SMS parameters for dynamically allocating HD Pointer Checker work data sets in SMS environments. Also, new processing type, PROC TYPE=ESTIMATE_WK, is supported to estimate the sizes of work data sets that will be used in a pointer check job. For more information, see the following topics:

HD Tuning Aid enhancements

HD Tuning Aid (HDTA) provides the following new functions:

  • The Assigned Roots per RAP report of HDTA has been enhanced with a new Distribution of RAP Chain Length part. This part provides estimation of the length and the distribution of the HDAM or PHDAM RAP chains when randomizing parameters are changed for a database. You can use this information to simulate the length and the distribution of the HDAM or PHDAM RAP chains without actually changing a DBD.
  • HDTA has been enhanced to provide more accurate average values (up to one decimal place) in the following fields of the reports:
    • Actual Roots per Block report
      • AVG. COUNT OF ROOTS PER ACTIVE BLOCK
    • Assigned Roots per RAP report
      • AVG. COUNT OF ROOTS ON ACTIVE RAP
      • AVG. COUNT OF ROOTS PER TOTAL RAP
      • AVG. COUNT OF ROOTS PER SYNONYM CHAIN
    • Assigned Roots per Block report
      • AVG. COUNT OF ROOTS PER ACTIVE BLOCK

Space Monitor enhancements

Space Monitor provides the following new functions:
  • APAR PK88523 allows you to monitor space utilization on a VSAM data set that is allocated on an extended address volume (EAV). EAV, which is supported by z/OS 1.10, is a type of DASD storage that has 65,521 or more cylinders per volume. This APAR introduces the following changes:
    • When you run Space Monitor for a VSAM data set on an EAV, 3390-A* is displayed in the device type field of the DASD volume.
    • The layout of the Total DASD Utilization by Volume/Device-Type report has been changed to display the number of cylinders for a VSAM data set on an EAV.
  • APAR PM50160 enhances Space Monitor to monitor space utilization of non-VSAM data sets that are allocated on extended address volumes (EAVs).
  • APAR PK95690 allows you to monitor the space utilization on an extended-format VSAM data set whose size is larger than 4 GB. The layouts of the following reports have been changed to display the total number of CIs in a data set:
    • Space Analysis by Data Set report
    • Space Monitor Exception report
  • APAR PM21360 enables Space Monitor to monitor the latest space utilization of the VSAM data sets of IMS online full-function databases by using IMS Tools Online System Interface. For more information, see Monitoring IMS online full-function database data sets.
  • APAR PM79078 adds support for the FABKCTL data set, which contains the input control statements for Space Monitor. FABKCTL supports keyword-style control statements, so coding the control statements in the FABKCTL data set is easier than coding the control statements in other data sets. For more information, see FABKCTL data set.