Control area size has significant performance implications. One-cylinder
control areas have the following advantages:
- There is a smaller probability of control area splits.
- The index is more consolidated. One index record addresses all
the control intervals in a control area. If the control area is large,
fewer index records and index levels are required. For sequential
access, a large control area decreases the number of reads of index
records.
- There are fewer sequence set records. The sequence set record
for a control area is always read for you. Fewer records means less
time spent reading them.
- If the sequence set of the index is imbedded on the first track
of the control area, it is replicated to reduce the rotational delay
inherent when reading from the device.
- If you have allocated enough buffers, a large control area lets
you read more buffers into storage at one time. A large control area
is useful if you are accessing records sequentially.