IOAREA: Keep or Free the I/O Work Area

IOAREA=KEEP

Specifies that the CVAF I/O area associated with the CVAF parameter list is to be kept upon completion of the CVAF request. IOAREA=KEEP can be coded with BRANCH=NO only if the caller is authorized (APF, or system key).

If IOAREA=KEEP is coded, the caller must call CVAF with IOAREA=NOKEEP specified at some future time, whether or not any further VTOC access is required: for example, the recovery routine of the caller of CVAF.

Coding IOAREA=KEEP allows subsequent CVAF requests to be more efficient, because certain initialization functions can be bypassed. Neither DEB nor UCB need be specified when a previously obtained CVAF I/O area is supplied; nor can they be changed.

When IOAREA=KEEP is first issued, CVAF returns the CVAF I/O area in the CVAF parameter list (CVIOAR). Subsequent calls of CVAF can use that same parameter list, and CVAF obtains its I/O area from the CVIOAR.

When processing on the current volume is finished, release all areas that were kept.

Note: Do not switch back and forth between AMODE=24 and AMODE=31 during a succession of CVAFSEQ requests while IOAREA=KEEP is active. This can cause problems such as ABENDS in CVAF.

IOAREA=(KEEP,addr)

Supplies the address of a previously obtained I/O area. If a different CVAF parameter list is used, the previously obtained CVAF I/O area can be passed to CVAF by coding its address as the second parameter of the IOAREA keyword.

IOAREA=NOKEEP

Causes the work area to be freed upon completion of the CVAF request.

IOAREA=(NOKEEP,addr)

Causes a previously obtained work area to be freed upon completion of the CVAF request.