BMS/TS Technique
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Backup and REORG your ii$FILE regularly.
The data used by BMS/TS and ASSIST/TS is maintained in a VSAM file unique to your particular institution or organization. It is your responsibility to keep that file reorganized and backed up.
Your particular DSN can be determined by looking in your test region at the file whose DDNAME is ii$FILE (where “ii” is the first two characters of your BMS/TS transaction).
There is a recently updated example of the REORG job stream at the end of this article. That example saves a copy of the BMS/TS and ASSIST/TS data in a GDG as the REORG progresses. Be sure to use the correct IDCAMS parameters for your particular VSAM file.
Such a REORG keeps your file clean and fast as well as giving you a disaster recovery point. If you ignore the advice given later in this article, your mapsets can be recovered from that saved backup file. An example of that process is also provided.
Some BMS/TS techniques that will keep you from having to use that backup
Save before you change
Copy your map to a new name before any changes are made, no matter how minor they may be. For example, my technique is to copy MPSAMP to BSAMP or OSAMP, or ZSAMP. Make this a habit and you will be saved much grief.
While updating, Checkpoint (PF6) and Refresh (PF8)
Use PF6 to checkpoint changes to your map as you go. Change a few things, hit PF6, change some more Hit PF6, bump the erase end-of-field, and all is not lost. Just hit PF8 and you are back at your last PF6 checkpoint.
Note: PF6 does not SAVE your map back to the VSAM file, if you subsequently hit CLEAR, all updates are lost.
Stay away from Erase-EOF
The worst key for BMS/TS is the erase-to-end-of-field (Erase-EOF) key. Your whole map can disappear in an instant. (Slap, slap, bad finger)
Be careful with insert mode and the backspace key
Existing fields can slide around on you if your terminal is set to INSERT mode. By all means, use it when appropriate, but be aware.
The same applies to the backspace and delete keys.
See the advice about use of the PF5 key below.
Set you emulator options correctly
Many terminal emulators let you select the style of insert and delete that you want. I recommend that you stay away from the “multi-line” insert or “multi-line” delete options.
Use PF5 in case any fields moved
If you have moved any fields horizontally on the screen, hit the PF5 key before finishing. That tells BMS/GT to look around for fields that have moved. This will save you time because you won’t have to re-enter as much data.
During the post-paint Map Verification process it may prompt you about more fields than you actually changed, but if the data is correct, all you have to do is hit Enter.
Hit CLEAR when disaster strikes
If you see that you just made a major blunder and have no checkpoint to fall back to, hit CLEAR before you hit anything else. You may lose your changes, but you won’t be spending the next two hours rebuilding your map from scratch.
The following function keys are available during Screen Painting activity.
F1 - View these function key settings
F2 - Duplicate the line where the cursor is positioned
F3 - Enter Assign default values to all entries and advance to the map verification screen. Enter will do the same
thing.
F4 - Display map definition options. There you can change upper and lower case, extended attribute options and
field name prefix, to name a few.
F5 - Check for movement of fields during an update and realign the symbolic and physical maps
F6 - Checkpoint the current map image. (PF1 calls this a SAVE, it is NOT)
F7 - Checkpoint the current map image. (PF1 calls this a SAVE, it is NOT)
F8 - Refresh the screen from the previous checkpoint image
F9 - Insert a blank line where the cursor is positioned
F10 - Bring up the Copy/Move Functions menu
The following function keys are available during the Screen Verification process
ENTER - Type data and tab around the screen. Hit enter to simulate your application
If you have not typed anything, ENTER will return you to the Select a Map Screen.
F1 - View these function key settings
F2 - Move the default cursor location to the current cursor location
F3 - Return to the Select a Map Screen
F4 - Return to the screen painting process
F5 - Display all spaces on the map as question marks (?)
F6 - Go to the Submit Screen ( note: this is an undocumented function)
F7 & up - Same as PF3
The following JCL streams are provided as examples for our customers to use as they see fit. These are mildly edited versions of actual jobs run on behalf of NWRDC’s GT software file.
--------------------------------------------
SAMPLE REORG JOB
--------------------------------------------
//xxxxx JOB xxxxx,’xxxxxxxxx’,TIME=(x) (Your JOB card)
/*JOBPARM L=99999
//*****************************************
//* CLOSE THE FILE
//*****************************************
//CLOSE EXEC NWBCLOSE,TEST=TEST
//SYSIN DD *
NW$FILE (Your ii$FILE)
//*****************************************
//* LIST DIRECTORY
//*****************************************
//STEP0 EXEC GTBUTIL,COND=(0,NE),
// USER=KICS,NAME='CT99.NWR.MASTER' (Your DSN)
//BMSGT.SYSIN DD *
DLIST
//*****************************************
//* BACKUP USING GTBUTIL TO TAPE GDG
//*****************************************
//STEP1 EXEC GTBUTIL,COND=(0,NE),
// USER=KICS,NAME='CT99.NWR.MASTER' (Your DSN)
//BMSGT.TAPOUT DD DSN=NWR.BMSGT.BACKUP(+1), (Your backup)
// DCB=(NWR.MODEL), (Your model)
// UNIT=TAPEC,DISP=(NEW,CATLG,CATLG)
//BMSGT.SYSIN DD *
BACKUP
//*****************************************
//* SECOND BACKUP USING GTBUTIL TO DASD
//*****************************************
//STEP2 EXEC GTBUTIL,COND=(0,NE),
// USER=KICS,NAME='CT99.NWR.MASTER' (Your DSN)
//BMSGT.TAPOUT DD DSN=&&DASD,
// UNIT=SYSDA,DISP=(NEW,PASS),
// SPACE=(CYL,(40,2)) (Your size)
//BMSGT.SYSIN DD *
BACKUP
//*****************************************
//* DELETE/REDEFINE VSAM SPACE
//*****************************************
//STEP3 EXEC PGM=IDCAMS,COND=(0,NE)
//SYSPRINT DD SYSOUT=A
//SYSIN DD *
DEL KICS.CT99.NWR.MASTER (Your DSN)
DEF CL (NAME(KICS.CT99.NWR.MASTER) - (Your DSN)
CYL(40 2) - (Your size)
FSPC(30 10) -
INDEXED -
SHR (2) ) -
DATA (NAME(KICS.CT99.NWR.MASTER.DATA) - (Your DSN)
RECSZ(2048 22528 ) - (Your LRECL)
KEYS(20 4) -
CISZ(26624) ) - (Your CISIZE)
INDEX NAME(KICS.CT99.NWR.MASTER.INDEX) - (Your DSN)
NOIMBED )
//*****************************************
//* RESTORE BACKED UP DATA
//*****************************************
//STEP4 EXEC GTBUTIL,COND=(0,NE),
// USER=KICS,NAME='CT99.NWR.MASTER', (Your DSN)
//BMSGT.TAPIN DD DSN=&&DASD,
// UNIT=SYSDA,DISP=(OLD,DELETE)
//BMSGT.SYSIN DD *
RESTORE
//*****************************************
//* LIST DIRECTORY AGAIN
//*****************************************
//STEP5 EXEC GTBUTIL,COND=(0,NE),
// USER=KICS,NAME='CT99.NWR.MASTER' (Your DSN)
//BMSGT.SYSIN DD *
DLIST
//*
//*****************************************
//* OPEN THE FILE
//*****************************************
//OPEN EXEC NWBOPEN,TEST=TEST
//SYSIN DD *
NW$FILE (Your ii$FILE)
//*
--------------------------------------------
SAMPLE MAPSET RESTORE JOB
--------------------------------------------
//xxxxxxxx JOB xxxxx,'xxxxxxxx',TIME=(x) (Your JOB card)
/*
//*****************************************
//* CLOSE THE FILE
//*****************************************
//CLOSE EXEC NWBCLOSE,TEST=TEST
//SYSIN DD *
NW$FILE (Your ii$FILE)
/*
//*****************************************
//* PULL A MAPSET FROM A GT BACKUP FILE
//*****************************************
//GTBUTIL EXEC GTBUTIL,COND=(0,NE),
// USER=KICS,NAME=TEST.NWR.MASTER (Your DSN)
//BMSGT.TAPIN DD DSN=NWR.BMSGT.BACKUP(0), (Your backup)
// DISP=OLD
//BMSGT.SYSIN DD *
TAPESEL REPLACE=YES,MAPSET=MPSAMP (Your mapset)
/*
//*****************************************
//* OPEN THE FILE
//*****************************************
//OPEN EXEC NWBOPEN,TEST=TEST
//SYSIN DD *
NW$FILE (Your ii$FILE)
//*