Types of BCF records

AR/CTL global options

Contains the values that control the use of AR/CTL products. The AR/CTL global options record is created during AR/CTL product configuration. You can use the ISPF interface to update the record. This record is required to be in the REGISET for BCF to work.

IMS environment registration

Contains the values that provide access to AR/CTL product load modules for application programs that use IMS. You can use this type of record to avoid changes to application program JCL. The global IMS environment registration record is created during AR/CTL product configuration. You can use the ISPF interface to update the global record and to create and update other records of this type.

IMS program registration

Contains the values that control AR/CTL product participation in the execution of an application program that uses IMS. You can use this type of record to avoid changes to application program JCL. The global IMS program registration record is created during AR/CTL product configuration. You can use the ISPF interface to update the global record and to create and update other records of this type.

IMS program exclusion

Prevents AR/CTL products from participating in the execution of an application program that uses IMS. You create and update this type of record through the ISPF interface.

global options record

Contains the values for BCF options that you want to use as default values if no other options record overrides the values. The global options record is created during AR/CTL configuration. You can use the BCF ISPF interface to update the global options record. This record is required to be in the REGISET for BCF to work.

system options record

Contains the values for BCF options that you want to use for a given IMS subsystem. The IMS subsystem is defined by the IMSID associated with the batch IMS system. At execution time, BCF merges the option values stored in this record with the options values stored in the global options record. You can use the BCF ISPF interface to create and update system options records.

job step options record

Contains the values for BCF options that you want to use for a job step, as identified by the job name, the step name, and the PSB name or program name. At execution time, BCF merges the option values stored in this record with the options values stored in the global options record and in the system options record (if any). You can use the BCF ISPF interface to create and update job step options records.

execution control record

Contains information used by the execution controller to track information from an individual batch job step execution. The execution controller creates the record when the job step makes the first database update and updates it at processing milestones such as log closure, completed batch backout, and job termination without error.

If the job step completes normally or if the execution controller successfully performs the batch backout process for an abending job step, the execution controller deletes the execution control record. If a system failure occurs or if the execution controller could not successfully perform the batch backout process, BCF does not delete the execution control record. When the job step is submitted again, the presence of the execution record tells the execution controller to perform the batch backout process. BCF uses the information in the execution control record to determine which actions are necessary to restore the databases and logs and to restart the job step.

primary log volume record

Contains the information about the IMS primary log data set created by the job step. BCF creates a primary log volume record for each job step at the same time it creates an execution control record. BCF updates the record during execution of the job step when changes occur to the log data set—during log end-of-volume processing, log closure, and log error processing.

BCF uses this record to provide log volume information during job step restart after a processor or system error and to report log volume information (in the Log Data Set Volume report).

BCF maintains and logically pairs the primary log volume record with the statistics record. BCF deletes the log volume record from the REGISET when the record is no longer needed for recovery or backout. If the Delete Volume Records option is set to N, BCF writes the log volume record to the history data set before deleting the record.

secondary log volume record

BCF creates the secondary log volume record at the same time it creates the execution control record. This record contains information about the IMS secondary log data set created by the job step. BCF maintains and uses this record in the same way as the primary log volume record.

dynamic allocation record

You create allocation records through the BCF ISPF interface. Each record is associated with a ddname (BCF supports only IEFRDER and IEFRDER2) and with an IMSID and/or a job name, step name, and program or PSB name. The record contains allocation information that BCF uses when dynamically allocating a data set during execution of a job step. At least one record that applies to the job step is required to be in the REGISET for BCF to work.

You can create allocation records at the global level, the system level, and the job step level. At the system level, you can create allocation records for specific device classes (DASD, standard tape, buffer tape, and so on) and for a default class. If multiple records exist for the same ddname, BCF gets the dynamic allocation information from the record specified at the lowest level (the job step or system level). BCF does not merge information from records at different levels, as it does for processing options.