Configuring BMC AMI DevX File-AID for IMS/ISPF

File-AID for IMS/ISPF is an interactive, full-screen product designed for use by Application Programmers/Analysts and Database Administrators.

File-AID for IMS/ISPF provides the ability to easily access and manipulate data within IMS databases. The databases can be browsed or edited in any of the following modes directly under TSO/ISPF:

• Formatted using COBOL or PL/I segment layouts
• Unformatted in hexadecimal
• Hierarchical sequence with one segment per screen line

File-AID for IMS/ISPF runs as a single dialog under ISPF and requires absolutely no modification to IMS, TSO, ISPF, or any other existing software.

File-AID for IMS/FLEX is a general purpose IMS database manipulation tool for use by business professionals involved in modifying or reporting on the contents of IMS database. File-AID for IMS/FLEX extends the capabilities of File-AID for IMS/ISPF to the MVS batch environment.

File-AID for IMS/FLEX simplifies the maintenance of IMS databases by using existing Data Base Descriptions (DBDs); existing or dynamic Program Specification Blocks (PSBs); and COBOL or PL/I layouts of DL/I segments, without modification, to manipulate databases. Because File-AID for IMS/FLEX is built upon File-AID, it provides industrial strength editing capabilities while maintaining the system integrity and providing the auditing capability that users have come to expect from the File-AID name.

File-AID for IMS/FLEX is controlled by an easy-to-use and extremely powerful command set. File-AID for IMS/FLEX allows users to quickly and accurately select the data they desire and then allows them to print or modify that data. Users may also output the concatenated keys of the desired segments for later use as input.

Source management

File-AID for IMS/ISPF supports direct retrieval of COBOL or PL/I segment layouts from the CA Panvalet and CA Librarian source management products.

IMS Environment

When processing IMS databases (for example, in Browse, Edit, Initialize, Batch Extract, and Batch Load), File-AID for IMS/ISPF allocates all the IMS DDNAMEs required by IMS before attaching the IMS control program DFSRRC00.

DL/I Mode

Following are some of the installation parameters required by File-AID for IMS/ISPF when processing in DL/I mode:

• The File-AID for IMS/ISPF PSB library name. Required only for dynamic PSB support.
• The IMS RESLIB load library names. These are the fully qualified data set names normally associated with the DFSRESLB DD.
• The data set that contains the buffer pool information required by the DL/I buffer handler. This is the data set normally associated with the DFSVSAMP DD.
• DL/I execution parameters to be passed to DFSRRC00.

BMP Mode

Following are some of the installation parameters required by File-AID for IMS/ISPF when processing in BMP mode:

• The IMS RESLIB library names for the dependent region. These are the fully qualified data set names for the IMS subsystem being used.
• The IMS ACB library names that contain the prebuilt application control blocks (ACBs).
• The File-AID for IMS/ISPF PSB library name. Required only for dynamic PSB support.
• The DOPT ACB library name to be used to store dynamically created ACBs. Required only for dynamic PSB support.
• The IMSID for the IMS subsystem in use.
• BMP execution parameters to be passed to DFSRRC00.

Dynamic Backout/Secondary Indexes

Because the Edit, Initialize, and Load (Batch mode) options update databases in an IMS DL/I environment, certain criteria must be true to ensure the integrity of secondary index databases and allow dynamic backout.

By allocating a log data set, IMS dynamically backs out updates to the last sync point when an IMS pseudo abend occurs.

DBRC and RECON Data sets

DBRC can be used with File-AID for IMS/ISPF to maintain the integrity of your databases. If your IMS system was generated with DBRC=FORCE, DBRC is always active and its use cannot be overridden.

However, if your IMS system was not generated with DBRC=FORCE, the use of DBRC by File-AID for IMS/ISPF can be overridden. You can override it if you specify Y or N for the DBRC operand of the DLIPARMS installation parameter. If the DBRC operand is left as null, the use of DBRC is determined by the IMS system definition.

If DBRC is active you must allocate RECON data sets to your File-AID for IMS/ISPF session. These data sets can be allocated in one of the following ways:

1. Define the data sets with the dynamic allocation macro DFSMDA. This action may have already been done at your installation. The RECON data sets are then automatically allocated by IMS when required. This method is strongly recommended for most installations.
2. Allocate the data sets in the same CLIST that allocates File-AID for IMS/ISPF’s execution libraries.
3. Allocate the data sets in the TSO LOGON PROC.
4. Write a security exit routine that dynamically allocates the data sets.
5. Specify the data sets in Option 0.4, IMS DLI Data sets screen of File-AID for IMS/ISPF.

Security Exit

File-AID for IMS/ISPF provides a security exit that is invoked prior to each IMS initiation and termination, prior to the allocation of each database dataset, and prior to allocating and opening each non-database data set used during File-AID for IMS functions. The default security exit program performs no security checking and returns control immediately to File-AID for IMS/ISPF, which allows normal processing to continue.

Refer to File-AID for IMS Exits if you require special log data set processing, additional database security, want to change the File-AID for IMS default database dataset allocation (the default for edit is OLD unless using a DBRC registered data set, then it is SHR), want to override the DFSRRC00 parameters specified in the installation parameters, want to substitute different data set names or allow shorthand aliases for the database data sets, or want to control the creation and printing of an audit trail during the Edit function.

Dynamic PSB

File-AID for IMS dynamically builds the PSB used to access databases in the Browse, Edit, Initialize, Extract, and Load functions in DL/I and BMP modes. This PSB is available only for the duration of the function and is deleted after the function ends. Each segment in the DBD is included in the generated PSB, except those that are specifically excluded by the user (Browse and Edit only). For the Initialize, Extract, and Load functions, PCBs are included for the primary database and all the databases related to the primary database.

Listed below are several advantages of using dynamic PSBs:

• You do not have to know and inform File-AID for IMS which PSB includes the necessary access (PCB) for the database you need to edit or browse. You only need to tell File-AID for IMS which database to use and whether the function is Edit or Browse, and File-AID for IMS will generate the PSB for IMS to use.
• The PSB will have the processing options set based on the required function. That is, if the function is Edit, the processing option is A, which provides get, insert, delete, and replace capability. If the function is Browse, the processing option is GO, which provides the get only function without locking.

• File-AID for IMS generates a PSB with two PCBs for the database. When doing a repeat all function, File-AID for IMS gets segments using one PCB and inserts the segments using the other PCB. This process makes some of the restrictions required when using a static PSB unnecessary when doing a repeat all that involves segments without a unique key.

  Important

  Dynamic PSB processing may be disabled using a type "I", IMS Initialization, security exit. (See File-AID for IMS Exits  for information on exit types.) The following PL/I code is an example of how to disable dynamic PSB processing:

  IF PRMSCXT_PSB_TYPE = 'D' THEN DO;
     PRMSCXT_ALLOW_IND = 'N';
     PRMSCXT_MESSAGE = USER_MSG_NUM100;
     END;

Here are a few reminders concerning the BMP installation:

• An APPLCTN macro must be included in the IMS stage 1 GEN input using the specified ACB names. For example:

  APPLCTN DOPT,PSB=FAIMS000,PGMTYPE=(BATCH,,,)

  This example identifies the PSB name, FAIMS000, to IMS as a BMP PSB using the dynamic option.

  Important

  Cold start IMS or perform an online change after the GEN process to bring in the new APPLCTN macros.

• The IMS startup JCL must include the DOPT ACB library named in the BMPPARMS as part of the ACBLIB concatenation IMSACBA and IMSACBB DD statements. This library must be included in the control region as well as the DLI/SAS region JCL. The DOPT ACBLIB must be concatenated after the static ACBLIBs. If the library already exists, File-AID uses the existing DOPT ACBLIB if it is named in the BMPPARMS.
• If you have an existing security package, you may have to identify the BMP to the security product.

Static PSB

File-AID for IMS/ISPF analyzes the designated PSB to determine which databases are included and what processing options are provided. The users can then designate which databases they want to use. Users can exclude segments if they want. File-AID for IMS/ISPF then initiates DL/I or BMP processing using the designated PSB. Within the DL/I or BMP scheduling, users can access any of the databases they previously selected.

Following are several advantages of using static PSBs:

• The normal IMS authorization mechanism is more applicable. Normally authorizing a user to a PSB determines which databases the user can access and what functions the user can perform. This is true using a static PSB. Using a dynamic PSB, the PSB name cannot be used for authorization purposes. When using a dynamic PSB, the File-AID for IMS/ISPF Security Exit can be used to provide authorization.
• For BMP processing it is not necessary to update the IMS GEN with new APPLCTN macros for the names of the DOPT PSBs.
• For BMP processing it is not necessary to provide an ACBLIB for the ACBGENs for the DOPT PSBs.
• If it is necessary, multiple databases can be edited within one edit session more efficiently using a static PSB that provides access to all the databases.
• A static PSB can limit the update capability during Edit so that a user could, for example, perform replaces but not deletes.

• IMS Batch Backout requires that the same PSB be used for backout as when the changes were made. This PSB is available when using a static PSB. For more information, see Working with File-AID for IMS/ISPF to how this is done for a dynamic PSB.

ACB Processing (Dynamic PSBs Only)

File-AID for IMS/ISPF dynamically builds the ACB used to access databases when running in BMP mode. The ACB is created from the dynamic PSB generated earlier and from the DBDs in the user-specified DBD library. The ACB is written to the DOPT ACBLIB (as specified in the environment definition) prior to attaching DFSRRC00.

IMS System Definition

Dynamic PSB

When processing in BMP mode, File-AID for IMS/ISPF is like any other IMS application and must be defined to the IMS system. An APPLCTN macro must be input to the IMS stage 1 system definition job for each ACB name to be used by File-AID for IMS/ISPF (as specified in the environment definition).

The IMS control region start up JCL should be modified to include both the static and DOPT ACBLIBs. There may also be a need to increase the PST to accommodate the sum of BMP regions that can be running plus the number of message regions. This procedure provides for dynamic allocation of regions.

Because File-AID for IMS/ISPF dynamically creates ACBs required for database access, the dynamic ACB option (DOPT) must be specified on the APPLCTN macro. When you specify DOPT, the ACB is read from the ACB library each time a program using that ACB is scheduled. This procedure allows the dynamically built ACB to be immediately available for use.

Static PSB

If the IMS system already has existing PSBs that can be used for processing in BMP mode, then no new IMS definitions are required. If the IMS system does not have the appropriate PSBs available, then the applicable PSBGENs, ACBGENs, and additional APPLCTN definitions need to be provided.

ACB Libraries (Dynamic PSBs Only)

When processing in BMP mode, the dynamic ACB is written to the data set specified in the DOPT ACBLIB field (as specified in the environment definition). There are some IMS restrictions on the ACB libraries because File-AID for IMS/ISPF requires that the application be defined with the Dynamic Option (DOPT).

There must be at least two ACBLIB data sets concatenated to the IMSACB DD name in IMS to use dynamic ACBs. The first or primary ACBLIB data set contains the blocks for all nondynamic ACBs. DOPT ACBs must never be built into the primary ACBLIB data set. The other ACBLIB data sets can contain blocks for the dynamic (DOPT) ACBs as well as additional blocks for the nondynamic ACBs.

If your installation already has two or more ACBLIB data sets concatenated in IMS, you can use them for File-AID for IMS/ISPF processing (do not use the primary ACBLIB - see above). However, there are certain advantages to allocating a new ACBLIB data set exclusively for File-AID for IMS/ISPF’s use:

1. COMPRESSION
   If you specify Y in the RESET ACBLIB INDICATOR field (as specified in the environment definition), File-AID for IMS/ISPF automatically resets (empties) the DOPT ACBLIB data set before each use. If you specify N, File-AID for IMS/ISPF is prevented from resetting the data set. If your installation submits a high volume of File-AID for IMS/ISPF BMP jobs, not resetting the ACBLIB could cause data set space problems.

   Important

   Use this option only if the DOPT library is used exclusively by File-AID for IMS/ISPF.

2. SECURITY
   You can limit updating this library to File-AID for IMS/ISPF by using your existing system security to prevent unauthorized users from generating their own DOPT ACBs.

   If you allocate a new ACBLIB data set for File-AID for IMS/ISPF’s use, it must be concatenated to the IMSACBA and IMSACBB DDs in the IMS start up JCL.

BMP Security

File-AID for IMS/ISPF processing invokes the IMS control program in batch (DL/I) and BMP modes. There are certain security issues that need to be considered when executing a BMP job against online IMS databases.

Normal IMS security for dependent (BMP) regions restricts ACB usage to certain users. Users must have authority to the use of ACB. When using a static PSB, this normal IMS security is applicable. However, it is not applicable when using a dynamic PSB.

When using dynamic PSBs, all File-AID for IMS/ISPF dynamically generated ACBs for the selected BMP environment have the same names for all users. These ACBs allow access to any DBD that exists in the DBD library entered by the user. Following are several options that are available to control access to your online IMS databases:

• Do not allow any users to use File-AID for IMS/ISPF in BMP mode. By not entering any BMP information, File-AID for IMS/ISPF does not operate in BMP mode. The batch (DL/I) mode is still available, and normal data set security, as implemented by your system security package, is in effect.
• Only allow authorized users to use File-AID for IMS/ISPF in BMP mode for any database. To do this, use normal IMS security to restrict access to these ACBs to authorized users. All other users are able to access the databases in batch (DL/I) mode with normal data set security in effect.
• Allow authorized users to use File-AID for IMS/ISPF processing in BMP mode for certain databases. This method provides the most flexibility in allowing or denying access to online databases. To implement this method, you must code a File-AID for IMS/ISPF security exit program. For more information, see File-AID-for-IMS-Exits.