Invoking File-AID for IMS/ISPF

File-AID for IMS/ISPF executes as a dialog under IBM’s ISPF dialog manager facility. You can invoke File-AID for IMS/ISPF by selecting the File-AID for IMS option from a customized version of the ISPF Primary Option Menu or from a sub-menu panel that your installation has set up.

The first screen displayed upon entry to File-AID for IMS/ISPF is the Primary Option Menu.

Primary Option Menu

            BMC AMI DevX File-AID for IMS 23.1 Primary Option Menu
OPTION ===>

ENV: DEVE - IMS 14.1 ENVIRONMENT
   0 Parameters     Specify user parameters               USERID   - PFHGHG0
   1 Browse         Display data base contents            DATE     - 23/03/24
   2 Edit           Create or change data base contents   TIME     - 13:19
   3 Utilities      Perform utility functions             TERMINAL - 3278
   4 Extract/Load   Extract or load a data base or subset CCSID    - 01047
   5 Print          Print an audit trail
   6 Selection      Create or change selection criteria
   7 Xref           Create or change segment/layout cross reference
   8 Data Privacy   Data Privacy Menu
   9 Relationship   Create/change application relationships
   F FLEX           File-AID for IMS/FLEX Options
   T Tutorial       Display information about File-AID for IMS
   X Exit           Terminate File-AID for IMS and return to ISPF

Enter END command to terminate File-AID for IMS
                   (c) Copyright 1992-2023 BMC Software, Inc.

Select an option by entering its one-character code in the Option field. For example, to select the Edit option, enter:

OPTION ===> 2

When invoking File-AID for IMS/ISPF, you can specify the initial option to bypass the Primary Option Menu by entering the File-AID for IMS option (usually I), followed by a period (.), followed by a function number. For example, to select the Edit function from the Primary Option Menu, enter:

OPTION ===> I.2

The status fields on the right side of the menu are display only:

USERID

Current User Identification.

DATE

Current calendar date identifies the year, month and day of the month (e.g. yy/mm/dd.

TIME

Current time.

TERMINAL

Terminal type.

CCSID

The terminal Coded Character Set Identification (CCSID). Based upon this CCSID, the Browse and Edit functions in formatted mode convert Unicode data using IBM z/OS Conversion Services, and display the correct character representation data for the Unicode data. Characters that can’t be displayed with your current code page are protected.

Important

To determine the terminal CCSID, File-AID for IMS/ISPF refers to the ISPF system variable called ZTERMCID. When using emulator software, ISPF sets dialog variable ZTERMCID based on the emulator’s code page setting when logging on. See to your emulator documentation for further information.
If ISPF variable ZTERMCID is blank, the default CCSID of Batch Product Option Variables defined during installation (for more information, see CCSID_FOR_UNICODE_COVERSION_SERVICES in the Japanese Language Parameters) is displayed and it is applied for Unicode data conversion using IBM z/OS Conversion Services.

File-AID for IMS/ISPF Primary Options

Option 0	The Parameters option screen allows you to view and/or change the common File-AID for IMS/ISPF system, print, and IMS parameters currently in effect for your File-AID for IMS/ISPF session.
Option 1	The Browse option is used to display but not change the contents of databases using any of three display modes: Formatted, Unformatted, and Character.
Option 2	The Edit option is used to display, change, insert, and delete the contents of databases using the Formatted, Unformatted, and Character display modes.
Option 3	The Utilities option is used to initialize a newly allocated database and all its related databases and display the hierarchy of a selected database.
Option 4	The Extract/Load option is used to extract segments from a database into a file and to load records from a file into a database.
Option 5	The Print option is used to print audit trail datasets created while editing a database in Option 2 or in the Batch Component of File-AID for IMS/ISPF.
Option 6	The Selection option is used to create and maintain existing selection criteria for use in the Extract function.
Option 7	The Xref option is used to create and maintain segment/layout cross-references for use in other File-AID for IMS functions.
Option 8	The Data Privacy option is used to provide data security by encoding the extracted data with meaningful, alternative values.
Option 9	The Relationship option is used to create and maintain application relationships for use in the Selection Criteria and Extract functions.
Option F	The FLEX option is used to access the FLEX ISPF interface to create/edit FLEX commands and generate JCL to execute the FLEX batch job.
Option T	The Tutorial option provides online documentation about the use of File-AID for IMS/ISPF. You can select the tutorial by entering Option T on the Primary Option Menu or by entering the HELP command on any screen in the system.

Important

If your installation did not purchase a component, an asterisk appears on the screen in front of the options that are unavailable.

Access to Online Databases

File-AID for IMS invokes IMS under TSO/ISPF. This allows you to edit or browse an IMS database using TSO/ISPF. If the database is used by an IMS on line system, it can be accessed in the following ways:

Under TSO, File-AID for IMS can invoke an IMS BMP region. File-AID for IMS then runs as the IMS application program in a BMP region. In this environment you can browse and edit the online database while other IMS application programs are concurrently accessing the database. Since this BMP region will normally be in wait state, waiting for the key board to be used again after displaying a segment on the screen, it will have negligible impact on the performance of your online system.
Under TSO, File-AID for IMS can invoke an IMS DL/I region to access the database, after the database has been taken offline (deallocated from the IMS online system). The IMS DL/I region then has exclusive use of the database.
Under TSO, File-AID for IMScan invoke an IMS DL/I region while the database is currently being used by the online system provided that the IMS is using block level data sharing for the database. The normal requirements for block-level data sharing must be satisfied. This requires that DBRC is active, that the database and data sets are registered in DBRC and depending on the DBRC registered share level, that the LM is used for the lock manager. Prior to File-AID for IMS Release 6.1, if the function would potentially update the database (edit or load utility), File-AID for IMS allocated the database DISP=OLD. To use IMS block-level data sharing in the DL/I region, a user provided security exit was necessary to change the allocation from OLD to SHR. With Release 6.1, if the DL/I region is using DBRC and the data sets for the database are the data sets registered in DBRC, File-AID for IMS will allocate the database with DISP=SHR, so the security exit is no longer required for this reason.

PSB Generation

File-AID for IMS/ISPF supports both dynamic and static PSBs for browse, edit, extract load and FLEX option functions. File-AID for IMS/ISPF dynamic PSBs generate their own Program Specific Block (PSB) for DL/I and BMP processing. This process is convenient because you do not need to generate any PSBs or specify existing PSBs. When using static PSBs, File-AID for IMS/ISPF uses an existing PSB. You specify the name of a PSB and PSB library. File-AID for IMS/ISPF then examines this PSB and asks you to select one or more of the DBDs in the PSB as the database you intend to use.

DL/I and BMP Processing (Dynamic PSB)

When you browse, edit, initialize, extract, or load a database, File-AID for IMS/ISPF generates its own Program Specification Block (PSB) for DL/I and BMP processing. You do not need to generate any PSBs or specify existing PSBs when using DL/I or BMP.

File-AID for IMS/ISPF generates its PSB such that during the browse/edit conversation, the PSB is sensitive to the segments you specify. The methods of including and excluding segments from processing are explained on here. File-AID for IMS/ISPF uses two PCBs during its processing.

During the Extract/Load and Initialization functions, PCBs are included for the primary database and all logically or application related databases.

File-AID for IMS/ISPF generates its PSB with PROCOPT=GO to browse a database and with PROCOPT=GOT to extract a database.

When editing a database, File-AID for IMS/ISPF generates its PSB with PROCOPT=A. When editing a database via a secondary index, File-AID for IMS/ISPF generates its PSB with PROCOPT=GR for the secondary index target segment and all the target segment’s physical parents. PROCOPT=A is generated for all other segments in the DBD.

When initializing or loading a database in Load mode, File-AID for IMS generates its PSB with PROCOPT=L. When loading in Update or Insert mode, the PSB is generated with PROCOPT=A.

The generated PSB resides in main storage and exists only while the database is being accessed.

Listed below are several advantages of using dynamic PSBs:

You do not have to know and inform File-AID for IMS/ISPF 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/ISPF which database to use and whether the function is Edit or Browse, and File-AID for IMS/ISPF 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/ISPF generates a PSB with two PCBs for the database. When doing a repeat all function, File-AID for IMS/ISPF gets segments from 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.

There are also some disadvantages of using dynamic PSBs:

A dynamic PSB should not be used when the IMS system is using the Extended Restart Facility, especially if the DOPT library empty option is used. If this facility is used, the DOPT library may be reset empty before the IMS tracking system loads the PSB from its ACBLIB. This results in an abend of the IMS tracking system.
The IMS batch backout facility requires that the PSB used in the backout process is the same PSB used when the updates were made. Since the dynamic PSB is never placed in a PSB library, should backout be necessary, a PSB would need to be constructed to be used for the batch backout process. For a description of how this is done for a dynamic PSB, see IEFRDER DD.

DL/I and BMP Processing (Static PSB)

When using a static PSB to browse or edit, extract or load a database, you must specify a PSB name and PSB library. File-AID for IMS/ISPF examines this PSB and then asks you to specify which databases you want to process.

Within the PSB, the PCB for the DBD you select may not be sensitive to all the segments in the database and the processing options specified for the DBD may limit the functions (insert, delete, replace) that can be performed. File-AID for IMS/ISPF prevents you from attempting to perform functions not supported by the PCB.

Although you are using an existing PSB, you can inform File-AID for IMS/ISPF to exclude some of the segments. Although the PSB is sensitive to the segments, File-AID for IMS/ISPF excludes them from being displayed.

Listed below 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 a description of how this is done for a dynamic PSB, see IEFRDER DD.

ACB Processing (Dynamic PSB only)

When you use File-AID for IMS/ISPF to browse, edit, extract, or load databases in BMP, File-AID for IMS dynamically builds its own Application Control Block (ACB). The ACB is created from the PSB generated by File-AID for IMS and from the Data Base Definitions (DBDs) in the user-specified DBD library. You do not need to build any ACBs or specify existing ACBs when using File-AID for IMS/ISPF.

Database Security

File-AID for IMS is compatible with any data security software your installation might have. File-AID for IMS processing does not circumvent your security software in any way.

Your installation can create its own security exit routine that File-AID for IMS calls during its processing. Following are some examples of uses of the optional security exit routine:

To limit access to certain databases or data sets.
To force the creation of an audit trail when Option 2, Edit is used to edit selected databases and/or to force the printing of an audit trail report upon completion of the database updates.
To enable you to enter a shorthand version of a database dataset name that is then translated to a full data set name.
To override or customize the parameters passed to IMS based on the database you are processing.
To validate your specification for the automatic creation and deletion of the IMS log data set during database editing.

If you require information about your installation’s security exit routine, contact the person responsible for File-AID for IMS at your installation.

To minimize the possibility of database integrity loss, File-AID for IMS/ISPF enables you to control the issuance of DL/I CHKP calls through the SAVE and RECOVERY commands in the Edit function. These commands are explained in detail in Browse-Edit.