Tracking and managing overallocated data sets

You can use the Data Set Size Assist (DSA) facility to complete the following tasks:

Related topic

Using-Data-Set-Size-Assist

Data sets that benefit from DSA tracking

DSA tracks data sets that you specify in the SPACAQTY FLST member.

At initial allocation of a data set, if the data set name matches a name or name mask in SPACAQTY FLST, DSA tracks that data set. DSA maintains the corresponding allocation information in the DSA database and makes the information available in DSA views.

You can track all data sets within a given HLQ, data set name masks, or specific data sets.

Important

Although you can track all data sets, BMC does not recommend doing so long term. Tracking a large number of data sets can require a large DSA database. However, you might want to track all data sets short term (for example, to assist your initial phase of identifying candidate data sets for DSA).

When deciding which data sets to track, choose data sets that have the following characteristics:

  • The data set is repeatedly allocated (has a repeating life cycle).

    A data set’s life cycle lasts from initial allocation until the data set is uncataloged (usually, through deletion). Because DSA can adjust a data set’s future allocation sizes for maximum efficiency, tracking a data set that is allocated only once would be a poor candidate for DSA tracking.

  • The data set is overallocated for an entire life cycle.

    A data set might be initially allocated with a large amount of unused space and then updated, causing the unused space to be used. DSA would note this usage pattern and conclude that the initial allocation, while resulting in unused space at first, is actually the correct allocation size.



 

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