On Mon, 14 Jun 2010 12:13:04 -0700, Gibney, Dave <[email protected]> wrote:
> I prefer to have the ISV datasets in LINKLST statements in PROGxx >cataloged in the master catalog and not use volume references. >My co-worker doesn't think it as a big deal and usually uses a load >library cataloged in the ISV usercat and a volume reference. > >Am I just being anal (I really don't like volume references in parm >members anywhere I can avoid them), or is the a legitimate concern that >would support either position? > >We place such datasets on Non-SMS volumes shared between the four LPARS. >We do not share master catalogs or in most cases user catalogs. > How did this discussion turn into a "to lnklst or not to lnklst" discussion? My client used to have a separate HLQ just for ISV lnklst data sets so they can be in the master catalog. But this sort of thing goes way back to the days when you couldn't code a volser. I think it wasn't until OS/390 1.3 where you could finally add a volser to LPALSTxx. The standard at my client (that I happen to like BTW) is to put everything we can in the LNKLST to shield users and even us from (possible) future JCL changes. That even allows using version numbers if preferred, but we don't since we indirectly catalog them to a secondary ISV sysres and we implement maintenance / upgrades via rolling IPLs. No LNKLST changes, no JCL changes. There are very few exceptions, but I'm sure there is an STC or 2 that use a STEPLIB and that library is not in the LNKLST. Back to the original question. I think the recommendation has always been to put as little in the master catalog as possible. That is why my client (and other shops I've been at) had a special HLQ for the LNKLST. For example, if the ISV HLQ was SYS2, they used a HLQ of SYSL just for the LNKLST / LPALST required data sets. But IBM has not required those data sets in the MCAT for a very long time, so we can have them follow the same standard as the rest of the product HLQs and keep them out of the master catalog. People don't build new MCATs for each release like they used to (in general, I know that some shops still do), so that isn't as much as a consideration as it used to be, but I still prefer to just keep the IBM "sysres" and OS data sets in there that must be. The only downside is needing to change volsers in PROGxx or LPALSTxx if the data sets are moved to another volume. In most shops, unlikely without you knowing since the LNKLST dsns are ENQed. Much more possible with LPALSTxx data sets. At my client it isn't a problem since the ISV products are on a secondary sysres and cataloged with symbolics as I mentioned earlier. Mark -- Mark Zelden - Zelden Consulting Services - z/OS, OS/390 and MVS mailto:[email protected] Mark's MVS Utilities: http://home.flash.net/~mzelden/mvsutil.html Systems Programming expert at http://expertanswercenter.techtarget.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
