Walt,
I understand that changing the track and cylinder architecture would involve
lots of changes, and that it would also involve a lot of vendor changes to
their software too. I'm not saying IBM should change it - it just seems
overly complicated. I have no idea how IBM could change it, although
several have mentioned FBA architecture, where everything is written out in
4K blocks. I have mixed feelings about this subject. To me it seems
complicated, but that's also one of the things that gives z/OS the power it
has.
Eric Bielefeld
Sr. Systems Programmer
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
414-475-7434
----- Original Message -----
From: "Walt Farrell" <[email protected]>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.ibm-main
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, April 01, 2009 5:42 AM
Subject: Re: "A foolish consistancy" or "3390 cyl/track architecture"
On Tue, 31 Mar 2009 12:50:16 -0500, Eric Bielefeld
<[email protected]>
wrote:
Thanks for clearing up how the current drives actually work. It just
seems
like IBM could get away from the track and cylinder stuff, which
artificially restricts the amount of storage you use. If you use short
blocksizes, or long ones that just go over 1/2 track, you waste an awfull
lot of space. Of course, well written SMS routines can correct that, but
it
still makes things a lot more complicated than it should be.
Perhaps I don't understand your point, Eric, but from the user perspective
aren't things simple already? Just let the system pick the block size, and
while you're at it allocate the space in terms meaningful to the
user/application: megabytes or records.
Thus, the only things that -should- be affected by the cylinder/head
architecture are programs, and it's a lot simpler to leave them alone than
it is to have to change them. Remember it's not just IBM code that would
have to change. Many vendors and customers have written code that knows
and
depends on the cylinder/head architecture.
--
Walt
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