On Tue, May 29, 2018 at 12:25 PM Frank Swarbrick < [email protected]> wrote:
> I don't think the key would matter, because it can immediately be deleted, > leaving the file "empty" but with the HI RBA appropriately set in order to > avoid the issue. > > I'm glad to see I'm not the only one bothered by this. I'm still > wondering how much support an RFE might get. > > Is there any standard utility that is able to add and delete a record? I > don't see IDCAMS having any such option. > Not that I'm aware of. Long ago one of the people here wrote a VSAMINIT program which did a SHOWCB to get the LRECL, KEYLENGTH, and RKP. It then did an PUT to add an "binary zeros" record; followed by a GET / ERASE pair to delete it. This is like pre-SMS when DADSM would allocate a PS dataset without an EOF record at the front. I don't really know if an immediate EOF when reading a never-written-to dataset is a good idea or not. But I guess it is a bit more secure. Of course, if I had my way, all datasets would be erase-on-scratch and I really sort of wished that there was an interface so that z/OS could talk to the DASD array controller to tell it "I deleted the data set on these tracks -- you can release them on the back end" so that the DASD array could then "do something to" (such as security erase) the actual data on the back end. Something similar to the TRIM function on an SSD. -- Once a government places vague notions of public safety and security above the preservation of freedom, a general loss of liberty is sure to follow. GCS Griffin -- Pelaran Alliance -- TFS Guardian (book) Maranatha! <>< John McKown ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
