System Symbolics in the ACFFDR used in the ACF2 database names

Products

• ACF2
• ACF2 for z/OS
• ACF2 - MISC

Issue/Introduction

z/OS allows symbolics to be used in some circumstances.  Does ACF2 allow symbolics to be used in the ACFFDR?  In this way one ACFFDR can be used with different database names used via the symbolic. In that way the different LPARS will have different databases without having to use multiple ACFFDR definitions for each LPAR. Can this be done?

Environment

Release:
Component: ACF2MS

Resolution

Symbolics are allowed in the ACFFDR. Code up the database names with the symbolic &&SYSNAME or any other relevant system symbolic. For example if the IEASYMxx parmlib member specifies SYSNAME(TEST), the ACF2 usermod UM99901 might look like:

++SRCUPD (ACFFDR)   DISTLIB(AAX1SRC) .                          
./ CHANGE NAME=ACFFDR                                           
        @CSVC  ALTER=222,VALD=221                              
        @DDSN PRIMARY,                   ** DEFAULT GROUP NDX  
              RULE='SYS1.&&SYSNAME..RULES',     ** RULES CLUSTER      
              LID='SYS1.&&SYSNAME..LOGONIDS',   ** LOGONID CLUSTER    
              INFO='SYS1.&&SYSNAME..INFOSTG',   ** GEN RESOURCE CLSTR 
              BRULE='SYS1.&&SYSNAME..BKRULES',  ** RULES BACKUP       
              BLID='SYS1.&&SYSNAME..BKLIDS',    ** LOGONIDS BACKUP    
              BINFO='SYS1.&&SYSNAME..BKINFO'    ** RESOURCE BACKUP   

Then at allocation time, either during the IPL, or a restart of ACF2, the &SYSNAME will be resolved by z/OS. After the change, the SHOW command on that system will show the actual name in use, and the symbolic in the ACFFDR part of the command output.

SHOW DDSN
 
-- ACF2 DYNAMIC DATASET NAMES SPECIFIED --           
DDSNS PRIMARY DEFAULTED AT STARTUP. DSNS IN USE ARE: 
        RULES= SYS1.TEST.RULES                      
        LOGONIDS= SYS1.TEST.LOGONIDS                
        INFOSTG= SYS1.TEST.INFOSTG                  
        BACKRULE= SYS1.TEST.BKRULES                 
        BACKLID= SYS1.TEST.BKLIDS                   
        BACKINFO= SYS1.TEST.BKINFO                  
                                                   

Normal standards apply to the datasets in regards to the ACF2 databases. The databases should be on a separate dasd volume then what volume that ACF2 is cataloged in. We also recommend that the databases be in their own catalog.