Splitting shared ACF2 databases

Products

• ACF2
• ACF2 - z/OS
• ACF2 - MISC

Issue/Introduction

This article describes how to split out an LPAR that is currently sharing ACF2 databases with other LPARs, so that it has its own ACF2 databases.

Resolution

1. Create the following using the DEFINE job located in the CAX1JCL0 library:
   
   
   • 3 primary VSAM databases
   • 3 backup sequential files
   • 3 alternate VSAM databases (optional but strongly recommended)
   • 3 alternate backup sequential files (optional but strongly recommended)
     
     Note: If the LPARs are sharing DASD, then the new databases cannot have the same name as the current shared databases.
      
2. Take a backup of the current ACF2 databases (F ACF2,BACKUP). This backs up the current databases into their respective backup sequential datasets.
   
   
3. Use the sequential backup file to repro the data into the newly created databases.
   
   
4. Update the ACFFDR (using UM99901 and the FDRJXB job) with the new database names in the @DDSN macro for PRIMARY and ALT. The FDRJXB job will add the new version of the ACFFDR into your SMP/E library. If this library is not the ACF2.CAILOAD that is in the linklist during the last IPL, copy the ACFFDR module to that linklist library replacing the existing ACFFDR.

5. At this point, either an IPL will bring in the new databases, or an IPL can be avoided with the following technique:

   • Issue the following operator commands:
     
     F LLA,REFRESH
     F ACF2,NEWMOD(ACFFDR) 

   • Issue the SWITCH command to change to the ALT databases. This is necessary because the PRIMARY DDSN is in use from IPL time, even though the dataset names are different.

     F ACF2,SWITCH(ALT) 

     A SWTCHKEY is needed that was added to the GSO OPTS record. If the SWTCHKEY has been forgotten, a new one will need to be added.

   • After the databases are switched to the alternates, then switch back to the PRIMARY which are now the new databases.

     F ACF2,SWITCH(PRIMARY)
     
     The SWTCHKEY prompt will occur again. Enter the SWTCHKEY.

   • The new active database names can be verified by issuing a TSO ACF, SHOW DDSN command.

Additional Information

Relevant documentation:
Create ACF2 VSAM Databases Note that the INITIAL job described here only needs to be ran if the databases are empty. In the situation described above, the databases are already populated with information from the shared database.
DDSN - Dynamic Data Set Allocation Macro
Field Definition Records (ACFFDR)
CPF can be used to propagate pswd/infostorage changes: Command Propagation Facility