How to determine the ORIGINAL PAGE SIZE of an existing database area

Products

• IDMS
• IDMS - Database
• IDMS - ADS

Issue/Introduction

If you have lost (or are in some doubt about) the definition of a database area, and you are unsure of what the ORIGINAL PAGE SIZE (a.k.a. space management interval) clause should be, you can use the following process to find out what it is according to the physical database file.

A process like this might be necessary if the definition of a database area has been lost or if there is some confusion about what the ORIGINAL PAGE SIZE should be.

Environment

CA IDMS all supported releases.

Resolution

Go into ISPF and browse the physical file to which the database area maps as if you were browsing a normal flat file.

In the ISPF display, each database page will appear as one line.

You will notice that the first line is noticeably different to the other lines. This is because it is a SPACE MANAGEMENT PAGE (SMP) and it consists solely of a series of two-byte binary values. Most of these two-byte values will be the same. For example, the first line here in red is the first SMP:

<Please see attached file for image>

src="/servlet/servlet.FileDownload?file=0150c000004AJeTAAW" alt="pic1.jpg" width="845" height="109">

Turn HEX ON and note the first four bytes in the line:

 

<Please see attached file for image>

src="/servlet/servlet.FileDownload?file=0150c000004AJeUAAW" alt="pic2.jpg" width="845" height="232">In this case the first four bytes are 00030D41.

This is the page number in hexadecimal. X’00030D41’ is 200001.

Turn HEX OFF.

Now what you need to do is scroll forward in the file (PF8) and find the next sequential SMP. It will appear similar to the first one, with many, possibly repeating, two-byte binary values. Typically this could be several thousand lines (50 pages) or more.

When you have found the next SMP, turn HEX ON again and note the page number.

In this example, the next SMP was found here:

<Please see attached file for image>

src="/servlet/servlet.FileDownload?file=0150c000004AJeVAAW" alt="pic3.jpg" width="844" height="233">

The page number is x’0003158B’ or 202123.

Now take the difference between these two page numbers, multiply by 2 and add 32.

(202123 – 200001) * 2 + 32 = 4276.

 

So the ORIGINAL PAGE SIZE clause for this database area is, or should be, 4276.

Additional Information

For further information, see the following CA IDMS DocOps sections:

Increasing the Page Size of an Area

Area Space Management

Area Statements