Chapter 30: Further Reading - z/OS Dataset Concepts and Storage Management

Books

"Understanding z/OS Data Sets" by Rui Miguel Feio An accessible, well-organized guide to z/OS dataset concepts written specifically for application programmers rather than storage administrators. The book covers sequential, partitioned, and VSAM dataset organizations with practical examples of creation, access, and management. The chapters on GDGs and VSAM tuning are particularly strong, with real-world scenarios drawn from production environments.

"VSAM: Access Method Services and Application Programming" by Doug Lowe This focused reference covers VSAM comprehensively, from basic KSDS access to advanced topics like alternate indexes, catalogs, and performance optimization. Each VSAM organization is explained with complete COBOL program examples showing how to define, load, access, and maintain VSAM files. It is the standard VSAM reference for COBOL programmers.

"z/OS Storage Management: SMS and Beyond" by IBM Redbooks This Redbook provides a thorough introduction to the Storage Management Subsystem, covering storage groups, storage classes, management classes, and data classes. It explains how SMS policies interact with JCL parameters and how automatic class selection (ACS) routines determine dataset placement. Understanding SMS is increasingly important as virtually all modern z/OS installations use SMS-managed storage.

Online Resources

IBM Developer: z/OS Storage Fundamentals Learning Path IBM offers a structured learning path covering z/OS storage concepts from DASD architecture through SMS policy management. The modules include interactive exercises for dataset allocation, GDG management, and VSAM cluster administration. This resource is ideal for COBOL developers who want to build a solid foundation in z/OS storage without the depth required of a storage administrator.

Open Mainframe Project: z/OS Data Management Resources The Open Mainframe Project curates educational resources on z/OS data management, including tutorials, videos, and community-contributed guides. Their materials are especially useful for developers new to the mainframe, providing context and explanations that assume no prior mainframe storage knowledge.

CBT Tape Collection: Sample VSAM and Dataset Management Programs The CBT Tape, a community-maintained collection of mainframe utilities and tools, includes numerous sample programs and JCL procedures for dataset management tasks. Examples include GDG management utilities, VSAM analysis tools, and space reporting programs. These samples provide practical templates for common dataset management operations.

IBM Documentation

"z/OS DFSMS Using Data Sets" (SC23-6855) The primary IBM reference for z/OS dataset management. This manual covers every dataset organization in detail, including sequential, partitioned, VSAM, HFS, and zFS. The chapters on record formats, block sizes, and space allocation provide the definitive rules for how data is physically stored and accessed on z/OS.

"z/OS DFSMS Access Method Services for Catalogs" (SC23-6853) While introduced in Chapter 29 for IDCAMS utility usage, this manual is equally essential for understanding catalog structure and management. It documents the ICF catalog architecture, GDG base definitions, alias definitions, and the relationship between catalogs, VTOCs, and SMS constructs that together provide z/OS dataset name resolution.

"z/OS DFSMSdfp Storage Administration" (SC23-6860) This guide covers SMS configuration, ACS routine logic, storage group management, and the interaction between SMS policies and JCL allocation parameters. While primarily aimed at storage administrators, COBOL developers benefit from understanding how SMS determines where their datasets are placed and what defaults are applied.

Standards and Practices

"Dataset Naming Standards for z/OS Environments" Most mainframe installations enforce dataset naming conventions that encode information about the environment (DEV, TEST, PROD), application, dataset type, and generation into the dataset name. These standards, typically documented in internal architecture guides, are essential for COBOL developers to follow because naming conventions drive security rules, SMS ACS routing, and operational procedures.

"VSAM Design and Performance Best Practices" by SHARE Working Group The SHARE user group has published guidelines for VSAM dataset design covering topics such as optimal CI and CA sizes, free space management, buffer allocation, and alternate index design. These best practices help COBOL developers make informed decisions about VSAM file design that directly impact application performance and storage efficiency.

"z/OS Dataset Lifecycle Management and Compliance" Regulatory requirements in industries such as banking and healthcare mandate specific data retention periods, backup schedules, and access controls for datasets. Resources on dataset lifecycle management explain how SMS management class policies enforce these requirements and how COBOL developers must account for retention and archival rules when designing dataset allocation strategies.