DATABASE INTEGRITY PLUS
DATABASE INTEGRITY PLUS:
- Eliminates the most common cause of database corruption by preventing control block and/or data set mismatches
- Produces source macro statements equivalent to those that were assembled to create the control block
- Allows mapping, disassembling and comparison of control blocks
- Shows database segments and their hierarchical relationships as they are defined in a DBD, PSB or ACB
- Offers a Library Interrogator to handle control block mismatch problems and library management tasks
Overview
Just one control block mismatch can wipe out your IMS database. The DATABASE INTEGRITY PLUS (DI+™) product from BMC Software protects the integrity of your IMS data by addressing the most common cause of IMS database problems -- use of an incorrect database definition (DBD) to access the database. It prevents both online and batch programs from using the wrong IMS control block, thereby avoiding a situation that almost always requires a database recovery. DI+ provides significant productivity enhancements for the DBAs and programmers who manage control blocks, definitions and the libraries that contain them.
Control integrity
The Integrity Controller component of DI+ verifies that the DBD which a program is using to access a database was built from the same DBD that was used to load the database. With the Integrity Controller, you can create global option modules to customize DI+ processing for particular IMS systems. The Integrity Controller also creates and maintains labels for each database containing the information needed to identify a particular database, including details about the structure of the database as well as the date the label was created. You can run a batch job to create database labels for all or specific databases defined for a system.
The Integrity Controller also contains label verification routines that verify that the database information in the label matches the actual control block being used to access the database. If a mismatch is found, DI+ issues error messages to the appropriate destinations and takes the action indicated by the label option.
Simplify analysis and management
Control block mismatch problems and library management tasks can require too much time of your DBA and programmers. The Library Interrogator component of DATABASE INTEGRITY PLUS obtains the information needed to solve a label verification problem detected by the Integrity Controller. The Library Interrogator works in several ways to simplify analysis and management. You can use the Library Interrogator to:
- Cross reference control block libraries - DI+ reports a variety of information about the relationships between the input control blocks, such as the names of program specification blocks (PSBs) that refer to a DBD.
- Map control blocks - Through its easy to use interface of ISPF panels, DI+ can show you the database segments and their hierarchical relationships as they are defined in a DBD, PS or application control block (ACB). Maps follow the standard hierarchical conventions (top to bottom, left to right).
- Disassemble control blocks - DI+ can produce source macro statements equivalent to those that were assembled to create the control block. You can view the source, print it or save it in a data set for subsequent editing and assembly.
- Compare control blocks - DI+ compares one control block to another and flags the source statements that have been added, changed or deleted.
- Generate control block reports - DI+ produces reports about DBDs and PSBs that note every fact about the physical control block.
- Audit DBD libraries - DI+ audits a DBD library to tell you whether the expected control blocks are present and synchronized by flagging missing elements and inconsistencies.
- Search DBD libraries - DI+ can search a DBD library for DBDs that contain particular DL/I attributes. It also allows you to easily tailor the search to find the DBDs you want.
- Copy and delete message format service (MFS) members - DI+ can copy message descriptions (MIDs/MODs) and device formats (DIFs/DOFs) from one MFS library to another and generate control statements to delete MFS members.
A fast, flexible solution
You can work with DI+ through a CUA-compliant ISPF interface, a batch interface, or both. The DI+ product's ISPF interface is easy to learn for the novice, yet becomes a powerful, flexible tool in the hands of an experienced DBA.
DI+ is as efficient and flexible to use in batch as it is online. It lets you move from task to task and object to object simply by pressing a few keys. In batch mode, simple JCL and free-form control statements make it easy to specify the functions you want to perform and the data sets you want to access.