CXXMAINT (Maintain Directory) › CXXMAINT ALTER LINK (Disable CXX Name Edit) › When to Use

When to Use

Most user environments include from a few up to dozens of separate CA Datacom/DB systems in such categories as production, test, and QA. Each environment is expected to comprise a complete set of information with a Directory that has a unique name.

Because all data set protection is provided through the Directory, each Directory having a unique name is an important factor in clearly knowing which data sets are in TEST status and which are in PRODuction status. The same holds true if, for example, PRODuction Europe is separate from PRODuction Africa. All systems have private copies of data sets within the system. Therefore, all updating is controlled through one Directory (CXX) and one copy of the CA Datacom/DB code.

Some sites have a very large unchanging reference type database and want to have the same physical copy of it accessed by all of the various Multi-User Facility systems. We do not recommend this. It can only be done safely if you follow these rules:

• It should not be changed by any system unless closed to all except the one doing the change. All protection is the responsibility of the user. CA Datacom/DB cannot detect this danger or protect against it.
• No utility should process against the data set if it is open by any other utility or the Multi-User Facility. All protection is the responsibility of the user.
• At the database level, the Index Area and each data area needs to have this option (with LINK=NO) specified to disable editing the Directory name, that is, to prevent it from being changed upon initialization to the Directory name in the data set.

Important! ALTER LINK is rarely used, but if you do use this option, do so with extreme caution. If the above rules are violated, the data and Index Area can be corrupted with CA Datacom/DB being unaware of the corruption and unable to correct it.