How to Use

INIT CXX/FXX/IXX/LXX/WXX/Data Area › INIT Data Area (Format Data Area) › How to Use

How to Use

You can execute this command in either Single User or with the MUF active. Execute the DBUTLTY function using the following command format:

►►─ INIT AREA=a,DBID=n ─┬───────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────►
                        └─ ,VERIFY= ─┬─ NO ◄ ─┬─┘
                                     └─ YES ──┘

 ►─┬────────────────────────┬─┬──────────────────┬────────────────────────────►
   └─ ,MULTUSE= ─┬─ NO ◄ ─┬─┘ └─ OPTION1=REINIT ─┘
                 └─ YES ──┘
 ►─┬──────────────┬─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────►◄
   └─ ,VOLUMES=n ─┘

Command

INIT: Invokes the function to format areas for CA Datacom/DB use.

Required Keywords

AREA=

Identifies the data area to be formatted.

If you specify AREA=*DA (an asterisk followed by the uppercase letters DA), all data areas in the database are initialized.

Valid Entries:: DATACOM-NAME of the area in the specified database or *DA for all data areas in the database
Default Value:: (No default)

,DBID=

Identifies the database containing the area that is to be initialized.

Valid Entries:: DATACOM-ID of the database
Default Value:: (No default)

Optional Keywords

,MULTUSE=

(For area level DBUTLTY control only.) In support of area level DBUTLTY control, specifying MULTUSE=YES in the INIT function for a data area allows a single area in a database to be initialized with no disabling of the other areas in the database. When MULTUSE=YES, the function executes in a format that is a combination of MUF and Single User modes. The database involved must be able to be opened for update in the MUF address space. The area, however, must have no tables open. Once begun, the function does not allow other tasks to open any tables in the area being processed. Other tables in the database, but not in the area, may be open for read or update in the same MUF. The actual data set open is performed in the utility region, and the JCL requirements are applied to the utility region.

Note: The operating system performs the catalog portion of the DD statement DISP option when the DD statement is removed. This occurs at job step termination. Therefore, if you were to create a new data set with an INIT, do not expect the MUF to correctly open this area until after the step completes. This restricts the DBUTLTY functions that succeed when following a catalog change.

When you specify or allow the default of MULTUSE=NO in the INIT function for data areas, the function executes completely in Single User mode.

For more information about area level DBUTLTY control, see Area Level DBUTLTY Control.

Valid Entries:: NO or YES
Default Value:: NO

,OPTION1=

You can specify REINIT (re-initialize) for the OPTION1= keyword during the initialization of a data area. Specifying OPTION1=REINIT requires that you also specify VERIFY=YES.

When using REINIT, the data set is re-initialized with the same number of tracks that were in use before the INIT, and no additional tracks are found or added to the data set during the INIT. When REINIT is not specified, the INIT closes the data set for update, opens the data set for output (and honors current, complete JCL specifications), closes the data set for output, and then reopens the data set for update.

Adding space to an index or data area is normally accomplished using an EXTEND function, but it can be done during an INIT function as well. A benefit of the OPTION1=REINIT for z/OS users is that REINIT allows unused volumes to be added to data sets that do not have to be removed before an INIT.

For example, if you are not using SMS, you could INIT an area on 3 volumes and load the area. You might then manually uncatalog the area and recatalog it with an additional volume or volumes. Those additional volumes would be available for any dynamic extend for the area that was needed, but to prevent the INIT from forcing the use of the volumes that were added solely for the use of dynamic extend, you would need to manually uncatalog the area before another INIT and recatalog it without any additional volumes.

Valid Entries:: REINIT
Default Value:: (No default)

,VERIFY=

If you do not specify the VERIFY= option, or if you specify VERIFY=NO (the default), an INIT opens the data set for output, builds a new control block, and initializes the extents.

If you specify VERIFY=YES, an INIT opens the data set for update, reads and updates an existing control block, and initializes the extents.

Because a new control block is always built with VERIFY=NO, specifying VERIFY=YES when the INIT is not for a new data set brings several benefits, including the following:

Because an existing control block is read and updated instead of a new one being built, the data area history (in the control block) documenting activities such as backups and loads is not lost. Data area history information can be a valuable aid when troubleshooting various problems. Note that on some error conditions, the history can be lost.
VERIFY=YES prevents the unintentional overlaying of important information because of a JCL error, such as writing over files in PRODuction status that should have been in TEST status, or the inadvertent overlaying of the Directory (CXX) or Log Area (LXX).

Note: Even with VERIFY=YES specified, the last extent and the number of extents is lost during an initialize.

You can specify both VERIFY=YES and DISP=NEW, but if you specify both the VERIFY=YES is ignored.

Valid Entries:: YES or NO
Default Value:: NO

,VOLUMES=n

The n in VOLUMES=n is the maximum number of volumes to initialize. Without the VOLUMES= option, the number of volumes having specific VOLSER information is initialized. The VOLUMES= option allows more volumes to be catalogued as part of the data set and available to an EXTEND or dynamic EXTEND, while being effectively held in reserve without a specific allocation.

For example, you could specify VOLUMES=3 when using an INIT to initialize an area that needs 3 volumes, intending to only initialize the space on 3 volumes. But the JCL could specify 6 specific volumes, for example:

VOL=SER=(VOL001,VOL002,VOL003,VOL004,VOL005,VOL006)

In this example, volumes 4/5/6 are therefore not allocated or used during the INIT but are available to a dynamic extend. In this case, the extra volumes would not need to be removed before another INIT.

Valid Entries:: the number n of volumes to be catalogued
Default Value:: (No Default)

Sample Report

Following is a sample report page. For an example report header, see Sample Report Headers.