4. Operation › 4.1 Overview › 4.1.6 Checkpoint File

4.1.6 Checkpoint File

 The CA MICS Checkpoint File is a permanent data set that
 contains information about jobs and data for an entire unit
 database.  The Checkpoint File is frequently referred to as
 the unit checkpoint.  It is concerned with ensuring database
 integrity across database update job steps and update cycles.

 o  The unit checkpoint should not be confused with database
    update restart checkpoints which are temporary product-
    specific files used to save an image of the operational
    environment for restart within a database update job step.

 o  The unit checkpoint is also separate and distinct from the
    optional incremental update checkpoint files which are
    permanent product-specific data sets used to ensure the
    integrity of incremental update processing for a single
    CA MICS data integration product.

 The CA MICS Checkpoint file includes the termination status
 of each operational job, and date and time ranges of data that
 has been used to update the CA MICS Database.  Each unit
 database maintains its own Checkpoint File because
 operational jobs are specific to each unit.

 The CA MICS Checkpoint File:

 o  enables each of the operational jobs to avoid out-of-
    order execution if a prior job or job step did not
    complete successfully

 o  contains information needed to conduct duplicate data
    protection checks

 o  contains control fields used to implement the Select and
    Force capabilities introduced earlier in section 4.1.5. 

 As systems and subsystems are removed from CA MICS
 processing, it is possible that the unit database checkpoint
 file contains obsolete update time range entries.  To perform an
 automated purge of these obsolete entries based on a
 user-specified retention limit, see section 2.3.2.4 within
 this guide.