Configuring and Installing Optional Components › Configuration Tasks for Optional Base Components › Define the Shared File VSAM KSDS

Define the Shared File VSAM KSDS

The shared file facility allows for the permanent storage of global variables and their values on an external VSAM KSDS that can be shared (through shared DASD or VSAM RLS) between different systems. This data set is totally independent of the global variable checkpoint data set. Records are read from or written to the shared VSAM data set only through the OPSHFI command processor. One possible use for this file is the common initialization of a large group of variables that would otherwise require an extensive number of OPSVALUE() calls.

For example, the following command reads the VSAM data set and creates global temporary variables for all records that match the specified variable name prefix:

OPSHFI READ GLVTEMPO.DEVICE.*

To use the shared file with the OPSHFI command processor, examine and set the GLVSHAREDFILE, GLVSHAREDDD, GLVSHAREDRESERVE, and GLVSHAREDRLS product parameters accordingly.