Physical sequential and VSAM data sets

The Sustained Data Rate (SDR) has an effect only for extended format data sets. Striping allows you to spread data across different DASD volumes and controllers. The number of stripes is the number of volumes on which the data set is initially allocated. Striped data sets must be system-managed and must be in an extended format.

When no volumes that use striping are available, the data set is allocated as nonstriped with EXT=P specified in the data class; the allocation fails if EXT=R is specified in the data class.

Physical sequential (PS) data sets cannot be extended if any of the stripes cannot be extended. For VSAM data sets, each stripe can be extended to an available candidate volume if extensions fail on the current volume.

If you do not specify Guaranteed Space=Y in the storage class, the following is true:

If you specify Guaranteed Space = Y in the storage class, and for further information about guaranteed and nonguaranteed space allocation, see Rules for striping volume selection.

See z/OS DFSMS Using Data Sets for more information on using SMS to assign storage classes for striped data sets.