TP Profile Files for the APPC/MVS Transaction Scheduler

When planning a TP profile file for TPs scheduled by the APPC transaction scheduler, consider the approximate size of each entry and the number of entries. The size of each entry varies depending on the size of the JCL portion of the profile. The TP profile non-JCL portion is 624 bytes, but the JCL portion can range from 2 records (160 bytes) to 100 records (8000 bytes).

Based on the previous numbers, you can estimate the size of an entry in a TP profile to be between 3824 bytes (non-JCL of 624 + average JCL of 3200) and 7024 bytes (non-JCL of 624 + maximum JCL of 6400). These numbers follow the RECORDSIZE keyword in the VSAM file definition.

The number of entries in a TP profile file depends on the number of TPs and the number of groups and users who have profiles for a TP. TPs can have a single system-level profile and any number of group- or user-level profiles.

In Figure 1, LU-A and LU-B share the same TP profile file. The file contains four TP profiles for TP-1, two TP profiles for TP-2, and two TP profiles for TP-3.

Figure 1. TP Levels in a File

                 TP profile file
                ┌───────────────┐
┌─────┐         │ TP-1 (system) │
│ LU  │ ←───────┤ TP-1 (group1) │
│  A  │         │ TP-1 (group2) │
└─────┘         │ TP-1 (user1)  │
                │               │
                │ TP-2 (system) │
┌─────┐         │ TP-2 (user2)  │
│ LU  │         │               │
│  B  │ ←───────┤ TP-3 (user3)  │
└─────┘         │ TP-3 (user1)  │
                └───────────────┘

Therefore, to estimate the number of entries for a TP profile file, add for each TP the number of group-level profiles, the number of user-level profiles and, if one exists, a system-level profile.

Figure 2. TP Profile Estimate

  TP 1:     (# of groups) + (# of users) + (1 system, if any)
  TP 2:     (# of groups) + (# of users) + (1 system, if any)
  TP 3:     (# of groups) + (# of users) + (1 system, if any)
  TP 4:     (# of groups) + (# of users) + (1 system, if any)
  ...
  TP n:  +  (# of groups) + (# of users) + (1 system, if any)
           -------------------------------------------------
  TOTAL  =   # of TP profile entries

The estimated number of entries is the first number following the RECORDS keyword in the VSAM file definition. The second number following the RECORDS keyword is the additional number of entries that can be added for expansion. For information about how much expansion to allow, see z/OS DFSMS Access Method Services Commands.

SYS1.SAMPLIB member ATBTPVSM contains a sample VSAM definition for a KSDS for TP profiles scheduled by the APPC/MVS transaction scheduler.