Temporary storage queues

Typically, temporary storage queues are used for shared reading, writing, and updating of data by multiple transactions; for example, as a scratchpad for shared data.

As shown in Figure 1, temporary storage queues can be used to store data either in main storage of the operating system, or in auxiliary storage on a direct-access storage device. Generally, main storage is used if small amounts of data are needed for short periods of time; auxiliary storage is used if data is to be kept for long periods of time. Transactions can write, update, read, and delete data in a temporary storage queue any number of times until the queue is deleted.

Temporary storage queues are not predefined to a region, but created the first time you write to a queue by using a new symbolic name. Any transaction can retrieve temporary data by using the symbolic name that is assigned to the queue. Specific elements (logical records) within a queue are referred to by relative position numbers.

A temporary storage queue having only one record can be handled as a single unit of data that you can access by using its symbolic name; for example, as a scratchpad for multiple transactions. In general, use temporary storage queues of more than one record only when direct access or repeated access to records is necessary; transient data control provides facilities for efficient handling of sequential files.

For information about Temporary Storage Queues (TSQ) that are required by a region, see About Temporary Storage Queues (TSQ). For information about recoverable temporary storage queues, see Recoverable temporary storage.