File Definitions (FD)

The File Definitions (FD) define remote and local data files that are available for use by CICS®(for example, for monitoring) and CICS application programs in a region. Local FDs provide a way of accessing files that are on any SFS that is defined in the Structured File Server Definitions (SSD) for a region. The following attributes can be set for the File Definitions (FD):

Note: Attribute names appear as they are used on the command line, followed in parentheses by the descriptions that are used by the AIX® System Management Interface Tool (SMIT).

<Key>: This attribute specifies a unique name that identifies the file to CICS, and is the key for the FD entry. Filenames are not supported by National Language Support (NLS). They can be no more than eight characters, taken from the ASCII characters listed here. For all the permanent database operations, and on a runtime database insert operation, CICS performs class-specific validation of the bytes that form the database key. For files, CICS allows characters from exclamation (!) to tilde (~), (33 through 126 decimal).
If you are using the IBM TXSeries Administration Console, SMIT (CICS for AIX), to set this value, see Restrictions on the use of characters.
ActivateOnStartup (Activate resource at cold start?): This attribute specifies whether a resource definition is always copied from the permanent database to the runtime database at the cold start of a region. If the attribute is set to yes, the resource definition is always copied from the permanent database to the runtime database. If the attribute is set to no, the resource definition is not copied to the runtime database unless its group has been specified in the Groups attribute of the Region Definitions (RD). The default value is yes.
AddOpt (Add access status): This attribute specifies whether add operations are allowed on the file. The possible settings are addable and notaddable. The default value is addable.
AmendCounter (Number of updates): This attribute is reserved for CICS internal use.
BaseName (Server filename): This attribute specifies the name of the file as it is known by the file server. Set this attribute only for a local file. The default value is "".
BrowseOpt (Browse access status): This attribute specifies whether browse operations are allowed on the file. The possible settings are browsable and notbrowsable. The default value is browsable.
DeleteOpt (Delete access status): This attribute specifies whether delete operations are allowed on the file. The possible settings are deletable and notdeletable. The default value is deletable.
EmptyOpt (Empty status for first file open): This attribute specifies whether CICS must empty the file when the file is opened. The possible settings are empty and do_not_empty. The default value is do_not_empty.
EnableStatus (File enable status): This attribute specifies whether the file is enabled, disabled, unenabled, or in the process of being disabled. The possible settings are enabled, disabled, unenabled, and disabling. When defining the file, you can specify only enabled or disabled. The default value is enabled.
ErrorIsolation (Error isolation): This attribute specifies whether SFS error isolation is to be used with recoverable OFDs opened on the file. The attribute is ignored for nonrecoverable files. If the attribute is set to on, all SFS errors are passed on to the application. If the attribute is set to off, specific SFS errors are not passed on to the application, and if an error occurs, the transaction is forced to abend. Performance improves slightly if this attribute is set to off because the time it takes to pass on and handle SFS errors is eliminated. The default value is on.
FileServer (File Server): This attribute specifies the name of the SFS for a local file. For a remote file or for a DB2 file, it is blank. The default value is "".
GroupName (Group to which resource belongs): This attribute specifies the name of a group to which this resource definition belongs. The name is specified in an eight-byte string. For cold starts, you can specify that CICS copies, from the permanent database to the runtime database, resource definitions that belong to groups that are named in the Groups attribute of the Region Definitions (RD). (This can be done in addition to setting the ActivateOnStartup attribute to yes for resources whose definitions are to be copied on startup from the permanent database to the runtime database.) The default value is "".
IndexName (Server Index Name): This attribute specifies the server index name. Set this attribute only for a local file. The default value is "".
KeyLen (Key length to use with remote requests): This attribute specifies the key length that is to be used with requests to remote Key Sequenced Data Set (KSDS) files. The default value is 0.
OpenStatus (File open status): This attribute specifies whether the file is open, closed, in the process of opening, in the process of closing, or has had a close request issued for it. The possible settings are: open, closed, opening, closing, and closerequest. When defining the file, you can specify only open or closed. The default value is closed.
Permanent (Protect resource from modification?): This attribute specifies whether amending or deleting the permanent database entry is permitted. If the attribute is set to no, the entry can be amended or deleted. If the attribute is set to yes, an entry cannot be modified or deleted. To modify the entry, first reset the attribute no. After amending the entry, set the attribute back to yes. The default value is no.
PrePages (Number of pages to preallocate): This attribute specifies the number of pages that are to be preallocated for a file whose EmptyOpt attribute is set to empty when it is opened. The default value is 1.
ReadOpt (Read access status): This attribute specifies whether read operations are allowed on the file. The possible settings are readable and notreadable. The default value is readable.
RecordSize (Record length to use with remote requests): This attribute specifies the record length that is to be used with requests to remote files. The default value is 0.
RecoverStatus (Recoverability status): This attribute specifies whether the file is recoverable or nonrecoverable. The possible settings are recoverable and notrecoverable. The default value is recoverable.
RemoteName (Remote filename): This attribute specifies the name by which a file that is residing in a remote region is known there. If the remote name is not specified, CICS sends the local identifier of this file to the remote region. The shorthand notations %R, %H, and %S are not expanded for this attribute. For example, a value of “%H” really means the string “%H”. The default value is "".
RemoteSysId (Remote System Name): For a file that resides in a remote region, this attribute specifies the name of a Communications Definitions (CD) entry that specifies a connection to the remote region. The default value is "", meaning that the file resides in the local region.
ResourceDescription (Resource description): This attribute specifies this FD entry with a 30-byte string. The default value is “File Definition”.
RSLKey (Resource Level Security Key): This attribute specifies the resource security key for this file, represented by a number 1 through 24. If the user whose transaction issues this request does not have this RSLKey value in the RSLKeylist attribute in the User Definitions (UD), CICS raises the NOTAUTH condition. Alternatively, you can specify the value public or private. With the value public, any user can access the file. With the value private, CICS allows access to the file only from transactions that have the attribute RSLCheck set to none in their Transaction Definitions (TD) entries. The default value is private.
For more information about resource security, see Authorizing user access to CICS resources.
TemplateDefined (Is a user conversion template defined): This attribute specifies whether a conversion template is defined for the file if the file can be accessed from a non-ASCII region or if it contains binary or user-defined data. If such a template exists, this attribute must be set to yes; otherwise, it is set to no. The default value is no.
UpdateOpt (Update access status): This attribute specifies whether update operations are allowed on the file. The possible settings are updatable and notupdatable. The default value is updatable.