Managing file allocations

You can manage files while you are debugging by using the DESCRIBE ALLOCATIONS, ALLOCATE, and FREE commands. You cannot manage files while debugging CICS® programs.

To view a current list of allocated files, enter the DESCRIBE ALLOCATIONS command. The following screen displays the command and sample output:

  DESCRIBE ALLOCATIONS ;
*  Current allocations:
*  VOLUME CAT DISP       OPEN DDNAME   DSNAME
*   1 ---  2 -  3 ------  4 -  5 -----  6 ------------------------------------------
*  COD008  *  SHR KEEP     *  EQAZSTEP BCARTER.TEST.LOAD
*  SMS004  *  SHR KEEP                 SHARE.CEE210.SCEERUN
*  COD00B  *  OLD KEEP     *  INSPLOG  BCARTER.DTOOL.LOGV
*  VIO        NEW DELETE      ISPCTL0  SYS02190.T085429.RA000.BCARTER.R0100269
*  COD016  *  SHR KEEP        ISPEXEC  BCARTER.MVS.EXEC
*  IPLB13  *  SHR KEEP                 ISPF.SISPEXEC.VB
*  VIO        NEW DELETE      ISPLST1  SYS02190.T085429.RA000.BCARTER.R0100274
*  IPLB13  *  SHR KEEP     *  ISPMLIB  ISPF.SISPMENU
*  SMS278  *  SHR KEEP                 SHARE.ANALYZ21.SIDIMLIB
*  SHR89A  *  SHR KEEP                 SHARE.ISPMLIB
*  SMS25F  *  SHR KEEP     *  ISPPLIB  SHARE.PROD.ISPPLIB
*  SMS891  *  SHR KEEP                 SHARE.ISPPLIB
*  SMS25F  *  SHR KEEP                 SHARE.ANALYZ21.SIDIPLIB
*  IPLB13  *  SHR KEEP                 ISPF.SISPPENU
*  IPLB13  *  SHR KEEP                 SDSF.SISFPLIB
*  IPLB13  *  SHR KEEP                 SYS1.SBPXPENU
*  COD002  *  OLD KEEP     *  ISPPROF  BCARTER.ISPPROF
*             NEW DELETE      SYSIN    TERMINAL
*             NEW DELETE      SYSOUT   TERMINAL
*             NEW DELETE      SYSPRINT TERMINAL

The following list describes each column:

 1  VOLUME
The volume serial of the DASD volume that contains the data set.
 2  CAT
An asterisk in this column indicates that the data set was located by using the system catalog.
 3  DISP
The disposition that is assigned to the data set.
 4  OPEN
An asterisk in this column indicates that the file is currently open.
 5  DDNAME
DD name for the file.
 6  DSNAME
Data set name for a DASD data set:
  • DUMMY for a DD DUMMY
  • SYSOUT(x) for a SYSOUT data set
  • TERMINAL for a file allocated to the terminal
  • * for a DD * file

You can allocate files to an existing, cataloged data set by using the ALLOCATE command.

You can free an allocated file by using the FREE command.

By default, the DESCRIBE ALLOCATIONS command lists the files allocated by the current user. You can specify other parameters to list other system allocations, such as the data sets currently allocated to LINK list, LPA list, APF list, system catalogs, Parmlib, and Proclib. The IBM® z/OS® Debugger Reference and Messages describes the parameters you must specify to list this information.