Before running TEMPLATE

Some Db2 utilities produce data sets during execution. These data sets are referenced in utility control statements by a set of DD name keywords and are specified in the corresponding JCL. Alternatively, you can use the TEMPLATE utility control statement to dynamically allocate utility data sets.

Options of the TEMPLATE utility allow you to specify the following information:

  • The data set naming convention
  • DFSMS parameters
  • Disk or tape allocation parameters

You can specify a template in the SYSIN data set, immediately preceding the utility control statement that references it, or in one or more TEMPLATE libraries.

A TEMPLATE library is a data set that contains only TEMPLATE utility control statements. You can specify a TEMPLATE data set DD name by using the TEMPLATEDD option of the OPTIONS utility control statement. This specification applies to all subsequent utility control statements until the end of input or until Db2 encounters a new OPTIONS TEMPLATEDD(ddname) specification.

Any template that is defined within SYSIN overrides another template definition of the same name in a TEMPLATE data set.

TEMPLATE utility control statements enable you to standardize data set allocation and the utility control statements that reference those data sets, which reduces the need to customize and alter utility job streams.