Accessing IMS data through z/OS: SHSAM and SHISAM

Two database access methods give you simple hierarchic databases that z/OS® can use as data sets, SHSAM and SHISAM.

These access methods can be particularly helpful when you are converting data from z/OS files to an IMS database. SHISAM is indexed and SHSAM is not.

When you use these access methods, you define an entire database record as one segment. The segment does not contain any IMS control information or pointers; the data format is the same as it is in z/OS data sets. The z/OS access methods that SHSAM can use are BSAM and QSAM. SHISAM uses VSAM.

SHSAM and SHISAM databases can be accessed by z/OS access methods without IMS, which is useful during transitions.