Data and storage management on z/OS
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Data management utility programs

Data and storage management on z/OS

No specific set of characteristics define what constitutes a z/OS® utility program today, but common usage includes only a limited number of z/OS-provided programs as utilities. The UNIX® community, by contrast, considers many of the standard commands as utilities, including compilers, backup programs, filters, and many other types of programs. To the z/OS community these are applications or programs, not utilities.

z/OS utilities are usually submitted as batch programs that have similar JCL requirements, including four specific data definition (DD) statements:
  • The SYSPRINT DD statement tells the system where to print the informational or error messages from the utility program.
  • The SYSUT1 DD statement identifies the data set that the utility is to use for input.
  • The SYSUT2 DD statement identifies the data set that the utility is to use for output.
  • The SYSIN DD statement contains utility control statements, which identify a particular function to be performed by a utility program and, when required, to identify specific volumes or data sets to be processed. As an alternative to using the input stream (the SYSIN DD statement), you may place utility control statements in a sequential data set, in a member of a partitioned data set or PDSE, or in a z/OS UNIX System Services (z/OS UNIX) file such as a HFS file.
Although utilities are usually run as batch jobs, using ALLOC commands in the TSO foreground is an alternative to using JCL.

Considering the wide-ranging functions and abilities of z/OS, only a small number of system-provided utilities exist. Most z/OS users are familiar with the utilities IEFBR14, IEBGENER, and IEBCOPY. VSAM users must be familiar with IDCAMS, which is the program name for the access method services utility.

A large number of customer-written utility programs also exist– although most users refrain from naming them utilities– and many of these are widely shared by the user community. Independent software vendors also provide many similar products (for a fee). Some of these programs or products can be categorized as utilities; of these, some compete with IBM® utilities, while many others provide functions not included with the IBM-provided utilities.

  • Guide to z/OS utility program functions
    Although z/OS utilities provide functions that are better performed by newer applications, many customers continue to use these programs, and IBM continues to ship them for compatibility with older supported system levels. This guide lists the tasks for which you can use these utilities, and identifies which utility is especially suited to perform each task.
  • Data set utilities
    Data set utilities reorganize, change, or compare data at the data set or record level. These programs are widely used in batch jobs.
  • System utilities
    System utility programs are used to list or change information that is related to data sets and volumes, such as data set names, catalog entries, and volume labels. Most functions that system utility programs can perform are performed more efficiently with other programs, such as IDCAMS, ISMF, or DFSMSrmm™.
Parent topic: DFSMS tools for data and storage management

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