Dynamic allocation using CEMT

You can set the data set name dynamically in an installed file definition by using the main terminal CEMT command.

CEMT SET FILE(filename) DSNAME(datasetname) SHARE|OLD

When you use this command, CICS allocates the data set as part of OPEN processing as described above. The data set is automatically deallocated when the last file entry associated with the data set is closed. Before you can dynamically allocate a file using the CEMT command, the file status must be CLOSED, and also be DISABLED or UNENABLED.

This method of defining the data set to CICS allows a file definition to be associated with different data sets at different times. Alternatively, you can close the file and deallocate the data set and then reallocate and open the same file with a different DISP setting. For example, you could do this to enable the physical data set to be shared with a batch program, which reads the data set.

For information about the CEMT SET command, see CEMT SET commands.