Data set allocation fails

If data set allocation is failing (MKD, STOR/STOU, or APPE), check for the following:

• Issue the STAT command and check for problems with the variables that define data set characteristics (LRECL, RECFM, BLKSIZE, PRIMARY, SECONDARY, or DIRECTORY).
  • Do they all have a valid value defined?
  • If the variable is not listed in the STAT command output, no value is assigned to this variable. If no value is assigned to the variable, the value must be picked up from another source — either a model DCB or SMS. Does either the DCBDSN or DATACLASS (SMS) parameter have a valid value to provide a source for the missing variables?
  • If an SMS data class is specified, is SMS active at the server system? (current SMS status is displayed as part of the output for the STAT command).
  • If an SMS data class is specified, do the data class definitions contain values for the missing variables?
  • Are both PRIMARY and SECONDARY either specified or not specified? If either PRIMARY or SECONDARY are specified, neither of the values is picked up from an SMS data class. Both must be unspecified to pick up the value from SMS or both must be specified to override the SMS values.
  • If a model DCB is specified, are the characteristics of this data set valid for the data set being allocated?
• Issue the STAT command and check the PRIMARY, SECONDARY, and SPACETYPE values to determine how large the new data set is. The VOLUME and UNIT value of the STAT command indicate where the data sets are allocated. (If neither volume or unit is shown by the STAT command, data sets are allocated on the system default SYSDA DASD.) Does the server system have sufficient space where the data sets are allocated to allocate the data set? The SITE QDISK command provides information about the space available at the server system.
• Ensure that the destination at the server site is writable. Check with the operator at the server system to verify that the destination of the new data set is not write protected.