If VLF is running on systems that are not part of a sysplex or
the changed data is non-PDS data, notification to VLF is not automatic.
Whoever controls the shared data must notify VLF on individual systems
that the data has been changed.
How VLF is notified depends on who controls the data. For example,
an end user in charge of the data would use the TSO/E VLFNOTE command
to notify VLF. An application programmer might use the COFNOTIF macro
in a program.
Which systems need to be notified depends on the type of data being
changed:
- For PDS data, all the systems except the local system (the system
on which the data change was made) need to be notified. VLF on the
local system receives automatic notification as long as the change
was made using IBM® data management
services. (If the change was made some other way, the local system
needs to be notified.)
- For non-PDS data, VLF must be notified on all of the systems sharing
the data, including the local system.
The types of changes that require VLF notification appear in the
following lists.
For data in a PDS, notify VLF when:
- Adding a member to an eligible data set (a data set that is identified
to VLF).
- Adding a member to a non-eligible data set when both of the following
are true:
- The data set containing the new member is in a user's SYSPROC
concatenation ahead of an eligible data set.
- The eligible data set has a member with the same name as the new
member.
- Updating an existing member of an eligible data set.
- Deleting an eligible data set or member of an eligible data set.
For non-PDS data, notify VLF when:
- Adding a minor name to a major name.
- Updating a minor name associated with a major name.
- Deleting a minor name from a major name.
The VLFNOTE command can be issued from either:
- A TSO/E user ID on each system
- A batch job, with system affinity, on each system.
See z/OS TSO/E Command Reference for information about using the VLFNOTE
command.