Whether you choose pageable, DREF, or fixed storage depends on
the extent to which your program is running disabled for external
and I/O interrupts. To determine the type of storage you require,
use the following guidelines:
- If your program runs enabled for external and I/O interrupts,
use pageable storage. If your program requires fixed storage for only
a short interval, use the PGSER macro to page-fix the storage area
as needed.
- If your program meets the following criteria, consider using DREF
storage:
- Runs disabled for external and I/O interrupts
- Has no requirement for constant real addresses backing virtual
addresses
- Is authorized to obtain storage in storage key 0.
- If your program runs disabled for external and I/O interrupts
for the duration of its processing and requires constant real addresses
backing virtual addresses, use fixed storage. Note that the storage
area must be non-swappable (either located in common storage or in
a non-swappable address space) to have fixed real addresses.
You should select the type of storage that meets your needs while
minimizing your use of central storage. Central storage is the most
limited resource, followed by expanded storage, followed by auxiliary
storage.
Pageable and DREF storage are backed by central storage only when
the virtual storage is referenced. Fixed storage is always backed
by central storage.