II04680: IBM PRODUCTS THAT ARE AFFECTED BY SYSTEM DETERMINED BLOCKSIZE (SDB)

APAR status

• Closed as canceled.

Error description

• *** Last updated: 97/04/23  TLY
  This  APAR  provides  a  list  of  known  problems  with  System
  Determined  Blocksize  implementation  (SDB  -  a  facility   of
  DFSMS/MVS  5695-DF1  and  MVS/DFP 5665-XA3).   This APAR will be
  updated as problems are resolved or  new  problems  found.    In
  addition, there is a section on resolved SDB problems.
  
  NOTE:    SDB  requires  that  users code LRECL, RECFM, and DSORG
  (DSORG may be explicitly coded or  defaulted)  and  either  omit
  BLKSIZE  or code it as 0.  SDB is supported for DSORGs of PS and
  PO  for  DASD  and  tape  datasets.    It  is  supported  on  DD
  allocation, TSO ALLOCATE command and SVC 99 allocation.
  
  Known Problems:
  
  1.  Datasets  to  be  used as SYSLIN input to the Linkage Editor
      are restricted to a maximum block size  of  3200.    Do  not
      allow  SDB  to  choose a block size for these datasets as it
      will choose a block size greater than 3200 and the link edit
      will fail.   This problem does  not  exist  when  using  the
      DFSMS/MVS Binder.
  
  2.  PL/I  supplies  it's  own  default BLKSIZE if BLKSIZE is not
      specified or coded as 0. See APARs PL67000 and  PL74942  for
      limitations with old versions of PL/I. This problem has been
      resolved  by  newer  releases of PL/I. See APARs PN25210 and
      PN53051.
  
  3.  C/370 supplies it's own default BLKSIZE if  BLKSIZE  is  not
      specified  or coded as 0. This problem does not exist LE/370
      R3 or C/370 V2R2.
  
  4.  Assembler H supplies it's own default BLKSIZE if BLKSIZE  is
      not specified or coded as 0.
  
  5.  PASCAL  supplies  it's own default BLKSIZE if BLKSIZE is not
      specified or coded as 0.
  
  6.  VS COBOL II  R3.1  supplies  it's  own  default  BLKSIZE  if
      BLKSIZE is not specified or coded as 0.  This problem can be
      bypassed by coding "BLOCK CONTAINS 0 CHARACTERS" in the File
      Definition (FD) section of the COBOL program source code for
      the output file.
  
  7.  OS/VS COBOL R2.4 libraries have a blocksize limit of 16K and
      therefore  do not support a system determined blocksize that
      is greater than 16K.   VS COBOL II  copy  libraries  have  a
      blocksize   limit  of  32K  and  therefore  supports  system
      determined blocksize.  See APAR PL74252.
  
  8.  MSGIAT6240  will  be  issued if the blocksize of a JES3 disk
      reader is greater than 3200.
  
  9.  When concatenating  tape  datasets  (with  or  without  DASD
      datasets in the concatenation) for programs using BSAM (such
      as  IEBGENER)  care  should  be  taken to ensure that if the
      largest blocksize in the concatenation is  a  tape  dataset,
      then   that   tape  dataset  should  be  the  first  in  the
      concatenation list. Otherwise wrong length record errors may
      occur. See APAR OY34906.
  
  10. IEBUPDTE does not support SDB for it's output datasets.   If
      no BLKSIZE is specified, BLKSIZE defaults to LRECL.
  
  11. IEBCOPY  uses  EXCP  processing  which does not support SDB.
      When no BLKSIZE is coded IEBCOPY will copy  the  block  size
      from the input dataset.
  
  12. PPFA/370 requires an LRECL of 8205 and a BLKSIZE of 8209 for
      the  PAGEDEF  and  FORMDEF  datasets with RECFM as VBM.  See
      page A-4 PPFA/370 User's Guide and Reference (S544-3700-00).
  
  13. IMS 3.1 batch log datasets  BLKSIZE  take  the  IMS  default
      rather than the SDB value when blocksize is zero.  Generally
      the  BLKSIZE selected by IMS is not optimum for performance.
      See APAR PN11988.
  
  14. Specifying blocksize of zero on DB2 panel DSNESP02  for  the
      SPUFI   output   dataset   results   in  MSGDSNE390A  during
      allocation CLIST DSNESC01. See APAR PL56851.
  
  15. IDCAMS  EXPORT  OUTDATASET  or   OUTFILE   defaults   to   a
      BLKSIZE=2048 if no BLKSIZE is specified.
  
  16. The  SMF  dump  program (IFASMFDP) output dataset OUTDD1 and
      OUTDD2 default to a BLKSIZE=4096 if no BLKSIZE is specified.
      See APAR OW03651.
  
  17. TSO/E TRANSMIT and RECEIVE log data sets are OPENed with DCB
      values of RECFM=VB LRECL=255 and  BLKSIZE=3120.  I/O  errors
      will occur if SDB blocksize is not 3120. See APAR OY57034.
  
  18. TPNS  Script Generation Utility (ITPSGEN) requires a blksize
      of 8192 for the TAPEIN datasets. Otherwise, msgITP863I  will
      be issued. SDB should not be used in this case.
  
  Resolved Problems:
  
  1.  IEBGENER       - see APAR numbers OY19694 & OY28610
  
  2.  VIO            - see APAR number  OY24958
  
  3.  Dummy Datasets - see APAR numbers OY29029 & OY30182
  
  4.  VS FORTRAN     - Version 2.3 and later
  
  5.  DF/SORT        - see APAR number PL69745
  
  6.  BSAM DASD Concatenation
      Relief         - see APAR number OY34906
  
  7.  DFHSM ARCPRLOG and ARCPEDIT
      Datasets       - see APAR number OY52759
  
  8.  DFHSM ABARS    - see APAR number OY47821
  
  9.  DFHSM ODS      - see APAR number OY53908
  
  10. DB2 DSN1PRINT and DSN1COPY SYSPRINT
      Dataset        - see APAR number PL66978
  
  11. DB2 DSN1COPY SYSUT2
      Dataset        - see APAR number PL70966
  
  12. IMS GSAM       - see APAR numbers PN03934 and PN03935
  
  13. DB2 COPY       - see APAR number PL65303
  
  14. ACF/SSP        - see APAR number IR92984
  
  15. IEBCOPY        - see APAR number OY56556
      SYSPRINT
  
  16. Linkage Editor - DFSMS/MVS Binder
      SYSLIN
  
  17. C/370 fopen()  - LE/370 R3, C/370 V2R2
  
  18. PL/I           - See APAR numbers PN25210 and PN53051
  

Local fix

Problem summary

Problem conclusion

Temporary fix

Comments

• closing informational APAR
  

APAR Information

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Fix information

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