Using SMS Data Classes

A Storage Management Subsystem (SMS) data class is a template of data set attributes (such as record length and format) that you can specify is to be used when creating a new data set. Enterprise Developer enables applications running in an enterprise server to make use of SMS data classes.

Data class definitions are stored in a file that you must create using Enterprise Developer. Once you have created a data class definition file in Enterprise Developer you need to enable SMS support then specify the data class definition file that you want to use for an enterprise server.

To enable SMS and specify the data class definition file, perform the following steps:

In the table of servers on the Home page of Enterprise Server Administration, click Edit to the left of the row for the server that you want to edit.
Click the Properties tab then the General tab if they are not selected already.
Specify the following variables in the [ES-Environment] section of :
```
MF_SMS=ONConfiguration Information
MFUSERCAT_NODE=SYSMFE1
MFUSERCAT_LOC=definition-file
```
where definition-file is the fully-qualified location and name of the data class definition file to use.
Click OK.

You must now create one or more data classes; see the example JCL given in Using the SMS DATACLAS update utility with input from SYSIN. Once you have defined some data classes, you can refer to them using any of the following methods:

DATACLAS parameter of a JCL DD statement
DATACLASS parameter of a TSO ALLOCATE command
DATACLASS parameter of an IDCAMS DEFINE command
data class text unit (TU) of SVC 99 (DYNALLOC)

The same definition file can be used by more than one enterprise server, ensuring consistency of data class definitions. Whenever a data class specification is missing, a default data class called MFEDFTDC is used, if it exists. This data class must exist in an enterprise server's data class definition file for it to be available for that enterprise server.

When the data set is defined in the catalog, the DATACLAS and MGMTCLAS attributes are applied.

For full information on SMS, see the DFSMSdfp Storage Administration Reference available from the IBM BookManager Server Library.