IBM Mainframe Forum

Hey, I'm really stuck with getting the job logs to dataset via $AVRS utility. We have it on our mainframe, and we have an instruction on how to copy stuff to dataset: you're supposed to type 'o' next to the job name in the list:

Then the screen with dataset properties is opened, and we have an example of filling it in instruction:

DISPOSITION ===> NEW (N/NEW, M/MOD OR O/OLD)
NORMAL DISP. ===> CATLG (C/CATLG OR K/KEEP)
SPACE UNITS ===> TRKS (C/CYLS OR T/TRKS)
PRIMARY QUAN. ===> 200 (IN ABOVE UNITS)
SECONDARY QUAN. ===> 5 (IN ABOVE UNITS)
DIRECTORY BLOCKS ===> (ZERO OR BLANK FOR SEQUENTIAL)
RECORD FORMAT ===> FB
RECORD LENGTH ===> 133 (MAX 255 RECFM=F, MAX 259 RECFM=V)

So I press Enter on this screen, get no errors and no messages at all, my dataset is created happily, but for some reason it comes out perfectly empty. But if I try to delete it, system says, "Data set is open". And the same instruction works just fine for the colleague next to me being applied to the very same job 5 minutes later. What am I doing wrong? I've googled through the whole google and only found a fancy brochure about $AVRS describing how cool is it. They don't seem to believe one needs the manual here. So please help!

So I press Enter on this screen, get no errors and no messages at all, my dataset is created happily, but for some reason it comes out perfectly empty. But if I try to delete it, system says, "Data set is open".

This is telling me that the data set is still under $AVRS control; you'll need to do something to close the data set to $AVRS (which will also write the data to the data set) -- in SDSF you use XDC line command to write output to a dataset and then close the data set when the write is complete. Have you used F1 to go through the online help to see if it tells you what to do? If not, you need to read the manuals -- and SEA does not make them available to the public, so you must go through your site to get access to them.

They don't seem to believe one needs the manual here.

So what? Find someone in your organization that will help you get at least the user's guide -- if you don't know how to do something, your inability is costing your organization money in wasted time. Or talk to SEA directly (or send an email) to get support; if your organization pays maintenance then you're entitled to support.

Robert Sample wrote:This is telling me that the data set is still under $AVRS control; you'll need to do something to close the data set to $AVRS (which will also write the data to the data set) -- in SDSF you use XDC line command to write output to a dataset and then close the data set when the write is complete.

Yeah, that's what I suspected. But from what I see on my colleague's screen, he doesn't do anything special I haven't tried: he types the same 'o', sees the same clock in the bottom line of terminal, then clock is gone, and it's time to check the dataset.

Robert Sample wrote:Have you used F1 to go through the online help to see if it tells you what to do? If not, you need to read the manuals -- and SEA does not make them available to the public, so you must go through your site to get access to them.

At which screen? In SAVRS it just gives some very general information about basic commands and nothing about them working for one person and not working for another

So what? Find someone in your organization that will help you get at least the user's guide -- if you don't know how to do something, your inability is costing your organization money in wasted time. Or talk to SEA directly (or send an email) to get support; if your organization pays maintenance then you're entitled to support.

Well yeah, probably SEA support is the next step then. I'm just never sure I do everything right being on mainframe for a couple of months only

At which screen? In SAVRS it just gives some very general information about basic commands and nothing about them working for one person and not working for another

The other person may have set an option to automatically close the data set after writing to it -- without looking at the help online or reading the manuals, you don't know if such an option exists. I have not used $AVRS for a number of years so I don't remember.

Robert Sample wrote:The other person may have set an option to automatically close the data set after writing to it -- without looking at the help online or reading the manuals, you don't know if such an option exists. I have not used $AVRS for a number of years so I don't remember.

Our OPC people would probably know it then, and they don't even though they use it a lot... I'll try to research in this direction anyway, thank you!