Unstructured data files

The Unstructured data files contain the SYSOUTs in a flat form, as provided by the JES spool. You can check the SYSOUT with the BROWSE JOBLOG function. Note that the unstructured data file can store, if requested, also the user SYSOUTs. The activation of the unstructured data files is optional, depending on appropriate data store parameters.

Within an unstructured data file, every SYSOUT, consisting of n logical records, takes at least one page of data (4096 bytes). The size of the VSAM data file depends on the following factors:
  • The typical size of the SYSOUT for jobs that have to be stored (consider also the MAXSTOL parameter that specifies the number of user SYSOUT lines to be stored)
  • The average number of jobs that run every day
  • The retention period of job logs in data store
  • The number of data files that you want to create (from 1 to 99)
You can calculate the number of pages that you need in this way:
  • Calculate the maximum number of job logs that can be stored at a given time. To do this, multiply the number of jobs running in a day by the number of days that you want the job logs to be available.
  • Calculate the average number of pages that are needed for every job log. This depends on the average number of lines in every SYSOUT and on the average SYSOUT-line length. At least one page is needed for every job log.
  • Calculate the total number of pages required. To do this, multiply the number of job logs stored concurrently by the average number of pages for every SYSOUT.
  • Calculate the number of pages required for each file. To do this divide the previous result by the number of Data Files you want to create.
  • Determine size of each data file according to the media type and space unit for your installation.