Determine VSAM FILE definition attributes KEYLENGTH/RECORDFORMAT and RECORDSIZE from catalog

We have assessed this requirement. We have no current plans for this to be implemented and so this requirement is being declined at this point. The requirement will be kept in the RFE system and might be reassessed in the future. You also have an opportunity to resubmit in twelve months time if you wish it to be reconsidered then.

Due to processing by IBM, this request was reassigned to have the following updated attributes:
Brand - Servers and Systems Software
Product family - Transaction Processing
Product - CICS Transaction Server

For recording keeping, the previous attributes were:
Brand - WebSphere
Product family - Transaction Processing
Product - CICS Transaction Server

This is a candidate for inclusion in a future release.

I would like to amend this RFE to suggest that, for remote files (AOR/FOR) there should be an initial handshake mechanism whereby any AOR can request and obtain RECORDSIZE, KEYLENGTH, and record format information from the owning FOR (which obtains the information from the catalog), thereby removing the requirement for coding this information in the FILE resource in the AOR (and also the opportunity for encountering problems if the information is coded incorrectly).

Additional information

CICS Resource Definition Guide describes to specify following attributes for remote VSAM files:

- RECORDSIZE
- KEYLENGTH

Other Values REMOTENAME and REMOTESYSTEM are installation specific values which cannot be standardised.

To have valid access to a remote VSAM file you must have a connection to the remote system. Otherwise the command will be denied (EIBRESP/EIBRESP etc.). Therefore it is independent where the file is located (same LPAR or REMOTE system) - the remote file has a LOCAL definition for accessing this file and attributes. May be there must be a new CICS internal service transaction like “CSFU” established to get the file attributes from the remote system before performing the first access to this remote file.

In the current situation process planning will change e.g. VSAM DEFINE attributes for KEYLENGTH or RECORDSIZE (RECORDFORMAT) without any adjustment in CICS environment.

The result may be unpredictable e.g. transaction loops and so forth.

To eliminate mismatches and complexity RECORDSIZE and KEYLENGTH (may be additional RECORDFORMAT value) should be determined by the valid catalog information CICS internally. The above keywords should not be necessary in VSAM file definition in DFHCSD.

Which file attributes are you referring to ?
CICS already gets the file information from the catalog for local files. For remote files, the recordsize and keylength is required for function shipping. The file being remote, means the AOR does not necessarily have access to the catalog that contains the file attributes, eg the AOR may be in London and the FOR in Berlin.