COBOL ⭐ Featured
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Q: Explain EXTERNAL clause

Answer:
EXTERNAL allows data sharing between separately compiled programs. 01 WS-SHARED PIC X(100) EXTERNAL. All programs with same EXTERNAL name share same storage. Use for global data without passing parameters. Be careful with initialization.
VSAM ⭐ Featured
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Q: Explain SHAREOPTIONS parameter

Answer:
SHAREOPTIONS(crossregion,crosssystem). Values: 1=exclusive, 2=read share/write exclusive, 3=full sharing, 4=full sharing no buffer refresh. SHAREOPTIONS(2 3) is common. Higher sharing needs application coordination.
VSAM ⭐ Featured
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Q: What causes file status 97?

Answer:
Status 97 indicates OPEN problem, often password or integrity. May be: dataset locked, open elsewhere without sharing, damaged dataset. Check SHAREOPTIONS, verify cluster status, recovery may be needed.
DB2 ⭐ Featured
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Q: What is DB2 subsystem?

Answer:
Subsystem is DB2 instance. Has unique name (4 chars). Multiple subsystems on same LPAR. Each has own catalog, logs, data. SSID in application connection. Data sharing allows multi-subsystem access.
VSAM ⭐ Featured
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Q: How to handle RLS (Record Level Sharing)?

Answer:
RLS allows VSAM access without exclusive control. Define with SHAREOPTIONS and LOG. Enable RLS at VSAM level. CF lock structure coordinates. Better than old batch/CICS conflicts.
DB2
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Q: What is data sharing?

Answer:
Data sharing allows multiple DB2s to access same data. Group of subsystems share data. Uses Coupling Facility for coordination. Provides availability, scalability. Complex but powerful for high availability.
VSAM
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Q: How to handle concurrent access?

Answer:
Use appropriate SHAREOPTIONS. Multiple readers OK with SHAREOPTIONS(2). Writers need coordination. LSR (Local Shared Resources) for same address space. Consider file status checks.
JCL
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Q: How to define PDS?

Answer:
//PDSOUT DD DSN=MY.PDS,DISP=(NEW,CATLG),SPACE=(CYL,(5,1,10)),DCB=(RECFM=FB,LRECL=80). Directory blocks (10) required for PDS. Or DSNTYPE=LIBRARY for PDSE. PDSE allows dynamic directory expansion, member-level sharing.
JCL
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Q: How to allocate PDSE?

Answer:
DSNTYPE=LIBRARY creates PDSE. Better than PDS: dynamic directory, member-level sharing, no compression needed. Or DATACLAS with PDSE attribute. Cannot convert back to PDS easily. Recommended for new PDSes.