gtpd1m1uDatabase Reference

Input

The input for the real-time disk formatter consists of data control cards and formatter control cards.

This program will format 1 disk at a time, with the volume label of the pack to be formatted being specified by a standard DD card used in MVS JCL. The volume serial number on the pack can be any standard label that you want (6 alphanumeric digits), and the data set name can be any valid data set name allowed under MVS.

Although this program formats 1 disk pack at a time, many packs can be formatted at once by running different jobs, calling the formatter at the same time. The amount depends on the number of nonallocated disk modules and the amount of main storage that is allocated to the user in the particular MVS system being used.

All disk packs to be formatted must have first been initialized by MVS initialize disk program ICKDSF. This is required to properly label and format the first track and to place the volume table of contents on the pack.

Data Control Cards

You need 3 data control cards to run this program.

Data Device Name Use
FMTDD1 Read input card (SYSIN)
FMTDD2 Printer status report (SYSOUT)
FMTDD3 Pack to be formatted

MVS Job Control Cards and Sequence of Deck (EXEC)

//FORMAT       JOB    (Accounting Information)
//STEP1        EXEC   PGM=FMTRXX (XX-LINKED VERSION)
//SYSPRINT     DD     SYSOUT=A
//FMTDD2       DD     SYSOUT=A
//FMTDD3       DD     DSNAME=PARSRCDS,UNIT=SYSDA,VOLUME=SER=(PARCRY),
                      DISP=(NEW,KEEP),SPACE=(TRK,7654)
//SYSUDUMP     DD     SYSOUT=A
//FMTSNP       DD     SYSOUT=A
//FMTDD1       DD     *
 
                      ------- Formatter Control Cards -------
/*

When you format a disk pack for the first time, the disposition of the data set is new (DISP=(NEW,KEEP)). When the packs are being reformatted, the disposition is old (DISP=(OLD,KEEP)). See MVS/ESA JCL Reference for additional information about coding MVS job control cards.

Formatter Control Cards

The following shows the format for the formatter control cards. The scale at the top of the figure indicates the column position for each parameter.

|...+....1....+....2....+....3....+....4....+....5....+....6....+....7...
 FMT     s     d ccccchh   ccccchh     dddd      comments

Where:

s
is the record size, which can be one of the following:

S
Small size record (381 bytes)

L
Large size record (1055 bytes)

4
4KB record (4096 bytes)

2
2KB record (2048 bytes); only supported for SIPC data sets on general files; for migration purposes only.

d
is the duplication factor, which can be one of the following:

D
Duplicate area

N
Nonduplicate area.

Note:
The duplication indicator is ignored for 3390s in native mode and newer devices and, therefore, can be omitted for these devices. In addition, the duplication indicator is not applicable for 2KB or 4KB records.

ccccchh
is the first and last track to be formatted. For example, 0012208 to 0013814 specifies that cylinder 122, head 8 to cylinder 138, head 14 will be formatted.

dddd
is the device type to be formatted; for example, 3390. This is required only on the first card. See the TPF Migration Guide: Program Update Tapes for a list of the supported devices.
Note:
3390s installed in 3380 emulation mode must be coded as 3380s.

comments
Columns 50-80 can contain optional comments.

You can use as many control cards as necessary. Ranges of tracks can overlap; in this case the last card that affects a particular track determines the format. Control cards do not need to be in order by cylinder and head, but it will reduce the run time if they are. The FMT END card must be the last card in the control deck.

The following shows some sample input:

|...+....1....+....2....+....3....+....4....+....5....+....6....+....7...
 FMT     L     D 0000004   0001019     3390      LARGE DUP
 FMT     S     D 0001100   0018919               SMALL DUP
 FMT     2       0019000   0019819
 FMT     4       0019600   0019919
 FMT     END

Notes:

  1. Cylinder 0, track 0 is reserved for the volume label and IPL records and cannot be formatted.

  2. At least one other track must be set aside for the volume table of contents (VTOC); this track cannot be formatted either. If the VTOC track is specified in the formatter control card, a message is sent to the printer stating that the track is a VTOC track and cannot be formatted. The program then continues to format the next track specified in the formatter control card.

  3. An abend will also occur if you specify a cylinder higher than the cylinder limit for the pack indicated on the control card.