ABCs of z/OS System Programming Volume 3 - IBM Redbooks

1.1 Introduction to DFSMS
IBM 3494
Tape Library
System Programmer
Figure 1-1 Introduction to data management
Understanding DFSMS
Data management is the part of the operating system that organizes, identifies, stores,
catalogs, and retrieves all the data information (including programs) that your installation
uses. DFSMS is an exclusive element of the z/OS operating system. DFSMS is a software
suite that automatically manages data from creation to expiration.
DFSMSdfp helps you store and catalog information about DASD, optical, and tape devices so
that it can be quickly identified and retrieved from the system. DFSMSdfp provides access to
both record- and stream-oriented data in the z/OS environment. The z/OS operating system
enables you to efficiently manage e-business workloads and enterprise transactions 24 hours
a day. DFSMSdfp is automatically included with z/OS. It performs the essential data, storage,
and device management functions of the system.
Systems programmer
As a systems programmer, you can use DFSMS data management to:
► Allocate space on DASD and optical volumes
► Automatically locate cataloged data sets
► Control access to data
► Transfer data between the application program and the medium
► Mount magnetic tape volumes in the drive
2 ABCs of z/OS System Programming Volume 3
dsname.f.data
DASD
Tape
Data Set