Abstract: A plurality of catalogs are maintained, and wherein each catalog of the plurality of catalogs includes data sets and attributes of the data sets. An indication that a new data set is to be defined is received. A selected catalog is determined from the plurality of catalogs, wherein the selected catalog is suitable for including the new data set and attributes of the new data set. An entry that indicates a data set name corresponding to the new data set and an index to the selected catalog is inserted in a group table.

Abstract: A central hub is coupled to a plurality of computational devices. The central hub stores a data structure that grants locks for accessing common data stored at the central hub, wherein the common data is shared by the plurality of computational devices. Each computational device maintains locally those locks that are held by the computational device in the data structure stored at the central hub. In response to a failure of the data structure stored at the central hub, a selected computational device of the plurality of computational devices is determined to be a manager system. Other computational devices besides the manager system communicate to the manager system all locks held by the other computational devices in the data structure stored at the central hub. The data structure and the common data are generated and stored at the manager system. Transactions are performed with respect to the data structure stored at the manager system, until the data structure stored at the central hub is operational.

Abstract: Various embodiments for retaining diagnostic information for data in a computing storage environment are provided. In one such embodiment, a diagnostic component, apart from a volume table of contents (VTOC), associated with an integrated catalog facility (ICF) catalog and with a base data set from data sets via a catalog association record is initialized. The diagnostic component configured to retain base data set-specific diagnostic information retrievable by the computing storage environment to assist in error diagnosis and the ICF catalog is one of the data sets storing information about the data sets for facilitating a retrieval of a name of the base data set and assists with retaining and retrieval of the base data set-specific diagnostic information. The base data set-specific diagnostic information is stored pursuant to at least one event associated with the base data set.

Abstract: Various embodiments for retaining diagnostic information for data in a computing storage environment are provided. In one such embodiment, a diagnostic component associated with a base data set via a catalog association record is initialized. The diagnostic component configured to retain base data set-specific diagnostic information retrievable by the computing storage environment to assist in error diagnosis.

Abstract: Various embodiments for defragmentation of a storage volume in a computing storage environment by a processor device are provided. A volume table of contents (VTOC) is serialized for a volume scan operation. At least one dummy data set in the storage volume is allocated, to be subsequently filled with actual data pursuant to a defragmentation operation. The serialization of the VTOC is released, allowing access to the storage volume. Input/output (I/O) operations are allowed to occur.

Abstract: A detection module selects logically adjacent first and second control areas of a cluster. The detection module further determines that the first and second control areas satisfy a migration test wherein the first control area has free space exceeding a free threshold, the free space is at least equal to a space requirement for each second control area control interval, and the second control area has fewer control intervals than a control interval threshold. In addition, a copy module copies each second control area control interval to the first control area in response to determining that the first and second control areas satisfy the migration test.

Abstract: A method for addressing an out-of-space condition for a VSAM Volume Data Set (VVDS) includes detecting an out-of-space condition in a VVDS on a volume. The method creates, in response to the out-of-space condition, a new VVDS on the volume without adding a record to the old VVDS (e.g., by bypassing “catalog services”). The new VVDS is assigned a temporary name. The method then copies records from the old VVDS to the new VVDS. The method may then rename the old VVDS to a temporary name and rename the new VVDS to the original name of the old VVDS. The old VVDS may then be deleted. Alternatively, instead of renaming the old VVDS to a temporary name, the old VVDS may be deleted. The new VVDS may then be renamed to the original name of the old VVDS. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also described.

Abstract: In defragmentation of data of a data storage system, the data storage system having at least one storage control and data storage, allowing defragmentation of data with respect to the data storage, the defragmentation comprising analysis and data movement. During the defragmentation and before completion of the defragmentation, in response to the data movement reaching a stable state, further defragmentation analysis and data movement is interrupted; making a point-in-time copy of the data subject to the defragmentation; and resuming the defragmentation analysis and data movement. At a further stable state where a new point-in-time copy is made, an earlier point-in-time copy is withdrawn. Should the defragmentation process end prematurely, a backup of the data subject to defragmentation may be recovered from a most recent point-in-time copy.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a system includes logic adapted to: receive a request to open an existing data set indicating a write operation, receive new data to write to the existing data set, determine that the existing data set is stored on a lower tier of a tiered data storage system, determine that the existing data set is capable of being updated by appending the new data to an end of the existing data set, create a temporary data set on a higher tier of the tiered data storage system comprising the new data, associate the temporary data set on the higher tier of the tiered data storage system with the existing data set on the lower tier of the tiered data storage system, and create a write indicator associated with the new data set indicating that the new data set belongs at the end of the existing data set.

Abstract: Various embodiments for defragmentation of a storage volume in a computing storage environment by a processor device are provided. A volume table of contents (VTOC) is serialized for a volume scan operation. At least one dummy data set in the storage volume is allocated, to be subsequently filled with actual data pursuant to a degragmentation operation. The serialization of the VTOC is released, allowing access to the storage volume. Input/output (I/O) operations are allowed to occur.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for using an alias volume name for a volume to allocate space to a data set. An assignment of a plurality of volumes to a data set is maintained, wherein the volumes are configured in a storage system. A request is received to extend the data set. A determination is made as to whether one of the volumes previously assigned to the data set has an allocation amount of available space in the storage system in response to the request to extend the data set. An alias volume name is assigned to the data set for the previously assigned volume determined to have the allocation amount of available space, wherein the alias volume name provides an alternative name for the previously assigned volume. The allocation amount of available space is assigned to the data set for the alias volume name.

Abstract: Various embodiments for optimizing data migration and recall in a computing storage environment by a processor device are provided. Data stored in the computing storage environment is analyzed over a predetermined period of time to identify a usage pattern of a portion of the data. The portion of the data having the usage pattern is recalled in advance of a usage time, the usage time predicted by the usage pattern for the portion of the data to be accessed.

Abstract: An approach to efficient data reorganization. The approach may involve searching for control interval (CI) splits and control area (CA) splits in a data component of a VSAM data set. A mapping is created that maps the source location storing the VSAM data set to a target location. The mapping reorders the VSAM data set such that the CI splits and CA splits are removed when the VSAM data set is moved to the target location in accordance with the mapping. Those CAs that do not include CI splits may be moved without using the host devices' processing resources. For example, the storage device may FlashCopy these areas directly from the source location to the target location. Those CAs that do include CI splits may be moved using the host's processing resources. For example, these CAs may be read into the host, re-ordered by the host, and written by the host to the target location.

Abstract: Various embodiments for adaptive reorganization of a virtual storage access method (VSAM) data set are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, upon each control interval (CI) split of a plurality of CI splits occurring over a period of time, historical data including a key value for a record causing each CI split is recorded in a data repository. The historical data is analyzed with a predictive algorithm to determine an amount of free space to be allocated to each of a plurality of control intervals generated pursuant to the adaptive reorganization. The predictive algorithm allocates a greater percentage of the free space to a first location of the VVDS having a larger proportion of historically placed key values than a second location of the VVDS having a smaller proportion of the historically placed key values.

Abstract: A method for automatically optimizing an allocation amount for a data set includes receiving an extend request, specifying an allocation amount, for a data set in a storage pool. The method increments a counter in response to receiving the extend request. In the event the counter has reached a threshold value, the method automatically increases the allocation amount of the extend request, such as by multiplying the allocation amount by a multiplier. In the event the allocation amount is larger than a largest free extent in the storage pool, the method automatically decreases the allocation amount of the extend request to correspond to the largest available free extent. Such a method reduces or eliminates the chance that an extend request will fail, and reduces overhead associated with extending and consolidating extents. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also disclosed herein.

Abstract: Various embodiments for retaining diagnostic information for data in a computing storage environment are provided. In one such embodiment, a diagnostic component associated with a base data set via a catalog association record is initialized. The diagnostic component configured to retain base data set-specific diagnostic information retrievable by the computing storage environment to assist in error diagnosis.

Abstract: Method, system, and computer program embodiments for reducing deadlock in multi-system computing environments are provided. A set of default, current wait times is initialized for resource requests of each of a plurality of resources. A plurality of resource holders and resource waiters is monitored within an address space. If one resource holder of the plurality of resource holders of one of the plurality of resources is determined to be one resource waiter on another of the plurality of resources, a current wait time for the one resource holder is incremented and a deadlock indicator for both the one resource holder and the one resource waiter is activated. Following expiration of a predefined interval, the plurality of resource holders and resource waiters are parsed through to determine an original resource holder, indicating a system deadlock. The resource holder associated with the system deadlock having a lowest current wait time is restarted.

Abstract: Method, system, and computer program embodiments for reducing deadlock in multi-system computing environments are provided. A set of default, current wait times is initialized for resource requests of each of a plurality of resources. A plurality of resource holders and resource waiters is monitored within an address space. If one resource holder of the plurality of resource holders of one of the plurality of resources is determined to be one resource waiter on another of the plurality of resources, a current wait time for the one resource holder is incremented and a deadlock indicator for both the one resource holder and the one resource waiter is activated. Following expiration of a predefined interval, the plurality of resource holders and resource waiters are parsed through to determine an original resource holder, indicating a system deadlock. The resource holder associated with the system deadlock having a lowest current wait time is restarted.

Abstract: Various embodiments for adaptive reorganization of a virtual storage access method (VSAM) data set are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, upon each control interval (CI) split of a plurality of CI splits occurring over a period of time, historical data including a key value for a record causing each CI split is recorded in a data repository. The historical data is analyzed with a predictive algorithm to determine an amount of free space to be allocated to each of a plurality of control intervals generated pursuant to the adaptive reorganization. The predictive algorithm allocates a greater percentage of the free space to a first location of the VVDS having a larger proportion of historically placed key values than a second location of the VVDS having a smaller proportion of the historically placed key values.

Abstract: An apparatus, method, and computer program product to dynamically optimize a backup window for a data store is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, an apparatus may include tracking module, a determination module, a window module, and a backup module. The tracking module may track usage of a data store over a period of time. A determination module may determine a period of minimal usage associated with the data store. The determination module may also determine an expected backup duration for the data store. Once the expected backup duration and period of minimal usage are known, a window module may calculate an optimal backup window for the data store. A backup module may then backup the data store during the backup window.