Overview Significant advances in mainframe operating systems and sorting engines have fundamentally changed how batch jobs handle system resources. Modern sort utilities feature highly sophisticated, automated disk and memory management algorithms that frequently supersede traditional, hardcoded JCL definitions.
We are gathering insights on how these technological advances match up with your real-world Ideal batch procedures, particularly when handling large data volumes or generating extensive reports. Your feedback will help us identify common field configurations and ensure our future enhancement strategies align with your operational needs.
How to Participate: To make replying quick and seamless, you can simply post your answers in the comments section using a shorthand format combining the question number and option letter (for example: 1.A, 2.B, 3.A, 4.C), along with any additional notes or technical observations you would like to share.
Survey: Ideal Batch Proc & Sort Configuration
1. How are you currently managing SORTWK DD statements in your Ideal batch procedures?
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A. Standard Defaults: We use the default SORTWK configurations exactly as delivered in the product installation procs.
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B. Manual Expansion: We have manually added or scaled up hardcoded SORTWK DD statements to handle larger job streams.
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C. Dynamic Allocation: We have removed or minimized hardcoded SORTWK DD statements and rely on dynamic allocation (DYNALLOC).
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D. Unsure / Legacy: Our procs haven't been reviewed or updated for sort optimization in recent years.
2. Do you explicitly use parameter override datasets to tune your sort steps?
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A. Yes: We use DFSPARM, $ORTPARM, or other sort control cards to alter memory thresholds or override region limits.
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B. No: We rely strictly on system installation defaults and JCL REGION values.
3. Which system sort product is standard in your Ideal production environment?
4. Has your organization experienced virtual memory constraints (e.g., ICE039A or WER039A) or capacity limits during high-volume Ideal report sorts?
5. Operational Comments Please feel free to append any additional details regarding your current sort strategies, memory limits, or specific challenges your database administration (DBA) or systems teams face when managing large reporting windows.
Closing Thank you for your valuable feedback. Your participation ensures that our ongoing software optimization matches the architecture and performance demands of your data center.
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Don Johnson
Sr. Principal Support Engineer | MSD - Datacom product family
CADRE/Datacom Community Champion
Support File Transfer Lead
Broadcom Software
donald.johnsonjr@broadcom.com------------------------------