ISPF – Know about it

ISPF is also called as Interactive System Productive Facility. One would be able to create job streams using ISPF. Interactive System Productive Facility is a toolset for IBM operating system say MVS which is used for mainframe computers.

But the interesting aspect is panel used with Interactive System Productive Facility also called as ISPF Panel is different and one must have knowledge in starting and using the facilities in this ISPF panel. Let us discuss how to use ISPF panel.

Accessing ISPF

This is done by the following steps namely:

1. By making a logon to the system by using command LOGON one establishes connection with TSO also called as Time Sharing Option.

2. The Interactive System Productive Facility is started by using typing the command

ISPF

By entering this command one would se the primary menu option which has several submenus displayed in it.

As explained Interactive System Productive Facility has number of submenus. By using the menus in ISPF one would be able to do lot of activities some of which are namely one would be able to manage data sets and submit jobs. Thus Interactive System Productive Facility is menu-driven, and therefore user-friendly by providing users a series of menus from which user would be able to pick the options and carry out the actions they want as per their choice. Let us see some of the options in ISPF.

The most important of ISPF is the function keys. With this the usage of Interactive System Productive Facility Panel becomes easier. Most likely the functions of function keys are likely to be as below:

• PF1 is the key used for performing help function
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• PF2 this function key is used to split the session. By splitting session one can perform two functions at the same time.
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• PF3 By pressing this function key one can end the session that has been started.
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• PF4 In order to return or enter this function key is pressed
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• PF5 this function key performs the function of Rfind that is other words perform the function of repeat last find.
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• PF 6 Rchange
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• PF7 Move Backward
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• PF8 Move forward
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• PF9 We knew that by pressing PF2 session is spitted. In order to move between sessions PF9 is pressed.
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• PF = 10 Move left
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• PF = 11 Move right
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• PF 12 Retrieve

One of the main utility of Interactive System Productive Facility is allocating and editing data Sets and this can be done in ISPF as follows:

To allocate a data set:

• First one has to select option 3 from ISPF Primary Option Menu which gives the Utilities sub menu.
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• On the Utility sub menu, the option 2 represents Data Set Utility

This is the place where all commands related to data set are present in ISPF. So from this Data Set Utility panel in order to create or allocate a new data set one selects the option ‘M’. After selecting this option the name of the data set which the user wants to create is entered. This is the name by which the data set created would get identified for future reference. Then after this process the allocation panel for this data set gets opened. In this panel the characteristics or the features with which the user wants their data set to get created like size of data set and so on are mentioned. In this usually block size is left blank and being left blank the system will allocate the best block size as needed. After all this when enter is pressed if the data set allocation is successful then the message "Data set allocated" appears in the upper-right corner of the Data Set Utility panel of Interactive System Productive Facility.

Editing Data set

After allocating data set it is possible for one to edit a data set. The data set edited can be sequential dataset or member of PDS. This is done in Interactive System Productive Facility as follows:

• In the Interactive System Productive Facility primary menu the option 2 represents Edit option and so one first chooses this from the primary menu of ISPF.

This above action opens the edit panel and in this if one wants to edit a sequential data set then the user enters the data set name of the sequential data set and enter is pressed. If one wants to edit a PDS then we know that PDS has number of members in it. So by entering the name of the data set of PDS the members inside that PDS gets listed and then the member is selected from this. Or else if one knew the member name then directly the user can type the member name of the PDS and this will get opened for editing purpose. Now the sequential data set or member of PDS whatever the user has opened would have got opened for editing purpose and the user can now enter new data or change the existing data in that. After this for saving the changes made member presses F3. This saves the member and displays a message as Member Saved and also takes the control to the previous panel.

To End Interactive System Productive Facility

To terminate Interactive System Productive Facility one enters the command

LOGOFF

This command terminates Interactive System Productive Facility and end TSO session.

The above gives only an overview of ISPF and some of the utilities available in ISPF. There is lot still lot of utilities available with Interactive System Productive Facility which makes it a productive user friendly tool.