Question Bank: Test Your Knowledge on VSAM

1. Which of the following is NOT TRUE about VSAM?
A. Data records can be accessed faster compared to other file structures
B. Data records can be accessed sequentially or in a random manner.
C. VSAM datasets can be transported between different Operating Systems.
D. VSAM datasets require less storage space as compared to other file types.

2. Which of the Following is not a data organization type in VSAM?
A. KSDS
B. ESDS
C. Linear record data sets (LRDS)
D. RRDS

3. In what way are the KSDS data records arranged?
A. Random order
B. By a UNIQUE key field
C. Using Relative record position
D. Entry sequence.

4. In ESDS, records are always added at the end of the data set.
A. True
B. False

5. How are data records retrieved in RRDS files?
A. RRN
B. RBA
C. Index
D. Alternate index.

6. VSAM stores logical records of a file in fixed length blocks called:
A. Control Intervals
B. Control Area
C. Pages
D. Primary memory.

7. Which one of the following is not a part of the CI
A. CIDF (Control Interval Definition Field)
B. RDF (Record Definition field)
C. RLF(Record Length Field)
D. Free space.

8. Information about the free space in a CI is stored in
A. CIDF
B. RDF
C. RLF
D. Free Space itself

9. A CI (Control Interval) contains only one RDF with all the record information.
A. TRUE
B. FALSE

10. What is the length of a RDF (In Bytes)?
A. 3
B. 5
C. 4
D. 2

11. What is the length of CIDF (In Bytes)?
A. 3
B. 5
C. 4
D. 2

12. In a KSDS, when a new record is inserted, which of the following is not possible?
A. The new record is inserted at the appropriate free space and the dataset is reorganized.
B. A Control interval is split to accommodate the new record.
C. Half of the records in the present Control Area are moved to a new CA and the new record is inserted at the appropriate location.
D. All the above are possible
E. None of the above is possible

13. While creating an ESDS file, the FREESPACE parameter is not used because
A. No free space is available in ESDS.
B. Default Free Space is assigned.
C. No free space is allowed between records in ESDS.
D. None of Above

14. CI and CA splits can occur only in files
A. KSDS
B. RRDS
C. ESDS
D. LDS

15. Primary keys in sequence set are in sequential order whereas CI are not in sequential order
A. TRUE
B. FALSE

16. For a VSAM index, the pointer to the CI is the RBA of the entry to which it points
A. TRUE
B. FALSE

17. For a VSAM , the key stored in the index for a CI is
A. The highest key value of the record in a CI
B. One less than the key value of the first record in the next logical CI
C. One greater than the highest key value in a CI
D. Key of the last record in a CI

18. Control area ,CA is VSAM's internal unit for allocating space within a cluster
A. TRUE
B. FALSE

19. For a VSAM index, index set points to
A. CI
B. CA

20. Upgrading is
A. Creating Alternate index
B. Automatic updation of the Alternate index
C. Creating unique alternate indexs
D. Avoiding duplicate key values

21. Which of the following is not true (3)
A. KSDS and RRDS can be of Fixed or variable length
B. KSDS and ESDS can be of Fixed or Variable length
C. Records can be spanned for an ESDS and RRDS
D. Records can be spanned for KSDS and ESDS

22. Alternate Indexes are not possible for
A. KSDS
B. ESDS
C. LDS
D. All the above

23. Upgrade dataset is
A. Set of all Alternate indexes that VSAM should update automatically
B. Set of all AIXes
C. Set of all sequence set indexes updated by VSAM
D. Set of all indexes updated by VSAM

24. What is wrong with the following JCL to create a ESDS file
DEFINE CLUSTER (NAME (VSAM.RRDS.CLUSTER)
VOLUMES (CICT00)
CYLINDERS (3,1)
CISZ (4096)
RECORDSIZE (80,100)
NUMBERED )
DATA ( NAME (VSAM.RRDS.DATA) )

A. NUMBERED should not be used
B. FREESPACE is not mentioned
C. RECORDSIZE is wrong
D. Nothing wrong

25. Which type of VSAM data sets are have fixed length slots?
A. ESDS
B. RRDS
C. KSDS
D. LDS

26. Which of the following parameters is mandatory while defining an ESDS record?
A. KEYS
B. FREESPACE
C. NONINDEXED
D. CISZ

27. The parameter used for defining KSDS is
A. NONINDEXED
B. INDEXED
C. NUMBERED
D. None of the above

28. What command of IDCAMS utility is used to load the VSAM data sets?
A. LOAD
B. IDENTITY
C. COPYALL
D. REPRO

29. VSAM uses a catalog facility to keep track of files on a system. This catalog management system on MVS is called
A. ICF(Integrated Catalog Facility) Catalog Manager
B. FAT(File Allocation Table) None of the above

30. Which of the following statements are TRUE about KSDS?
A. KSDS has a data component and index component.
B. The Index component has a sequence set and index set.
C. The sequence set is the lowest level of index component.
D. All the above are TRUE.

31. Which of the following access modes is supported by KSDS
A. Random
B. Sequential
C. Dynamic
D. All of the above

32. In which of the following VSAM datasets Indexed organization is mandatory in the select statement of file declaration in COBOL
A. KSDS
B. ESDS
C. RRDS
D. LDS

33. What is need to be specified for random access of KSDS dataset?
A. Record Length
B. Record Key
C. Record position
D. All the above

34. Which of the following status can not be returned for random access?
A. Duplicates
B. Not Found
C. End of File
D. OK

35. A Read is necessary before delete in which of the following mode
A. Sequential
B. Random
C. Both of the above
D. None of the above

36. REWRITE command helps us to replace the following
A. Entire record
B. Record Key
C. Data other than the key
D. All of the above

37. By using REWRITE command the length of the record can be increased from the currently read record upto the maximum record size in which of the VSAM datasets?
A. KSDS
B. ESDS
C. RRDS
D. KSDS and ESDS
E. KSDS and RRDS

38. In what mode should an ESDS file be opened to rewrite into it?
A. Input
B. Output
C. Input-Output (I-O)
D. Extend

39. VSAM catalog structure consists of
A. Only one master catalog
B. One master catalog and one user catalog
C. One master and one or more user catalogs
D. None of the above

40. To access records by an alternate index in a CICS pgm
A. There should be a FCT entry for the CLUSTER
B. There should be a FCT entry for the alternate index
C. There should be a FCT entry defined for the alternate index path

41. How the file status is checked for a VSAM file in a CICS pgm
A. Using File status clause
B. Using RESP option
C. Using Return Code
D. None of the above

42. CISZ for a vsam catalog dataset is
A. 122 bytes
B. 256 bytes
C. 512 bytes
D. 1024 bytes

43. If a CICS program uses a VSAM file, it should have an entry in which table
A. PCT
B. PPT
C. FCT
D. RCT

44. A VSAM Catalog is
A. ESDS
B. KSDS
C. RRDS
D. None of the above

45. VSAM catalog structure consists of
A. Only one master catalog.
B. One master catalog and one user catalog.
C. One master and one or more user catalogs.
D. None of the above.

46. ICF stands for
A. Internal Catalog facility
B. Integrated catalog facility
C. Internal catalog file

47. As we increase the control interval size it will result in
A. Reduction of physical I/O
B. Faster I/O
C. None of the above

48. For REUSE parameter the default is
A. NOREUSE
B. REUSE
C. None

49. ERASE parameter will result in
A. VSAM erasing all data in the cluster
B. VSAM overwriting sensitive data with binary zeros when the cluster is deleted
C. VSAM replaces data with blanks when the cluster is deleted
D. None of the above

50. Which of the follwing values can be overriden
A. DATACLAS values
B. STORCLAS values
C. MGMTCLAS values
D. None of the above

ANSWERS:
1 - D. VSAM datasets require less storage space as compared to other file types
2 - C. Linear record data sets (LRDS)
3 - B. By a UNIQUE key field
4 - A. True
5 - A. RRN
6 - A. Control Intervals
7 - C. RLF(Record Length Field)
8 - A. CIDF
9 - B. FALSE
10 - A. 3
11 - C. 4
12 - E. None of the above is possible
13 - C. No free space is allowed between records in ESDS.
14 - A. KSDS
15 - A. TRUE
16 - A. TRUE
17 - B. One less than the key value of the first record in the next logical CI
18 - A. TRUE
19 - B. CA
20 - B. Automatic updation of the Alternate index
21 - C. Records can be spanned for an ESDS and RRDS
22 - C. LDS
23 - A. Set of all Alternate indexes that VSAM should update automatically
24 - A. NUMBERED should not be used
25 - B. RRDS
26 - C. NONINDEXED
27 - B. INDEXED
28 - D. REPRO
29 - A. ICF(Integrated Catalog Facility) Catalog Manager
30 - D. All the above are TRUE.
31 - D. All of the above
32 - A. KSDS
33 - B. Record Key
34 - C. End of File
35 - A. Sequential
36 - C. Data other than the key
37 - E. KSDS and RRDS
38 - C. Input-Output (I-O)
39 - C. One master and one or more user catalogs
40 - C. There should be a FCT entry defined for the alternate index path
41 - B. Using RESP option
42 - C. 512 bytes
43 - C. FCT
44 - B. KSDS
45 - C. One master and one or more user catalogs
46 - B. Integrated catalog facility
47 - A. Reduction of physical I/O
48 - A. NOREUSE
49 - B. VSAM overwriting sensitive data with binary zeros when the cluster is deleted
50 - A. DATACLAS values