Topic summary
VSAM
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Virtual Storage Access Method.
Overview
VSAM records can be of fixed or variable length. They are organised in fixed-size blocks called control intervals (CIs), and then into larger divisions called Control Areas (CAs). Control Interval sizes are measured in bytes – for example 4 kilobytes – while Control Area sizes are measured in disk tracks or cylinders. Control Intervals are the units of transfer between disk and computer so a read request will read one complete Control Interval. Control Areas are the units of allocation so, when a VSAM data set is defined, an integral number of Control Areas will be allocated.