Release notes for Fast/Unload V4.7

These release notes list the enhancements and other changes contained in Fast/Unload version 4.7, available as of December 10, 2014.

The previous version of Fast/Unload, 4.6, became available in July, 2012. Release notes for Fast/Unload V4.6 (PDF) are also available.

Introduction

This page describes the enhancements and other changes contained in the newest release of Fast/Unload, version 4.7, which is still under development. The previous generally released version of Fast/Unload, 4.6, was released in July, 2012.

z/OS or z/CMS required

Starting with version 4.6, Fast/Unload must be running under z/OS or z/VM CMS.

New features

EAV support

This version of Fast/Unload introduces support for EAV (Extended Attribute Volume) disks for Model 204 files.

CHUNK fields

This version of Fast/Unload provides support for CHUNK fields, introduced in version 7.5 of Model 204.

FILEORG X'200' (files with 48M records)

This version of Fast/Unload provides support for the FILEORG X'200' bit, introduced in version 7.5 of Model 204. This feature allows a file to contain up to "48M" (that is, 50,331,648) records.

Fast/Unload User Language Interface changes

This version of Fast/Unload supports the X'02', X'04', and X'08' bits for the FUNPARM and FUNPRMU parameters of Model 204.

These parameters control the Model 204 auditing of Fast/Unload messages, and were introduced in version 8.1 of the Sirius Mods. If they are specified in Model 204, they only have their intended effect if the version of Fast/Unload is 4.7 or later. Otherwise, they are effectively ignored.

Statistics improvements

Storage for occurrence pointer arrays

An additional statistics line identifies storage usage for pointers to field and fieldgroup occurrences that are referenced in the FUEL program. In addition to being reported on the Fast/Unload report (FUNPRINT), this statistic is available in the SMF record as:

Offset Length Type Description ------ ------ ------------- ---------------------------------- 132 4 Signed Binary Storage used for occurrence pointer arrays

Documentation fix

In the Fast/Unload Reference Manual PDF, Appendix F, "SMF record format," is corrected:

• It now lists offset 047 as a 5-byte reserved area instead of a 3-byte reserved area. The offsets of all statistics following offset 047 are now correctly 2 greater (hence divisible by 4) than the offsets shown in previous versions of the manual.
• It now includes this statistic, introduced in Fast/Unload version 4.3:

  128 4 Signed Binary Number of longstring items acquired

Maintenance and Support

These enhancements to Fast/Unload do not affect its intrinsic functionality, but rather affect the way maintenance and support for the product are delivered.

2.1 Improved messages

The following Fast/Unload messages have been improved:

• Improved message for incompatible file

  Error message FUNL0019 now indentifies the file parameter (FITRANS, FICREATE, or FIFORMAT) that is not supported by the current version of Fast/Unload.

• Improved message for GETMAIN errors

  Error message FUNL0003 now displays the name of the storage area for which a GETMAIN failed.

Compatibility, fixes, and co-requisites

This section describes any compatibility issues with prior versions of Fast/Unload and any bugs that have been fixed in this version of Fast/Unload but had not, as of the date of this release, been fixed in version 4.6 (all 4.6 fixes have also been fixed in version 4.6).

Backwards incompatibilities

In general, backward incompatibility means that an operation that was previously performed without any indication of error, now operates, given the same inputs and conditions, in a different manner. We may not list as backwards incompatibilities those cases in which the previous behavior, although not indicating an error, was "clearly and obviously" incorrect, and which are introduced as normal bug fixes (whether or not they had been fixed with previous maintenance).

There are no backwards incompatibilities in version 4.7. The results of successful processing with Fast/Unload version 4.6 are identical, when compared with the same inputs to Fast/Unload version 4.7.

Fixes in Fast/Unload 4.7 not propagated to 4.6

This section describes fixes to functionality existing in Fast/Unload version 4.6 but which, due to the absence of customer problems, have not, as of the date of the release, been applied to that version.

There are no fixes in Fast/Unload 4.7 that are not available in previous versions.

Fast/Unload 4.7 version corequisites

This section lists any restrictions on usage of various products (including Fast/Unload itself) which will be imposed by use of version 4.7 of Fast/Unload.

UAI on FILEORG X'100' file

If a UAI operation is performed on a FILEORG X'100' file, the LAI requires at least version 7.7 of the Sirius Mods. In general, however, if such a file contains FILEORG X'100' features, especially fieldgroups, the LAI must be done with Model 204 V7R5 or greater, and so the LAI also requires a version of the Sirius Mods that supports Model 204 V7R5 or greater.