generating a FDL file for an indexed RMS file

[da1nonly1]

Hi,

I need to do a convert on an indexed file on an OpenVMS VAX V7.1 to free space. I'm not shure I have the right FDL file for the CONVERT command. How can I safly generate a new FDL file for the oparation. Is it
ANALYZE/RMS_FILE ?
Is it safe to run this analyze on the file?

Thank you all.

[Steven Schweda]

HELP ANALYZE /RMS_FILE /FDL

Looks pretty safe to me.

[Jan van den Ende]

da1nonly,

Steven wrote
>>>
HELP ANALYZE /RMS_FILE /FDL
<<<

... and to make it easy to use: /OUTPUT=blabla.FDL

Now CONVERT /FDL=blabla

hth

Proost.

Have one on me.

jpe

[Hein van den Heuvel]

ANALYZ/RMS/FDL will require exclusive access to a file.
It is read-only. but it could lock out applications and applications could lock it out.
It is often not unreasonable to run ANAL/RMS/FDL on the last backup of a file, or on a recent BACK/IGNO=INTERLOCK copy.

You would probably want to follow the analyze with EDIT/FDL/NOINTERACTIVE.
ANd then CONVERT/FAST

You possibly want to hand-edit FDL tweak allocations.

"convert to free space" does not make too much sense... unless the application recently purged out lots of records.

There are also odd RMS usage cases which build of lots of space which will not be re-used (VAXnotes notary files), and where an occasional convert helps.

If you provide bettter details on what exact problem you are trying to solve, then perhaps we can help better.

Regards,
Hein van den Heuvel
HvdH Performance Consulting

[da1nonly1]

Thanks for the answers.
I finally want that the converted the indexed file, the output in the convert command will have the same characters as the input, original file, but with much space freed.
If I do first the
ANALYZE/RMS_FILE/FDL
and then the:
EDIT/FDL/NOINTERACTIVE
The last will supply some defaults to the FDL file, is there a danger here that these defaults will give me some diffrences with the original file? If yes, what?

Thanks.

[Hein van den Heuvel]

>> EDIT/FDL/NOINTERACTIVE
The last will supply some defaults to the FDL file, is there a danger here that these defaults will give me some diffrences with the original file? If yes, what

Yes there will be differnence, but only desirable ones.
- The allocation will be 'just enough', with a reasonable extent in case data is added
- The Bucketsize will be a reasonable compromise between keeping the index depth low, and the buckets small.

This will be transparent to any program using it, other then influencing performance.

If your goal realy is to minimize space used then you should hand edit the FDL
- use a single area for all usages (fix keys)
- change bucket size to 63 for that area
- reduce allocation of area to say 80% of what FDL calculated and reduce extent to 1%
- make sure data, key and index compresions are 'yes' for all keys
Now convert.

Be sure to read up in the 'VMS Guide to Files'

Hein.