IBM MTM 2019: Part Two – Challenge #12

IBM Master the Mainframe 2019, Mainframe 1 Minute

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I took a 5 day break from blogging but don’t worry. They only send out the badges of part 2 on the 20th of September. There’s still four days to finish part 2 in time.

Edit VSAM using File Manager

IBM Master the Mainframe 2019 Part Two – Challenge #12

I might have made a mistake in challenge #11 of part 2. Please forgive me 🙂 It’s a learning blog 🙂 Let me add a few more smileys to make it right 🙂 🙂

If you have only 4 lines in VSAM.ESDS then you need to go to PDS.DATA and make a new member called PACKED using s PACKED. Then copy ‘zos.mtm2019.public.shared.data(packed)’ into it. After that, edit Z######.JCL(IDCAMS) and change 000013 to PDS.DATA(PACKED) and sub ; =sd ; st. If it doesn’t work, then please do challenge 11 again.

How to open the File Manager

From the ISPF Primary Option Menu type F.2 and press enter.

Use File Manager to Identify and Modify Packed Decimal in a VSAM data set

Let’s edit VSAM.ESDS data set using the File Manager.

I now am in my VSAM.ESDS file. We need to change the File Manager Editor Format setting from CHAR to HEX.

Change the Format to HEX and press enter. Then enter the line command cols at 000009 and 000012. Next up we need to change a few things:

  1. Change packed decimal positive 4096 to positive 2048
  2. Change packed decimal negative 256 to negative 128

I have changed 04096A to 02048A and 256B to 128B. Let’s enter the primary command top and let’s prepare to copy the output to P2.OUTPUT(#12).

I have entered the line command c12 at line 000001 and the primary command rep p2.output(#12).  You should see Member #12 replaced in the upper right corner!

Let me see if I did it right.

Challenge #12 is correct! Nice!

Published by kevindurant

Published

36 thoughts on “IBM MTM 2019: Part Two – Challenge #12”

  1. I know i’m a bit late in this but I am working on the challenges now. How do I access my scores? When I do TSO SCOREP2 and sends me to Z####.STATUS but that doesn’t seem to exist. How do I find that?

    Reply

    1. Hi Jordan

      I’m also a bit late on answering, sorry for that. It’s very weird that your Z#####.STATUS doesn’t exist. Did you run the command again?

      I have never heard of a user with this issue so I won’t be of much help. Please ask for help in the Master the Mainframe Slack channel.

      Kind regards,
      -Kevin

      Reply

    2. Thank you so much for pointing this out, because I kept getting incorrect on my status too, even though I was following the instructions to the T. Much appreciated!

      Reply

  3. Hi Kevin;
    I followed the instructions but I got : challenge incorrect, would you please tell me how to reset the challenge and restart it from beginning.

    Thank you !.

    Reply

    1. I changed the line that he uses c12 to copy 12 lines to c99, the last sector was not getting a perfect copy of the file, then with c99 it changed to correct on status

      Reply

  4. in this challenge, on p2 output, I am getting 1st line 000001 blank, 000002 packed decimal format, I really need your help in removing the extra line.

    thanks

    Reply

  5. Guys I think I figured out what was wrong (maybe I’m just stupid :P)
    You have to go into your ZXXXXXX.Status data set and run “tso scorep2” to UPDATE the score chart. Until you do that, it will remain as incomplete.
    This fixed both #11 and #12 for showing as incomplete for me.

    Reply

  6. Hi Kevin,
    This is a challenge easy once you know how to change things in the editor and remember how to create the BCD numbers!
    Thanks
    Georges

    Reply

  8. Can you kindly put a snapshot of output #12?
    Because when I type the “rep p2.output(#12)” command, it say Member #12 replaced .
    I have all 12 records.
    And I completed both challenge 8 and 11.

    Reply

    1. Hi Mig

      So it says Member #12 replaced? Do you have any other error? Just like the others, I would put c99 instead of c12 to be sure you copy everything.

      I can deliver a snapshot in only a few hours.

      Kind regards,
      – Kevin

      Reply

      1. When I go into my output #12, this is my output:
        Packed Decimal format
        Sign digit is positive of negative
        + – + – + +
        . . . . . .
        The number below is 2048+
        ..¦

        The number below is 128-
        .,
        I already typed cols in 9 and 12, and then c12 (c99) in 000001.
        And the rep p2.output(#12) command.
        Do I need to change a hexadecimal?

        Reply

      2. I finally figure it out. I didn’t change the Hexadecimal from 04096A to 02048A and 256B to 128B. Because I read the Hexadecimal in a straight line, instead of rows. And c12 worked. Thanks for your blog! I finally complete all fifteen challenges.

        Reply

      3. Mine too says “Member #12 replaced” when I enter rep p2.output(#12) at command.

        I am not getting 2096 and 128 within my p2.output(#12). See screen shot. Am I missing something. I have tried this several times now.

        https://prnt.sc/pmtk20

        Reply

        1. Hi Shelton

          Can you give me a screenshot of the hex view of your output? The text itself shouldn’t change, the changes we made during this challenge are invisible.

          Kind regards,
          -Kevin

          Reply

              1. Hi Jose,

                Sorry guys, I forgot about this comment! It seems like I have different characters in my solution. I have a pipe above [8,A] at line 000009 and a comma above [8,B] at line 000012. Would that be an issue for the automated grading system? I’m just guessing though. Maybe a complete restart would help?

                Also be sure to use c99 line command to copy instead of c12. Some other users have reported it doesn’t actually copy everything if you limit it to 12.

                I’ll try and check my solution again this evening.

                Kind regards,
                – Kevin

                Reply

    1. I have the same problem. Z#####.STATUS says “incorrect”.
      And my Z#####.P2.OUTPUT member name #12 only contain 11 records instead of 12.
      Line 12 is missing, but I don’t know why

      Reply

      1. Hi Anonymous,

        Please take a good look at challenge #11 and challenge #08. You need 12 records. I only had 4 records at the time I wrote these blogs and had to do some things all over again. See my notes in the mentioned blogs.

        Kind regards
        – Kevin

        Reply

        1. I had the same issue on challenge #12. Only 11 records instead of 12. So I use c13 instead of c12 at line 000001 and done! I don’t know why c12 doesn’t work.

          Reply

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