In the course of running stress tests on an application, I found it useful to create a PDM user-defined option to repopulate my database. The user option allows you to restore the records in a database without having to rewind a tape, restore objects, or be concerned with database authority differences from one system to another. This technique assumes that you have one library containing production data and another containing test data and that these libraries contain the same files.

By using the Copy File (CPYF) command in a PDM user-defined option, you can type the user option next to each file in the production library you wish to copy on the Work with Objects using PDM (WRKOBJPDM) screen. Once you press Enter, the CPYF command copies all of the selected files to the destination you specify in the CPYF command. If there is a lock on a file or there aren't any records to copy, a message appears at the bottom of the screen. Once you've resolved any problems, you can press Enter again to resume the process.

Creating the PDM user-defined option is simple. At a command line, type WRKOBJPDM. Press F16 to get the Work with User-Defined Options menu. Press F6 to create a user-defined option. On the Create User-Defined Option screen, type CF for the option name and the following for the command parameter:

 CPYF FROMFILE(&L/&N) + TOFILE(to-library/&N) + MBROPT(*REPLACE) 

Replace the name of your test library in the TOFILE parameter and press Enter. Then run the WRKOBJPDM command against your production library and use option CF to copy the data to the files in the hard-coded to-library.

? Eugene Knight