OpenVMS Record Management Utilities Reference Manual

This manual is a comprehensive reference for programmers using OpenVMS Record Management Services (RMS) data files, detailing several key utilities and the File Definition Language (FDL).

It describes the Analyze/RMS_File utility (Chapter 1), which allows interactive or non-interactive examination of RMS file internal structures to check for errors, generate statistical reports, create FDL files from existing data, and provide journaling status.

The Convert utility (Chapter 2) enables file reorganization by copying records from one or more source files to an output file, facilitating conversion of file organization and record formats. It can also reformat indexed files to improve efficiency after many deletions or insertions, and handles carriage control format conversions.

The Convert/Reclaim utility (Chapter 3) specifically reclaims empty buckets within Prolog 3 indexed files, optimizing space usage while preserving Record File Addresses (RFAs) and the file's organization and format. This differentiates it from the Convert utility, which can alter RFAs and file structures.

The File Definition Language (FDL) facility (Chapter 4) is introduced as a tool for designing efficiently processed data files. This chapter provides an in-depth look at FDL file structure, including primary attributes (e.g., ACCESS, AREA, KEY, RECORD, SHARING, SYSTEM, TITLE, IDENT), their secondary attributes, and associated qualifiers.

The Create/FDL utility (Chapter 5) allows users to create new, empty data files based on specifications defined in an FDL file, ensuring optimal file structure for performance.

Lastly, the Edit/FDL utility (Chapter 6) offers an interactive environment for creating, modifying, and optimizing FDL files. It provides syntax recognition, error detection, and modeling capabilities to help design highly efficient data files, often utilizing analysis information from the Analyze/RMS_File utility.