We have found instances where we question if our VSAM files are truly fixed or variable length. Can you provide more information on how Micro Focus creates its VSAM files?
Actually, there is no such thing as fixed length VSAM records. Reference this IBM web page:
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/zos/basics/topic/com.ibm.zos.zdatamgmt/zsysprogc_utilities_IDCAMS.htm
Look at the second bullet where IBM explains their sample using 'RECORDSIZE (72 100) KEYS(9 8)'. They clearly state 'VSAM data sets always use variable length records'. VSAM does not define a minimum value but instead uses an average record size and a maximum record size. Micro Focus has created all VSAM datasets with variable length records since March 2008. We corrected an error and since that time have created VSAM datasets in the same manner in our mainframe emulation products. Our fix, RPI 1062084, said this:
Under some circumstances, depending on the average LRECL and minimum LRECL, IDCAMS was incorrectly setting/processing VSAM datasets as fixed length. It now processes them as variable length in all cases.
Taking IBM's example, one could say the minimum record length would be the primary key or the key plus whatever data is ahead of it, but VSAM uses the average and maximum values defined with IDCAMS. For this example, the average record length would be 72 and the maximum record length would be 100.
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