I am getting started with Adabas on mainframes & I want help understanding how to use the built-in utilities such as ADAREP, ADAFRM & ADACMP in real-world scenarios. I have gone through the official docs but I am more interested in how experienced users apply these tools in day-to-day operations.
How often do you run reports such as ADAREP in your workflow? Do you follow any Z` scheduling or automation routines for regular database maintenance? Also, are there any common mistakes or issues to avoid when working with these tools during active system hours?
I took a Ruby On Rails course & it is interesting seeing how different the ecosystem is compared to mainframe environments. I am trying to broaden my understanding across both old and new tech.
I Appreciate any tips or suggestions. I want to hear how you approach these tasks in your own setup.
Good to see someone exploring Adabas — it’s one of those systems where the official docs explain the commands well, but the “when and why” only comes with real use.
Here’s how these utilities usually fit into daily/weekly operations:
ADAREP → Most shops run this as part of a weekly or monthly routine to get a snapshot of database stats (file usage, extents, etc.). It’s not something you need every day unless you’re actively troubleshooting. A lot of teams wrap it into a scheduled job (via JCL with CA-7, Control-M, or similar) so there’s always a fresh report for audits.
ADAFRM → This is more about initializing or reformatting datasets, so you’ll only use it during setup or major reorganizations. Avoid running it on live DBs — it wipes everything. A common mistake new folks make is forgetting that it’s destructive.
ADACMP → Handy for compressing data before loading it (saves space and speeds up ADALOD). Many teams build this into ETL-style pipelines if they regularly bulk-load data from other systems.
A few general tips from experience:
Try to schedule heavy utilities (like compress/reformat) outside peak hours to avoid contention.
Keep an eye on catalog/space usage — many people forget until an extent fills up and jobs start failing.
Document your JCL jobs early — six months later, you’ll thank yourself when you need to re-run or adjust something.
It’s a shift compared to Rails or modern stacks — with Adabas, you’ll find a lot more reliance on batch jobs, job schedulers, and system resource planning. Once you get into that rhythm, the utilities feel less intimidating.
