FastSort Manual

Introduction to FastSort

FastSort Manual—429834-003

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SORTPROG Process

The SORTPROG process performs all sort or merge operations. It runs separately

from an application process or the interactive SORT process. To configure and start a

SORTPROG process, you either:



Issue FastSort interactive commands



Call FastSort system procedures

The SORTPROG process does not run as a process pair. If a processor failure occurs

when the SORTPROG process is running, you must restart the sort or merge run from

the beginning. An application program running as a process pair must also restart an

interrupted SORTPROG process from the beginning.

FastSort uses or creates these files:

Input Files

FastSort accepts input from EDIT, key-sequenced, relative, entry-sequenced, and

unstructured files. You can sort or merge up to 32 input files in a single run. Each file

can contain either fixed-length or variable-length records. For a complete description of

file types, see the Guardian Programmer’s Guide and the Enscribe Programmer’s

Guide.

If you have records from blocked tape files to sort or merge, you must deblock the

records before SORTPROG can process them. You can do this with the FUP COPY

command. For information about how to use FUP, see the File Utility Program (FUP)

Reference Manual.

Input files Sets of records that you give FastSort to sort or merge through local or

remote input disk files, a terminal, or tape files.

Scratch file A temporary work file. FastSort uses scratch files to store runs of

records sorted by each SORTPROG process. For large sort runs that

require more than one pass, FastSort creates up to 32 total scratch

files.

Swap file The disk file that FastSort uses for swapping data. Data swapping is

the process of copying data between physical memory and disk

storage.

Output file The file FastSort creates after a sort or merge run to receive the sorted

or merged records.

List file The file FastSort creates after a sort or merge run that describes the

run.