The amount of virtual storage in the CICS dynamic area varies for ISQL. An average of 35 to 45 kilobytes for each user, plus 330 kilobytes, is recommended at the start. This supports most ISQL usage. The following variables can be considered to adjust the size of the dynamic area:
The row length is the only variable that affects the amount of storage needed by a SELECT result: the number of rows retrieved from a SELECT has no effect on this.
Before retrieving any rows from tables, ISQL gets a buffer to hold enough storage for two screens of rows. If more than two screens are retrieved, this buffer is reused. (The number of rows depends on the size of the terminal screen.)
The number of columns referenced in a SELECT command in ISQL is limited to 45. ISQL uses the length of the retrieved columns not the number of column references to determine the buffer size. The storage needed is the number of rows for two screens, multiplied by the length of one row. (Note that the length of the row may be larger than the length of the screen.) If the storage required for the buffer exceeds 32 kilobytes, not all selected columns are displayed or the user receives an error message.
The SET VARCHAR and FORMAT VARCHAR ISQL commands change the size of the row and thus the size of the buffer.
CICS temporary storage can be either MAIN or AUXILIARY, as determined by the TSP parameter in your SIT. If MAIN storage is used, the delta for ISQL users should be increased. The amount of storage required is based on the number of lines in the routines and the number of concurrent routines being run. The amount of storage for each line of a routine is 254 bytes.
If AUXILIARY storage is used, routines do not affect ISQL virtual storage requirements. Routines are read into CICS temporary storage before the first command of the routine is run.
Other CICS Transactions
The numbers given here are delta numbers for ISQL. They do not include any storage for other CICS transactions that your installation has.
CICS temporary storage queues can be defined as nonrecoverable. Recoverable temporary storage queues are incompatible with ISQL operation.