Your program needs to release storage when it used a data space for one purpose and wants to reuse it for another purpose, or when your program is finished using the area. To release the virtual storage of a data space, use the DSPSERV RELEASE macro. (Data space release is similar to PGSER RELEASE for an address space.) Specify the STOKEN to identify the data space and the START and BLOCKS parameters to identify the beginning and the length of the area you need to release.
Releasing storage in a data space requires that a problem state program with PSW key 8 - F be the owner or creator of the data space and have the PSW key that matches the storage key of the data space.
Use DSPSERV RELEASE instead of the MVCL instruction to clear large areas of data space storage because:
- DSPSERV RELEASE is faster than MVCL for very large areas.
- Pages released through DSPSERV RELEASE do not occupy space in real, expanded, or auxiliary storage.
