Journal objects and save journal receivers

If your save operations for database files take too long because your files are large, saving changed objects might not help you.

If you have a file member with 100 000 records and 1 record changes, the SAVCHGOBJ command saves the entire file member. In this situation, journaling your database files and saving journal receivers regularly might be a better solution, even though recovery is more complex.

A similar principle applies to integrated file system objects and data areas. If your save operations for integrated file system objects and data areas are taking too long, you can choose to journal the objects to make your save operations more efficient. Saving journal receivers might be a better option.

When you journal objects, the system writes a copy of every change in the object to a journal receiver. When you save a journal receiver, you are saving only the changed portions of the object, not the entire object.

If you journal your objects and have a batch work load that varies, your save strategy might look like this:

Table 1. Example save strategy
Day	Batch workload	Save operation
Friday night	Light	Save menu option 21
Monday night	Heavy	Save journal receivers
Tuesday night	Light	Save menu option 23
Wednesday night	Heavy	Save journal receivers
Thursday night	Heavy	Save journal receivers
Friday night	Light	Save menu option 21

Notes:

To take advantage of the protection that journaling provides, you should detach and save journal receivers regularly. How often you save them depends on the number of journaled changes that occur. Saving journal receivers several times during the day might be appropriate for you. How you save journal receivers depends on whether they are in a separate library. You might use the Save Library (SAVLIB) command or the Save Object (SAVOBJ) command.
You must save new objects before you can apply journal entries to the object. If your applications regularly add new objects, you should consider using the SAVCHGOBJ strategy either by itself or in combination with journaling.