Introduction

PCLRPFM clears physical file members (by running the CLRPFM command) for selected files in one library. This is one of the commands in our ISeries utilities library (click this URL for full contact and pricing details).

The IBM-supplied CLRPFM command allows you to clear only one physical file member at a time. PCLRPFM allows you to clear one or multiple physical file members at a time.

Examples

PCLRPFM FILE(MYLIB/T*)

Command above clears all members in all physical files prefixed 'T' in library MYLIB.

PCLRPFM FILE(BASELIB/*ALL)

Command above clears all members in all physical files in library BASELIB.

Restrictions

1)	The command tries to obtain an exclusive lock (ALCOBJ *EXCL) on the file member before clearing it. It waits 2 seconds for this lock. If this exclusive lock is unobtainable, PCLRPFM silently moves on to the next physical file member.
2)	Other jobs running on your system may be prevented from accessing physical file members that PCLRPFM has obtained an exclusive lock on. How those jobs respond in that case is not under our control. In general terms, you should schedule PCLRPFM to run at a time when you know that other processes - including backups - will not be attempting to access physical file members in the library.
3)	The CLRPFM command allows you to clear file members in IBM-supplied libraries like QSYS - provided you have sufficient access rights to those members. The PCLRPFM command will not allow you to clear file members in QSYS particularly - but will not stop the clear of members in other QSYS* libraries. In practice you should only run CLRPFM or PCLRPFM over file members in user libraries.

IBM rebranded the AS/400 - some users called it AS400 - to ISeries several years ago. All 3 names - ISeries, AS/400, AS400 - refer to exactly the same system.