text: **5.3 Object access method for z/OS**
  
  In this section, we provide an introduction to object access method (OAM) and show its 
  relationship with Content Manager OnDemand in a z/OS environment. 
  
  For more information about setting up OAM, see the following documentation: 
  
  (cid:2)*DFSMS Object Access Method Planning, Installation, and Storage Administration Guide*
  *for Object Support*, SC35-0426 
  
  (cid:2) Chapter 3, “OAM and System Management Subsystem customization”, in*Image and*
  
  *Workflow Library: Content Manager for ImagePlus on OS/390 Implementation and EIP*, 
  SG24-4055 
  
  OAM is a hierarchical data management system (disk → optical → tape) that is used for 
  archive storage. 
  
  **Note:**When you use OAM as the storage manager, Content Manager OnDemand can 
  retrieve the stored object directly from disk, optical drive, or tape. 
  
  OAM uses the OSREQ macro interface and uses DB2 both for its internal (indexing) tables 
  and for online storage objects. OAM is the DFSMSdfp component that manages a class of 
  data, which is called*objects*, in a z/OS environment.*Objects*are bit strings that are handled 
  as one large byte string rather than processing them as records, as is done with datasets. 
  The content of this byte string is not known to OAM. No restrictions exist on the data type of 
  this object; it can be an image, compressed data, or coded data. 