How do I exclude 1 volume of a 134 volume Tape Dataset??

Paul Reynolds · New User Joined: 27 Feb 2008 Posts: 3 Location: Ireland

Hi,
I have a Tape Dataset which consists of 134 physical volumes, one of which is missing or lost - eg Volume N99999. I am comparing this Tape Dataset against 20 others using the Fileaid Utility Program.

However the job abends as a result of the missing volume.

I still need to compare the other 133 volumes to ensure all the records on these are contained on the other 20 Tape Datasets

I realise I could specify all 133 available volumes in the parm VOL=SER=(Vol1,Vol2,.....Vol133) which would be very laborious but I guess I have faith in there actually being a logical method of excluding the missing volume.

Therefore my question is:
- Does anyone know of any way or statement that allows me to exclude just the missing or lost volume in my JCL, rather than specify all 133 available ones? Or even any other workaround??

Any help would be much appreciated.

CICS Guy · Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 6:41 am

Normally, we wait a small period to see if any replies show up from our quireies....

dick scherrer · Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 7:27 am

Hello,

I'm not aware of any "command" that would let you "skip a volume", but you might create a "new" empty volume with the same volume serial number and volume sequence number as the missing physical volume.

Once the volume was initialized, i'd create new headers and trailers (physical files 1 and 3) and in the second physical file, write one "dummy" record with the proper dcb info. This may or may not be trivial depending on how tightly controlled your "tape" environment is.

You might talk with your storage management and see if they have a recommendation on how to re-create the missing volume or if they have some alternative.

Paul Reynolds · New User Joined: 27 Feb 2008 Posts: 3 Location: Ireland

Thanks for the replies guys.

CICS Guy - No the job just abends, there is no message to respond to.

Dick - I have already talked to Storage Management. They didn't suggest your option or any alternative. Good idea but I think I'd be quicker hardcoding the available volumes.

dick scherrer · Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 9:15 pm

Hi Paul,

Paul Reynolds · New User Joined: 27 Feb 2008 Posts: 3 Location: Ireland

Thanks, will do that.

Paul.

expat · Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 9:34 pm

The only thing I can think of is ............

Copy the dataset to another tape dataset, using DISP=(,CATLG,CATLG) which will keep the accumulated data up until that point, and then do a volume restart ( Can't for the life of me recall the syntax for it ) using DISP=MOD at the next available volume sequence number.

Apart from that, Dicks' dummy volume idea is the next best thing.

CICS Guy · Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 9:51 pm

gcicchet · Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 3:43 am

Hi Expat,
this is what you are unable to recall

expat · Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 12:43 pm

Thanks Gerry, Saved me a trek to the JCL reference,

Knew it was something like that - but couldn't recall which comma it was
Must have been yet another senior moment