VSAM KSDS backup in TAPE

joy_dey81 · New User Joined: 20 Jan 2007 Posts: 4 Location: India

Can we backup VSAM KSDS data on Tape Drive? If so how?

Willy Jensen · Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2018 2:29 pm

Sure, a tape dataset is just a sequential datasets, check the JCL manual for details, or better, ask a colleague as the device type differs from site to site. If your question is about which utility to use, then IDCAMS REPRO or the ADRDSSU DUMP command. Check the manuals 'DFSMS Access Method Services for Catalogs' or 'DFSMSdss Storage Administration' respectively.

expat · Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2018 2:47 pm

Or even issue a HBACKUP command for HSM to do it for you ..... or whatever data management tool your lot use

Maybe, if you speak to your storage management bods, it may already be backed up on a regular basis.

Pete Wilson · Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2018 11:35 pm

don't forget SORT, FAVER or FDRABR and FDRDSF too. There's probably others but you need to know what your site has and prefer you to use.

Using Tape also means you need to be aware of the tape management system's use of expiry dates and retention period which may have to be coded in the JCL. Some of this is site dependent.

With HBACKUP it depends on the MGMTCLAS setting so may not allow it. It also goes to ML1 disk first so may be an issue if too large.

DFDSS (ADRDSSU) is good but the data has to be on disk otherwise it won't pick it up. An advantage with DFDSS is it restores the file as a complete VSAM file, but you'd have to either restore replace over the top of an existing one of the same name if it exists, rename the existing one first, or rename the backup version as it is restored.

Also, why the use of tape, is there a good reason for that? And what would the tape backup actually be used for? Remember too that tape files can only be accessed by one program at a time.