IEBCOPY can be used to create a backup copy of a partitioned data set by copying (unloading) it to a sequential data set on DASD, tape, or other device supported by QSAM.

IEBCOPY creates an unload data set when you specify physical sequential organization (DSORG=PS) for the output data set. To create a partitioned data set, specify DSORG=PO and DSNTYPE=PDS or DSNTYPE=LIBRARY.

Requirement: If you do not explicitly state the DSORG, it might be set opposite to your intention by ACS routines or other JCL parameters. For example, if you specify LIKE= or DCB= or a model DSCB and omit the DSORG, then whatever DSORG the referenced object has will be implicitly added to your DD statement. Always specify a DSORG if you are not sure what will be taken from a referenced object.

Attention: Do not change the DCB parameters of an unload data set after IEBCOPY finishes creating it, or IEBCOPY might not be able to reload it.

To unload more than one partitioned data set to the same tape volume in one execution of IEBCOPY, multiple copy operations must be used and multiple sequential data sets must be allocated to successive files on the tape.

IEBCOPY can copy a PDSU to a PDSU directly without the need to reload it to a PDS and then unload the PDS to create the new PDSU. If a selective copy is not required then it will be faster to use IEBGENER to copy the PDSU to a new PDSU.

Only a COPY operation can create an unload data set; COPYMOD cannot.