You can make a full volume copy of a volume. Doing so would allow you, for example, to populate a new server with a standard configuration.

The COPY FULL function can also be useful because of FlashCopy® for Enterprise Storage Server® (ESS) devices, or SnapShot for RAMAC Virtual Array (RVA) devices. DFSMSdss attempts to use the fastest copy method possible before using the traditional data movement methods. FlashCopy or SnapShot make a virtually instantaneous copy of the volume, allowing you to continue using the volume.

Using FlashCopy requires the volumes to be in the same ESS that supports FlashCopy Version 2 (data set FlashCopy), or in the same logical subsystem in an ESS that supports FlashCopy Version 1, but not support FlashCopy Version 2 (data set FlashCopy) or later functions.

Similarly, when using SnapShot, the volume on which create a copy must be within the same subsystem as the source volume. In an RVA device, the four SSIDs that are defined to the RVA are considered to be within the same subsystem.

//LXD2C1BB JOB ,'IBMUSER',MSGLEVEL=(1,1),TIME=(5,0),REGION=4096K,
//      MSGCLASS=H,CLASS=A
//STEPT02  EXEC PGM=ADRDSSU
//SYSPRINT DD SYSOUT=*
//SOURCE   DD UNIT=3390,VOL=SER=LNX200,DISP=OLD
//TARGET   DD UNIT=3390,VOL=SER=LNX900,DISP=OLD
//SYSIN    DD *
 COPY  FULL INDDNAME(SOURCE) OUTDDNAME(TARGET) -
       ALLEXCP
/*