Defining an aggregate group

The aggregate group identifies the selection data sets, instruction data set, and additional control information required to perform aggregate backup. The aggregate group is an SMS construct you must define through a set of ISMF panels before you can perform aggregate backup. You must activate the newly defined SMS configuration before issuing the ABACKUP command.

Note: If you modify the aggregate group definition, the SMS configuration should be reactivated. This is not required if you are only changing the contents of the selection or instruction data sets.

You must specify the following information in the aggregate group:

Aggregate group name

The name can be up to 8 characters long.

Selection data sets

Insert the names of one-to-five selection data sets you created for this aggregate backup. See Creating selection data sets.

Description

This is an optional description of the aggregate group.

Copies

Insert the number of copies of the ABARS output files to be created. The maximum number of copies is 15, and the default is one copy.

Output data set prefix

The prefix identifies the output data sets created by aggregate backup. These output data sets are created with the following naming conventions:

outputdatasetprefix.D.CnnVnnnn and outputdatasetprefix.O.CnnVnnnn for the data file
outputdatasetprefix.C.CnnVnnnn for the control file
outputdatasetprefix.I.CnnVnnnn for the instruction/activity log file

Because they all share a common output data set prefix and version number, it is easier to identify all the output data sets from one aggregate backup.

Example: If you specify the outputdatasetprefix as 'PAY1', the data, control, and instruction/activity log files would have the names PAY1.D.C01V0001, PAY1.O.C01V0001, PAY1.C.C01V0001, and PAY1.I.C01V0001, respectively.

Note: Cnn is the copy number and Vnnnn is the version number generated during the ABACKUP operation.

Since you can make up to 15 copies in a single ABACKUP, the copy number identifies to which copy the file belongs. The version number is the same for all copies made in a single ABACKUP operation.

Example: If an aggregate group definition indicates that two copies are to be made, the first time that you perform an ABACKUP function on that aggregate group, the following files are created:

        PAY1.D.C01V0001
        PAY1.O.C01V0001
        PAY1.C.C01V0001
        PAY1.I.C01V0001

        PAY1.D.C02V0001
        PAY1.O.C02V0001
        PAY1.C.C02V0001
        PAY1.I.C02V0001

The next time that you perform an ABACKUP on that aggregate group, you create the following files:

        PAY1.D.C01V0002
        PAY1.O.C01V0002
        PAY1.C.C01V0002
        PAY1.I.C01V0002

        PAY1.D.C02V0002
        PAY1.O.C02V0002
        PAY1.C.C02V0002
        PAY1.I.C02V0002

Defining an aggregate group

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