Depending on how you have defined your data set backup by command environment and the arrival rates of data set backup requests, backup output tapes may be mounted for extended periods of time. Consequently, DFSMShsm has a recover tape takeaway function. This function allows, for instance, the timely recovery of a data set when its backup was made in a previous job step.
For an explanation of backup tape contention possibilities and the scope of the recover tape-takeaway function, see Other availability management considerations.