Define a data class

Define a data class that restricts device selection to tape devices that support tape processing productivity technologies such as hardware compaction, capacity cartridge system tape type, and recording technology. Table 1 shows the data class attributes that support these performance enhancements. For more information about data classes, refer to z/OS DFSMSdfp Storage Administration.

Table 1. Data Class Attributes
Data Class Attribute	Determines
COMPACTION	Whether hardware compaction algorithms compact tapes.
MEDIA TYPE	Whether DFSMShsm writes to standard or enhanced capacity cartridge system tapes. The following media types are valid: MEDIA1—3490 standard MEDIA2—3490 enhanced MEDIA3—3590 standard MEDIA4—3590 enhanced MEDIA5—standard, 5 media types MEDIA6 MEDIA7 MEDIA8 MEDIA9 MEDIA10 MEDIA11 MEDIA12 MEDIA13
RECORDING TECHNOLOGY	Whether 18-track, 36-track, 128-track, 256-track, 384-track, EFMT1, EFMT2, EFMT3, EFMT4, EEFMT2, EEFMT3, or EEFMT4 recording is used.

Note: Since Open/Close/EOV (during EOV processing) maintains the same recording format across all volumes of a multi-volume data set, customers may also want to mark their previous technology volumes full to force any new data being written to a new tape volume and the new tape technology specified in the data class.