You can implement a DFSMShsm tape environment by specifying SETSYS commands and placing them in the PARMLIB member ARCCMDxx. The parameters that you select define your site’s tape processing environment.

SETSYS command parameters are different for each site depending on the mix of tape devices, the pools from which these devices select output tapes, and whether the tapes are in an SMS-managed library.

The tape environment, as shown in Figure 1, is defined by the way libraries, tapes, devices, and performance are managed. (The way tapes are managed determines their life cycle as they enter a scratch pool, are selected for output, are inventoried, recycled, and finally returned to a scratch pool.) The way devices are managed determines how they are selected for use, are allocated, and eventually are mounted with tapes. The way you manage performance determines the level of automation and tape utilization at your site.

Figure 1. Tape Management Planning Areas