The server deletes the migrated file upon an NFS_REMOVE request for a file, regardless if the retrieve or the noretrieve attribute is active. Typically, an NFS_REMOVE request is preceded by an NFS_LOOKUP request. If the data set was migrated with DFSMS/MVS 1.2 or earlier, the retrieve attribute causes a recall because NFS_LOOKUP processing needs to open the data set and read for size. If the data set was migrated under DFSMS/MVS 1.3 and DFSMShsm 1.3, and is SMS managed, its attributes were saved on DASD; therefore it is not always necessary to recall the data set to read for size and the data set may be deleted without recall. If the noretrieve attribute is active, the NFS_LOOKUP can return a "device not available" message. If the client code decides to ignore the error and issue the NFS_REMOVE, the migrated file is then deleted.

The UNIX command ls mvshost does not issue requests for individual files under the mvshost directory. Migrated files under the mvshost directory are displayed, but are not recalled. However, the UNIX command ls -l mvshost issues NFS_LOOKUP requests for individual files under the mvshost directory.