When you specify AUTOSCRATCH(NO) or you manually confirm the scratch release action for any volume, DFSMSrmm does not perform this part of the return to scratch processing. DFSMSrmm assumes that you have manually performed the cleanup already.

When you specify AUTOSCRATCH(NO), DFSMSrmm does not return the volume to scratch status until you have manually confirmed the volume release action and run expiration processing.

DFSMSrmm checks the AUTOSCRATCH setting and the scratch release action for the volume when the volume is returning to scratch. If the scratch release action is set and the volume is in a pool with AUTOSCRATCH(NO), DFSMSrmm leaves the volume in pending release status. You must perform whatever actions or cleanup activity you require and confirm that the scratch release action has been performed using the subcommand: RMM CV volser CRLSE(SCRATCH). Run expiration processing on any DFSMSrmm system to return the volume to scratch.

Default: AUTOSCRATCH(YES)

Default: None. You are required to specify this operand.

EXPDTCHECK(N) indicates that DFSMSrmm is not to check or validate the expiration date of data sets on a tape. It allows the tape to be overwritten after the system has checked the validity of the tape. DFSMSrmm does not overwrite or replace the expiration date on the tape. This situation happens when a volume is released early, or when someone changes its expiration date or retention period by using the RMM TSO subcommands.

Recommendation: Specify N when running a DFSMSrmm-managed scratch tape pool to ensure that tapes are reused only when the information on them is no longer required. DFSMSrmm can easily automate reuse of tapes if they are still expiration protected, for example, when they are reused as scratch tapes.

EXPDTCHECK(Y) indicates that DFSMSrmm ensures that all unexpired tape data sets are never overwritten. It fails specific mount requests and requests a remount if the tape request is nonspecific. If an expiration date or retention period was coded in the JCL when the date was originally written to the volume, the tape label is expiration date protected, and DFSMSrmm records this as the original expiration date for the volume. Setting EXPDTCHECK(Y) ensures that the original expiration dates specified in the JCL are honored, even if the tape has been released early, or its expiration date or retention period has been changed using the RMM TSO subcommands.

When you specify Y and a tape is expiration protected, reinitialize it before using it again. You can determine what volumes you need to reinitialize by looking at the original expiration date recorded in the DFSMSrmm control data set. To find the date, see the extract data set or use the RMM LISTVOLUME subcommand.

EXPDTCHECK(O) indicates that DFSMSrmm takes no action but allows the operator or automated software such as NetView to reply as necessary to any write-to-operator messages (IEC507D).

Default: EXPDTCHECK(O)

ADD

Specify this value so new data can be created and no existing data can be destroyed. No existing file on a volume can be recreated, but the last file can have new data added to it. When adding data to the last file, DFSMSrmm checks that the data set name used must match the existing data set name. Select this option when you want the last file on the volume to be extended or a new file added to the volume.

Note: DFSMSrmm enforces the MASTEROVERWRITE(ADD) option on a WORM tape that is in master status. This is done to ensure that you see a message from DFSMSrmm rather than one of a number of symptoms as a result of the tape drive preventing overwrites.

LAST

Specify this value to ensure that when an existing file on a master volume is being written to that only the last file on the volume can be used. The data set name used must match the existing data set name. Select this option when you want the last file on the volume to be used for output.

MATCH

Specify this value to ensure that when an existing file on a master volume is being used for output that exactly the same data set name must be used. Select this option when you want any existing file on the volume to be recreated regardless of whether it is the last file on the volume as long as the same data set name is used.

When you use an existing tape file for output all the files that are higher in sequence are destroyed.

USER

Specify this value to allow any existing file on a master volume to be used for output regardless of the data set names being used and its relative file position on the volume. Select this option when you want validation of master volumes to be just the same as for user status volumes.

When you use an existing tape file for output all the files that are higher in sequence are destroyed.

Default: EDGRMMxx parmlib member OPTION MASTEROVERWRITE operand.

You can specify any name because DFSMSrmm does not check whether the device type has been defined to z/OS. Some examples of MEDIANAME that you might define include: CART, ROUND, SQUARE, 3420, 3480, TAPE, OPTICAL, CASSETTE. DFSMSrmm accepts media names that have not been generated on the z/OS system that is running DFSMSrmm. Use of MEDIANAMEs that describe size or shape can give you more flexibility in the media that can reside in a pool. Use MEDIANAME to identify different types of physical shelf space for different media, or to distinguish different media characteristics such as Cartridge System Tape and Enhanced Capacity Cartridge System Tape. See Defining storage locations: LOCDEF for information about using media names when defining storage locations.

If you change a media name for a VLPOOL command for an existing pool of volumes, or add a new VLPOOL command that has a different media name than existing volumes that are covered by that VLPOOL command, you must consider changing the media names for those existing volumes. Refer to Changing pool definitions which describes how to use RMM CHANGEVOLUME volser MEDIANAME to make the volume media name match the value in the VLPOOL command.

Default: MEDIANAME(parmlib_default_medianame)

If you specify a NAME value that is a valid storage group name, DFSMSrmm uses the NAME value as the default storage group name for all the volumes added into this pool range. By naming a specific storage group with the RMM ADDVOLUME subcommand, you can select a pool for a volume at the individual volume level.

You can use the same NAME value on multiple VLPOOL commands enabling you to group multiple prefix ranges into a single logical pool without the need to use the RMM ADDVOLUME subcommand to specify storage group names. You can use RMM ADDVOLUME or RMM CHANGEVOLUME subcommand with the STORAGEGROUP operand to add or remove individual volumes in a logical pool.

Default: None.

If a volume's shelf location falls into a number of possible pools, DFSMSrmm chooses the most specific pool. For example, you defined AB* and ABC* as pools. If volume ABC123 is from shelf location ABC123, it belongs in pool ABC*, not AB*. DFSMSrmm prevents duplicate pool prefixes.

Default: PREFIX(*)

Only specify Y for tape pools because TAPEVOL profiles are not required for optical volumes.

Specify N if you do not want DFSMSrmm to create RACF tape profiles for the volumes in the pool. If you specify N, DFSMSrmm plays no part in creating or deleting RACF tape profiles, regardless of the system-wide option TPRACF.

Default: RACF(N)

Recommendation: You could use this option to build in a delay or a checkpoint in scratch processing to ensure that volumes are ready to return to scratch. If parmlib OPTION NOTIFY(NO) is set , or you do not have an e-mail address for the owner of the volume, you must notify the user and later confirm the notify action to DFSMSrmm.

Default: None.

DFSMSrmm enforces a match on SYSID when validating nonspecific tape mounts. Only scratch volumes from a pool associated with a specific system can satisfy nonspecific mount requests for that system. DFSMSrmm rejects volumes from other pools on that system.

When you specify a SYSID, and you have also activated MNTMSG, all nonspecific mount messages are updated to include the pool prefix to identify the pool to be used to the operator.

You can use the EDG_EXIT100 installation exit to assign multiple scratch pools to be used for nonspecific tape volume requests for each system.

If there is no scratch pool defined for the current system, and the EDG_EXIT100 exit does not select a specific scratch pool, DFSMSrmm does not update the mount message. DFSMSrmm selects the first pool in the collating sequence with the correct SYSID to update mount messages. However, the operator can mount a volume from any eligible pool. DFSMSrmm ignores the SYSID value when you use ACS routines to select a storage group pool for a nonspecific tape request.

Default: The pool is not associated with any particular system.

A rack pool is shelf space that can be assigned to hold any volumes that are generally read-only and that enter and leave your installation on an ad hoc basis. These volumes are typically software product volumes and customer volumes and do not adhere to your installation's naming conventions. Although you can add scratch volumes to rack pools, you cannot normally use these volumes to satisfy nonspecific mount requests unless EDGUX100 selects a pool or a storage group scratch pool is selected.

A scratch pool is shelf space assigned to hold volumes for use with DFSMSrmm system based scratch pooling. The volumes assigned to this shelf space can be used to satisfy scratch requests as long as the volumes are in scratch status. Once the volume has been written to, it becomes a volume with MASTER status until the data is no longer required by the installation. The volume remains in the same DFSMSrmm scratch pool in that it occupies the same shelf space regardless of status.

Default: TYPE(S)