ERASE and INIT commands

The format of the SYSIN commands for erasing and initializing are shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. EDGINERS SYSIN commands (erasing and initializing)


>>-+-ERASE-+--VOLUME(volser-+-------------+-)------------------->
   '-INIT--'                '-,new_volser-'     

>--+-----------------------+------------------------------------>
   |        .-DSE------.   |   
   '-ERASE(-+-INIT-----+-)-'   
            +-SHRED----+       
            '-SHREDDSE-'       

>--+--------------------------------------------+--------------->
   |        .-SL----------------------------.   |   
   '-LABEL(-+-AL--| ANSI label parameters |-+-)-'   
            '-NL----------------------------'       

>--+--------------------------------------------+--------------->
   |            .-parmlib_default_medianame-.   |   
   '-MEDIANAME(-+-medianame-----------------+-)-'   

>--+-------------------+--+-----------------+------------------->
   +-RACK(rack_number)-+  '-OWNERTEXT(text)-'   
   '-POOL(pool_prefix)-'                        

>--+--------------+--------------------------------------------><
   '-VOL1(volser)-'   

ANSI label parameters

|--+--------------+--+----------------------------+-------------|
   '-ACCESS(code)-'  '-+-LABELVERSION-+-(-+-3-+-)-'   
                       '-VERSION------'   '-4-'

ERASE

Specify ERASE to security erase a volume and write a new label on it.

You must specify either ERASE or INIT.

INIT

Specify INIT to initialize a volume.

You must specify either INIT or ERASE.

VOLUME(volser,new_volser)

volser specifies the volume serial number of the volume to be initialized or erased. volser is required. volser is one to 6 alphanumeric, national, or special characters. Enclose it in single quotation marks if it contains any special characters. If you are adding volumes with a volume serial number less than six characters, you must supply a rack number or a pool, otherwise DFSMSrmm issues an error message.

If the volume is already defined in the DFSMSrmm control data set, DFSMSrmm ensures that the requested action is pending for the volume. If this action is not pending, DFSMSrmm fails the request.

If the volume mounted is already labeled, DFSMSrmm reads the label to ensures that the volume serial number matches the one you specify. If the volume mounted does not have a recognizable volume label but contains data (no label tapes or nonstandard label tapes), DFSMSrmm issues a WTOR. The operator must reply to this message before DFSMSrmm can initialize or erase the volume.

If the volume is not defined in the DFSMSrmm control data set and you do not specify a new volume serial number, DFSMSrmm adds the volume to the control data set.

The value for the variable new_volser specifies a new volume serial number. Use it if you want to relabel a volume with a new volume serial number. If this new volume is already defined in the DFSMSrmm control data set, DFSMSrmm fails the request.

DFSMSrmm adds information about the new volume to the DFSMSrmm control data set, using information recorded for the volume you are replacing, and then deletes information about the volume you are replacing.

ACCESS(code)

Specifies the ISO/ANSI volume accessibility code. Specify code as any character in the ISO/ANSI X3.4–1986 character set. You must specify LABEL(AL) if you specify an accessibility code.

You must modify the volume access installation exit routine in z/OS to allow subsequent use of the volume if you specify ACCESS.

The default is blank, allowing unlimited access to the volume.

ERASE(DSE|INIT|SHRED|SHREDDSE)

Use the ERASE operand on an ERASE command to tailor the ERASE action to be performed.

You can optionally specify an operand value for ERASE to select the action to be performed by the tape drive for the ERASE action. The following values can be specified:

DSE: Specifies that a Data Secure Erase (DSE) should be attempted. This exploits the tape drive hardware capability to erase data from the volume.
INIT: Specifies that an ERASE action equates to an INIT action; no secure erase is attempted and the volume is relabelled as if the INIT action had been requested.
SHRED: For encrypted volumes, this value specifies that the Data Key should be made unusable by the drive. For non-encrypted volumes the DSE action is attempted.
SHREDDSE: For encrypted volumes, this value specifies that the Data Key should be made unusable by the drive, and that any non-encrypted residual data on the volume should be subject to DSE. For non-encrypted volumes, the DSE action is attempted.

When you do not specify the ERASE operand, ERASE(DSE) is the default.

LABEL(NL|SL|AL)

Use LABEL to specify the type of label to be written on the volume:

AL: Specifies an ISO/ANSI Label.
NL: Specifies no label.
SL: Specifies an IBM standard label.

If you do not specify the label type and the volume is already defined in DFSMSrmm, DFSMSrmm uses the label type defined in the DFSMSrmm control data set.

If you do not specify the label type and the volume is not already defined in the control data set, DFSMSrmm uses IBM standard label (SL) as the default.

LABELVERSION(3|4)

Use LABELVERSION to specify the ISO/ANSI volume label version. Specify LABELVERSION to update the DFSMSrmm control data set with the required label version for ISO/ANSI output tapes. To understand how DFSMSrmm assigns a label version if you do not specify the LABELVERSION, see How DFSMSrmm selects an ISO/ANSI label Version.

3: Use 3 to initialize tape volumes with ISO/ANSI version 3 VOL1 and HDR1 labels
4: Use 4 to initialize tape volumes with ISO/ANSI version 4 VOL1 and HDR1 labels.

MEDIANAME(medianame)

Specifies the volume's media name.

The media name that you specify must match the media name defined in the control data set. If the media names do not match, DFSMSrmm fails the request.

If the volume is not defined in the DFSMSrmm control data set, DFSMSrmm uses the value that you specify when you add the volume. If you do not specify a media name, DFSMSrmm uses the value that you defined for your installation with the EDGRMMxx parmlib OPTION MEDIANAME operand.

The default is the EDGRMMxx parmlib OPTION MEDIANAME operand value.

OWNERTEXT(text)

Specifies the owner's name or similar identification. text is fourteen characters. Enclose in single quotation marks if it includes blanks or special characters. The text must be 10 bytes for SL, 14 bytes for AL.

The information is specified as character constants up to 10 bytes long for EBCDIC and BCDIC volume labels and up to 14 bytes long for volume labels written in ASCII.

POOL(pool_prefix)

Specifies a pool prefix for a pool to which you want to assign the volume. If the volume is not defined to DFSMSrmm, DFSMSrmm selects an available rack number for the volume in the pool you specify. If the volume is already defined in the DFSMSrmm control data set, DFSMSrmm changes the volume's rack number to move the volume.

If you do not supply a pool prefix or a rack number for a volume already defined in the DFSMSrmm control data set, DFSMSrmm uses the volume's existing rack number. If the volume is not defined in the control data set and you do not supply a pool prefix or a rack number, DFSMSrmm assigns the volume a rack number matching its volume serial number.

RACK(rack_number)

Specifies a shelf location for the volume. If you do not supply a pool ID or a rack number for a volume already defined in the control data set, DFSMSrmm uses the volume's existing rack number. If the volume is not defined in the DFSMSrmm control data set and you do not supply a pool ID or a rack number, DFSMSrmm assigns the volume a rack number matching its volume serial number.

VOL1(volser)

Use the VOL1 operand to specify the VOL1 label volser that is to be written in the tape label when it is required to be different than the external volser. The value for the variable volser is 1-to-6 alphanumeric, national, or special characters.

Volumes with a VOL1 value are treated as duplicate volumes by DFSMSrmm. If you are labeling a duplicate volume, DFSMSrmm uses the previously defined VOL1 value for the volume when you do not specify a VOL1 value for the volume. If you specify a VOL1 value, DFSMSrmm uses that VOL1 in place of the VOL1 value that was previously defined to DFSMSrmm. You can only label a volume as a duplicate when you are initializing or erasing volumes manually

For more information about tape label validation or volume access code, see z/OS DFSMS Using Magnetic Tapes.