Using the inventory management ACTIVITY file

DFSMSrmm provides the VERIFY function to perform a trial run of vital record processing and synchronize catalog processing so you can see the results of processing on a production run.

The ACTIVITY file is optional except during VERIFY processing. During VERIFY processing, the ACTIVITY file is required so that you can analyze processing results before they are actually performed. The ACTIVITY file is a pre-allocated DASD data set, like the REPORT file. The ACTIVITY file is a variable blocked file with the record length set to the largest record created by DFSMSrmm. The block size is determined by the system. The ACTIVITY file is not intended to be a report, but to contain detailed information about changes made to data sets and volumes during DFSMSrmm inventory management processing. All data set record changes, but only a subset of volume changes, are reported in the ACTIVITY file:

Newly assigned volumes that are retained only by a volume VRS or that are retained only because they are in a volume set and another volume in the set is VRS retained. This information is needed to aid analysis of the VRSRETAIN retention limit processing and the records are produced only when the VRSRETAIN action is not OFF.
EXPDT retained volumes set to pending release because of the expiration date. This information is needed to aid analysis of the EXPDTDROP retention limit processing and the records are produced only when the EXPDTDROP action is not OFF.

You can use the ACTRC_DSN_CHANGE field of the data set ACTIVITY record to identify the reason for the change. You can use the ACTRC_VOL_CHANGE field of the volume ACTIVITY record to identify the reason for the change. During processing, if an ACTIVITY file is allocated, DFSMSrmm writes information about changes in the data set and volume information, such as expiration, matching vital record specification, vital record status, retention date and catalog status to the ACTIVITY file. If VERIFY processing is being run, or the retention limit checking action is FAIL and the limit is triggered, the changes are not actually made.

The DFSMSrmm supplied sample EDGJHKPA shows the JCL to allocate the ACTIVITY file.

You can view the ACTIVITY file on-line. To print the ACTIVITY file, use a product like DFSORT or DFSORT ICETOOL to selectively format and print fields. DFSMSrmm provides a sample job EDGJACTP in SAMPLIB to print the ACTIVITY report. See z/OS DFSMSrmm Reporting for information about the reports you can produce with the sample job.