Creating an automatic restart policy

If the default action of restarting Db2 and IRLM is the action that you want, you do not need to create an automatic restart policy.

Before you begin

If you do want to change the default restart behavior of Db2 or IRLM, you need to know the automatic restart element name.

In a data sharing group, the Db2 element name is the Db2 group name concatenated with the member name (such as DSNDB0ADB1A).

For IRLM, the element name is the IRLM group name concatenated with the IRLM subsystem name and three-character member ID (such as DXRDB0ADJ1A001).

You can also specify a pattern-matching character (such as DSNDB0A*) if you want to use a single policy statement for all members in the group.

About this task

Db2 startup can be a little faster when z/OS Automatic Recovery Manager (ARM) restarts IRLM because this activity is done in parallel. Db2 does not have to start IRLM and wait. However, if you do not want IRLM to automatically restart after a failure, you can modify the IRLM element.

You can also tailor the restart policy to use restart light. Restart light enables Db2 to restart with a minimal storage footprint to quickly release retained locks and then terminate normally. It is not recommended for a restart in place, but it is recommended for a cross-system restart in the event of a failed z/OS® system. It is primarily intended to restart Db2 temporarily on another z/OS system that does not have the capacity to sustain a Db2 and IRLM pair.

Procedure

To create an automatic restart policy:

Create an ARM policy with one or both of the following specifications as needed for your system.
  • To specify that Db2 or IRLM is not to be restarted after a failure:

    Include RESTART_ATTEMPTS(0) in the policy for that Db2 or IRLM element. For IRLM, you can also use the MODIFY irlmproc,ABEND command, as shown below, to stop IRLM and unregister it from ARM when it comes down. Unregistering prevents IRLM from automatically restarting after you bring it down. 

    MODIFY irlmproc,ABEND,NODUMP

    However, if a member's AUTO START option of installation panel DSNTIPI has a value of YES, and if z/OS restarts Db2 automatically, Db2 restarts IRLM, too.

  • To have Db2 restarted in a light mode (restart light):

    Modify the ARM policy for the Db2 group to specify LIGHT(YES) or LIGHT(NOINDOUBTS) within the RESTART_METHOD(SYSTERM) keyword for the Db2 element name. For example: 

    RESTART_METHOD(SYSTERM,STC,'cmdprfx STA DB2,LIGHT(YES)')