Migrating data from an IBM Z host system to the storage system

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You can choose from several methods to migrate data from an IBM® Z host system to your storage system. The correct method depends on your environment and storage system.

The following table describes some of the available data migration methods:
Table 1. Data migration methods for supported operating systems and environments
Environment or operating system Data migration method
Linux® on IBM Z environment IBM Global Mirror, Remote Mirror and Copy (when available)
System z9® environment IBM Global Mirror, Remote Mirror and Copy (when available)
VSE/ESA operating system
  • Back up and Restore dialogs
  • VSE fastcopy command to move volumes and files between devices with identical track formats
  • VSE ditto command to copy files.
  • VSE power command to transfer the spool queue from one device to another
  • VSE REPRO or EXPORT/IMPORT function to move any VSAM data set.
z/OS® operating system
  • DFSMSdss (simplest method)
  • DFSMShsm
  • IDCAMS EXPORT/IMPORT (VSAM)
  • IDCAMS REPRO (VSAM, SAM, BDAM)
  • IEBCOPY (partitioned data set (PDS), including load module libraries, and PDSE)
  • ICEGENER (SAM), part of DFSORT
  • IEBGENER (SAM)
  • Specialized database utilities for CICS®, DB2®, or IMS
z/VM® operating system DFSMS//VM with the following functions:
  • DASD Dump Restore: Used to dump data from disk to tape, restore data from tape to disk, and copy data between like disk drive volumes. You cannot use DDR to copy data between disk devices with different track formats.
  • CMDISK: A DIRMAINT command that is used to move minidisks from any device types that VM supports to any other type.
  • COPYFILE: A CMS command that is used to copy files or minidisks between devices with the same or different track modes.
  • PTAPE: A control program (CP) command that is used to dump spool files to tape and to load files from tape to disk.