How DFSMSrmm applies retention and movement policies

DFSMSrmm applies retention and movement policies to data sets based on the most specific match between the data set and job name masks in vital record specifications and the data set names and job names and associated management class names and vital record specification management values defined to DFSMSrmm. During vital record processing as described in z/OS DFSMSrmm Implementation and Customization Guide, DFSMSrmm matches data sets (not excluded from VRSEL processing) to vital record specifications . If there are no matches, no policies are applied to data sets. DFSMSrmm does not issue any messages if there are no matches.

Your installation can control how DFSMSrmm matches policies to data sets by using the DFSMSrmm parmlib OPTION VRSJOBNAME operand.

Table 1 shows the order that DFSMSrmm uses to match a data set that are defined to DFSMSrmm to a vital record specification. If DFSMSrmm matches a data set to vital record specification based on data set name, then this is considered as the primary vital record specification. DFSMSrmm then tries to match a management class or a management value vital record specification to the data set and, if it is different from the primary vital record specification, this one becomes the secondary vital record specification. If the two vital record specifications found are the same, then they are used only as the primary vital record specification. If DFSMSrmm does not match a data set to a vital record specification based on data set name, then DFSMSrmm tries to match a management class or management value vital record specification and takes this as the primary vital record specification.

Table 1. How DFSMSrmm matches data set names to data set masks
Matching process	Examples
If a data set is on a currently opened volume, DFSMSrmm tries to select the vital record specification with the reserved job name mask or data set name mask 'OPEN' in this order:
1. Vital record specification with job name mask 'OPEN' and data set name mask is matching to the data set name.	`RMM ADDVRS DSNAME('BACKUP.**') JOBNAME(OPEN)`
2. Vital record specification with job name mask 'OPEN' and data set name mask is matching to the management class name.	`RMM ADDVRS DSNAME('MC*') JOBNAME(OPEN)`
3. Vital record specification with job name mask 'OPEN' and data set name mask is matching to the vital record specification management value.	`RMM ADDVRS DSNAME('D99000') JOBNAME(OPEN)`
4. Vital record specification with data set name mask 'OPEN' and job name mask matching to the job name or vital record specification with job name mask 'OPEN' and data set name mask is '**'.	`RMM ADDVRS DSNAME('OPEN') JOBNAME(JOB1) RMM ADDVRS DSNAME('OPEN') RMM ADDVRS DSNAME('**') JOBNAME(OPEN)`
If a data set was created with normal disposition of DELETE, DFSMSrmm tries to select the vital record specification with the reserved job name mask or data set name mask 'DELETED' in this order:
1. Vital record specification with job name mask 'DELETED' and data set name mask is matching to the data set name.	`RMM ADDVRS DSNAME('BACKUP.**') JOBNAME(DELETED)`
2. Vital record specification with job name mask 'DELETED' and data set name mask is matching to the management class name.	`RMM ADDVRS DSNAME('MC*') JOBNAME(DELETED)`
3. Vital record specification with job name mask 'DELETED' and data set name mask is matching to the vital record specification management value.	`RMM ADDVRS DSNAME('D99000') JOBNAME(DELETED)`
4. Vital record specification with data set name mask 'DELETED' and job name mask matching to the job name or vital record specification with job name mask 'DELETED' and data set name mask is '**'.	`RMM ADDVRS DSNAME('DELETED') JOBNAME(JOB1) RMM ADDVRS DSNAME('DELETED') RMM ADDVRS DSNAME('**') JOBNAME(DELETED)`
If a data set is closed as a result of an abnormal end, DFSMSrmm tries to select the vital record specification with the reserved job name mask or data set name mask 'ABEND' in this order:
1. Vital record specification with job name mask 'ABEND' and data set name mask is matching to the data set name.	`RMM ADDVRS DSNAME('BACKUP.**') JOBNAME(ABEND)`
2. Vital record specification with job name mask 'ABEND' and data set name mask is matching to the management class name.	`RMM ADDVRS DSNAME('MC*') JOBNAME(ABEND)`
3. Vital record specification with job name mask 'ABEND' and data set name mask is matching to the vital record specification management value.	`RMM ADDVRS DSNAME('D99000') JOBNAME(ABEND)`
4. Vital record specification with data set name mask 'ABEND' and job name mask matching to the job name or vital record specification with job name mask 'ABEND' and data set name mask is '**'.	`RMM ADDVRS DSNAME('ABEND') JOBNAME(JOB1) RMM ADDVRS DSNAME('ABEND') RMM ADDVRS DSNAME('**') JOBNAME(ABEND)`
If no vital record specification is selected so far, DFSMSrmm tries to select the vital record specification in this order:
1. Vital record specification with data set name mask and job name mask is matching to the data set name and job name.	`RMM ADDVRS DSNAME('BACKUP.*') JOBNAME(JOB1) RMM ADDVRS DSNAME('BACK.**')`
2. Vital record specification with data set name mask and job name mask is matching to the management class name and job name.	`RMM ADDVRS DSNAME('MC') JOBNAME(JOB1) RMM ADDVRS DSNAME('MC')`
3. Vital record specification with data set name mask and job name mask is matching to the vital record specification management value and job name.	`RMM ADDVRS DSNAME('D99000') JOBNAME(JOB1) RMM ADDVRS DSNAME('D99000')`
4. Vital record specification with data set name mask of '**' and job name mask is matching to the job name.	`RMM ADDVRS DSNAME('') JOBNAME(JOB1) RMM ADDVRS DSNAME('')`

Table 1 shows the order that DFSMSrmm uses to match data sets that are defined to DFSMSrmm to your vital record specifications. If DFSMSrmm matches a data set to vital record specification based on data set name, DFSMSrmm then tries to first match the management class and then vital record specification management value for the data set to a vital record specification for management classes and management values. If a match is found on both data set name and on either management class or management value, and the vital record specifications are different, the data set is managed by both a primary and a secondary vital record specification. If they are the same, this vital record specification is taken as the primary one.

DFSMSrmm matches to a secondary vital record specification based on management class or management value only when the data set name mask is more specific than '**'. DFSMSrmm matches a data set to the most specific data set mask when multiple matches occur.

Vital record groups not only have the same vital record specifications, the same data set names, and optionally, the same job names, but also the same retention types. Also, when a data set matches both a primary and secondary vital record specification, the management value or class retention type is used in determining the correct vital record group.

Grouping is important when data sets are retained by a cycles retention type of either CYCLES or BYDAYSCYCLE. A cycles retention type can be specified in any retention vital record specification in either the primary or the secondary vital record specification, or both. To calculate grouping, DFSMSrmm considers both the primary and the secondary vital record specifications. If any data sets match either a management class or a management value vital record specification, the grouping is determined twice. Once using the management class and management value vital record specifications, and once using the matching data set name mask vital record specification. This happens because the job name and group data set name may be different between the two and also because the grouping for management class and management value vital record specifications with a cycles retention type must ensure that all data sets of the same name that match to these vital record specifications are processed as a group to allow cycles to be determined. The groups are determined as follows:

For data sets matching a management class or a management value vital record specification, the group is determined using the data set name, optionally the job name, and the matching management class or management value vital record specification. If the first vital record specification in the chain specifies a cycles retention type, the matching vital record specifications are considered equal.
For data sets matching a vital record specification using the data set name mask, the group is determined using the group data set name, optionally the job name, and the matching data set name vital record specification. During processing, the retention decision taken in the first group is used when an UNTILEXPIRED retention type is found.

DFSMSrmm processes each data set in a group, applying the policies from the matching value vital record specification to determine if the data set is retained as part of the group. A data set is retained by vital record specification if either or both of the group processing identifies the data set for retention.