Understanding the Volume Mount Analyzer

The volume mount analyzer is a program that helps you analyze your current tape environment. You use the volume mount analyzer to study tape mount activity, monitor tape media use, and implement tape mount management at your installation. The volume mount analyzer produces reports that you can use to tailor data classes, management classes, and automatic class selection (ACS) routine filters depending on your specific tape usage profile. Using tape mount management, you can maximize the use of your tape media and reduce your tape mounts.

The volume mount analyzer is composed of two programs: GFTAXTR and GFTAVMA.

GFTAXTR: Processes system management facilities (SMF) records and puts them in a format that the GFTAVMA program can use. GFTAXTR produces an output data set, which is the input to GFTAVMA, and a report of its processing phases.
GFTAVMA: Analyzes the tape usage and tape mounts at your installation using the output data set from GFTAXTR. GFTAVMA produces summary reports for every run and optional detailed reports if you request them.

See Using GFTAXTR to Extract Data from SMF Records and Analyzing Your Tape Usage with GFTAVMA for more information about these two programs.

By analyzing SMF records of your installation, the volume mount analyzer can help you determine:

the space each tape data set uses on a tape volume
the unused space on a tape volume
the number of tape mounts you would save by implementing tape mount management
the tape mount management DASD buffer space you would need to hold the data sets until they are transferred to tape storage

See z/OS MVS System Management Facilities (SMF) for more information on SMF records.