Preparing for aggregate recovery

You need to consider the following in order to prepare for aggregate recovery:
  • Retrieving instructions or information from the instruction data set that may have been optionally created at the aggregate backup site.
  • Issuing ARECOVER with the PREPARE parameter to:
    • Determine the amount of storage needed to recover aggregate groups.
    • Catalog ABACKUP outfiles.
    • Add volumes to RACF®, if SETSYS TAPESECURITY(RACF) or SETSYS TAPESECURITY(RACFINCLUDE) is specified, RACF is active and the HSMABR tape volume set is defined.
  • Issuing ARECOVER with the INSTRUCTION and ACTIVITY parameters
  • Creating an ABR record
  • Determining the aggregate recovery site constraints.
  • Planning for aggregate recovery requirements for SMS.
  • Defining the target volumes to be used for aggregate recovery of non-SMS data with the DEFINE ARPOOL command.

    If you have multivolume, non-VSAM, non-SMS-managed data sets, ensure that you define an adequate number to level 0 volumes for this aggregate group, using the L0VOLS subparameter of the DEFINE ARPOOL command. If no ARPOOL is defined for this aggregate group, you must have an adequate number of volumes ADDVOLed as primary volumes, or you may have allocation failures during ARECOVER processing of this aggregate group.

  • Defining aggregate recovery environmental options with the SETSYS command.
  • Defining a model entity to define discrete data set profiles to RACF.
  • Determining if the RACF facility class is active and at least one profile is defined, so that the user authority to use the ARECOVER command is verified.
  • Determining if the RACF facility class is active and if there is a REPLACE action in either the conflict resolution data set, the DSCONFLICT parameter of the ARECOVER command, or the ARCCREXT exit. If so, define the following facility class profiles and add the user to at least one of them:
    STGADMIN.ARC.ARECOVER
    STGADMIN.ARC.ARECOVER.agname.REPLACE
    STGADMIN.ARC.ARECOVER.agname.RENTGT
  • Determining if the aggregate backup output has been sent by a transmit program such as the NetView® FTP. If you are using NetView FTP, catalog the data file data sets (using the disposition parameter) and any accompanying data sets that have been transmitted. If you are using another file transfer program, ensure that the files are cataloged.
  • If you choose to have any or all of your ABACKUP output files directed to DASD volumes, there are special precautions you must observe for successful recovery of the backed up data:
    • The aggregate backup files must be properly cataloged and exist at the recovery site.
    • You must use the XMIT and DATASETNAME parameters on your ARECOVER command.

Table 1 shows a checklist you may want to follow as you complete each of the steps needed to prepare for and perform aggregate recovery.

Table 1. Aggregate Recovery Checklist
Step Action
___ 1. Verify receipt of the aggregate backup tapes containing the control, data, and instruction/activity log files.
___ 2. Issue the DEFINE ARPOOL command to specify the target volumes to be used by aggregate recovery for non-SMS-managed data.
___ 3. Run ARECOVER with PREPARE, INSTRUCTION, and ACTIVITY parameters
___ 4. Determine the aggregate recovery constraints.
  1. Determine the DASD resources needed to perform the aggregate recovery.
  2. Determine the tape unit name to be used for output data sets to be recovered.
  3. Determine the tape unit name if recovering to ML2 tape.
___ 5. Ensure that the ABARS JCL procedure has been installed in the systems JCL library (refer to the z/OS DFSMShsm Implementation and Customization Guide).
___ 6. Determine the SETSYS parameters to be used:
  • Specify the number of ABARS address spaces
  • Specify activity log type, message level, and deletion processing
  • Indicate ABARS procname
  • Indicate target unit name for recovering user tape data sets
  • Indicate target unit name if recovering to ML2 tape
  • Specify space utilization for non-SMS level 0 DASD
  • Specify ABARS buffer usage
  • Specify whether the ABACKUP output tapes were stacked
  • Specify whether you want the ABARS FSR record written as an SMF record (SETSYS SMF)
  • Indicate how SMS-managed GDSs backed up from level 0 DASD should be restored.
  • Indicate the desired ABARSVOLCOUNT environment
___ 7. Add the aggregate recovery procedure name defined by SETSYS ABARSPROCNAME to the RACF started task table (ICHRIN03).
___ 8. Define the model entity to define discrete data set profiles to RACF. This step is optional.
___ 9. Link-edit the aggregate recovery installation exits. This step is optional.
___ 10. If the aggregate backup output has been transmitted, ensure all aggregate backup output files and any ACCOMPANY data sets are cataloged. See Preparing for aggregate recovery.
___ 11. Use RACF facility class to authorize certain users or operators to issue the ARECOVER command.
___ 12. Issue the ARECOVER command with the VERIFY parameter. This step is optional.
  • If aggregate recovery verification completes successfully with a return code of zero, continue to step 13.
  • If aggregate recovery verification fails, use the conflict resolution data set to assist in resolving any conflicts, and repeat this step until the recovery verification completes successfully with a return code of zero.
___ 13. Issue the ARECOVER command with the EXECUTE parameter.
  • Determine if aggregate recovery completed successfully with a return code of zero. If not, correct any errors and issue the ARECOVER command with the VERIFY parameter. If verification is successful, reissue the ARECOVER command with the EXECUTE parameter.
  • If aggregate recovery verification fails, use the conflict resolution data set to assist in resolving any conflicts, and repeat this step until the recovery verification completes successfully with a return code of zero.
  • Issuing the ARECOVER command with the VOLCOUNT(ANY) parameter can help overcome some SMS allocation failures.