Purpose of availability management

Availability management ensures that a recent copy of your DASD data set exists. Availability management ensures that lost or damaged data sets can be retrieved at the most current possible level. To do this, availability management automatically and periodically performs functions that (1) copy all the data sets on DASD volumes to tape volumes and that (2) copy the changed data sets on DASD volumes either to other DASD volumes or to tape volumes. By copying the data sets, DFSMShsm minimizes the space that is occupied by the data set on the backup volume. Availability management comprises the following functions:

• Aggregate backup and recovery
• Automatic physical full-volume dump
• Automatic incremental backup
• Automatic control data set backup
• Command dump and backup
• Command recovery
• Disaster backup
• Expiration of backup versions
• Fast replication backup and recovery