BRMS Object Level Detail

When saving data using BRMS, users have the option of specifying whether to save object level detail. Before selecting this option, users must be aware that, if they do choose to save object level detail, it will affect the size of files in the QUSRBRM library.

The Options for saving object level detail in a backup control group or SAVLIBBRM command are:

*ERR
Error detail is kept in the BRMS backup history.

*MBR
Object detail is kept in the BRMS backup history.

Notes:

1.	Member level information is included in the object detail for physical files.
2.	This choice is the same as *YES.

*NO
No object detail is kept in the BRMS backup history.

*OBJ
Object detail is kept in the BRMS backup history. No member level detail is kept.

*YES
Object detail is kept in the BRMS backup history.

Note: Member level information is included in the object detail for physical files.

Object level detail is required for the following:

o	Restoring of objects using the RSTOBJBRM command via the command line or via a CL program.
o	Using the WRKOBJBRM command.
o	When using the SAVDOMBRM command, object level detail is required for restores and cannot be turned off
o	Using WRKMEDIBRM, Option 9 to find specific objects to restore.

The following files in QUSRBRM library are affected by saving object level detail:
 

QA1AFD	Folder Save History	SAVDLOBRM, *ALLDLO in a control group
QA1ALI2	Integrated File System Save History	SAVBRM, SAVDOMBRM, *LINK or Link lists in a control group
QA1AMB	Save History of Members	SAVOBJBRM, SAVLIBBRM, Specifying *MBR or *YES in a control group
QA1AOD	Object Level Detail	SAVOBJBRM, SAVLIBBRM, Specifying anything other than *NO or *ERR in a control group

If you do not want to save object level detail and want to restore individual objects, you can still use the native operating system RSTOBJ, RSTDLO, and RST commands or you can use the WRKMEDIBRM screen, select Option 7 on the library, and then select Option 7 again to specify the object. When using this, you must know the name of the object(s) you want to restore.

To restore objects of files to a different library or directory, WRKOBJBRM or WRKLNKBRM can be used if Object level detail was saved.
If restoring objects to a different library, the library needs to exist. If restoring IFS files to a different directory, prior to V5R3M0, the full directory path you are restoring to needs to exist. At V5R4M0, CRTPRNDIR on the RST or RSTBRM command needs to be *YES.

Examples

Restoring an object to a different library with object level detail saved

1.	Using the WRKOBJBRM or WRKMEDIBRM command, select Option 9 on the library, and find the object you need to restore.
2.	Select 7 on the object, and press the Enter key.
3.	On the next screen, press F9 for Recovery Defaults.
4.	Change the library name you want to restore the object to, and press the Enter key.
5.	Press the Enter key to start the restore interactively, or press F14 to submit the restore to batch.

Restoring an Integrated File System or directory with object level detail saved

1.	Using the WRKOBJBRM or WRKMEDIBRM command, select Option 9 on the library, and find the object you need to restore.
2.	Select 9 on the object, and press the Enter key.
3.	Select Option 7, 7, and type the name of the new directory path (change CRTPRNDIR to *YES if at V5R4M0).
4.	If wanting to restore the complete directory and subdirectories, select 7 on the directory. Selecting Option 9 to display the files in the directory and then selecting Option 7 restores only the files and not the subdirectories.

Saving object level detail should not be confused with saving *OBJ level for the recovery information. Specifying *LIB or *OBJ on the SAVMEDIBRM command or on the Automatically backup media information in the control group attributes is used in the case of a Disaster Recovery.

Once you have started saving object level detail and find that the files are getting too large and you no longer require object level detail saved, you can turn it off and then, as the volumes expire, the records in the above-mentioned files will be deleted. It is not recommended that you clear these files. If these files are still large after the records have been deleted, run a Reorganize Physical File Member (RGZPFM) on them.

Notes:

1.	Before selecting the *OBJ parameter for the Automatically backup media information field, ensure that you are saving objects at the object level in your control groups. To verify that you are saving at the object level, go to the Edit Backup Control Group display for this control group, and review the RETAIN object detail field for each backup item. Those backup items that show *YES, *OBJ, or *MBR in the RETAIN object detail field keep object detail. In addition, those items that do not display a RETAIN object detail field indicate that object level detail is automatically kept.
2.	When saving object level detail, additional time will be spent by BRMS updating history files. This is often referred to as output file processing. This could add additional time to a BRMS backup depending on the number of objects on the system. If desired, output file processing time can be reduced by following Rochester Support Center knowledge base document N1012343, Improving BRMS Output File Processing Performance. To link to document N1012343 immediately, click here .
3.	Saving object level detail uses additional DASD.
4.	Unwanted object level detail can be removed by running the following command: RMVMEDIBRM OBJDTL(xxx) where xxx is number-of-days. Specify the number of days that object detail for an entry is kept on the file. If this number of days is greater than the number of days implied in the Media contents (MEDCON) parameter, such as the volume expires in 60 days and you specify 90 days in the Object level detail (OBJDTL) parameter, the parameter has no meaning because the contents record has already been removed. However, if you specify 45 days and the object expires in 60 days, the object level detail is removed after 45 days and the accompanying contents record is removed after 60 days.