Performing a Parallel Save Appending to Tape When Append to Media is *NO

Parallel Save appending to tape when Append to Media is *NO occurs when the first entry in the control group cannot be saved in true parallel format.

In V5R4 and above, BRMS allows users to create a control group that will do parallel saves and allow entry of items that cannot be saved in parallel. For example, *SAVSYS, *SAVSECDTA, *SAVCFG, and *ALLDLO cannot be saved in parallel. However, you can list these items in a control group processing a parallel save.

In a situation where the control group attribute 'Append to Media' is set to *NO and the first item in the control group cannot be saved in parallel (for example, *SAVSYS, *SAVSECDTA, *SAVCFG, or *ALLDLO) when the control group saves an entry that can be saved in parallel, BRMS looks for a volume that can be appended to even though 'Append to Media' *NO is specified. This is a current restriction in BRMS.

For example, if the following control group specified 'Append to Media' *NO and a parallel backup was specified, when the *ALLUSR portion of the control group is processed, BRMS will attempt to append this save to an active volume:

Back up

Seq	Items
10	*EXIT
20	*SAVSECDTA
30	*SAVCFG
40	*ALLUSR
50	*EXIT

To prevent an active volume from being appended to use one of the following circumventions:

Circumvention Example 1: The first save entry in the control group must be a parallel item (for example, *ALLUSR, *IBM, *LINK).

Back up

Seq	Items
10	*EXIT
20	*ALLUSR
30	*LINK
40	*SAVSECDTA
50	*SAVCFG
60	*EXIT

Circumvention Example 2: Keep the items not saved in parallel at the top (such as *SAVSECDTA) in the control group. Then, load a volume between the nonparallel items and the parallel items. You can use the special operation *LOAD to begin a new tape.

Back up

Seq	Items
10	*EXIT
20	*SAVSECDTA
30	*SAVCFG
40	*LOAD
50	*ALLUSR
60	*LINK
70	*EXIT

Circumvention Example 3: Create two control groups. One control group should save only parallel items, and the second control group should save the items that cannot be saved in parallel.

For Control Group 1:

Backup

Seq	Items
10	*EXIT
20	*SAVSECDTA
30	*SAVCFG
40	*EXIT

For Control Group 2:

Backup

Seq	Items
10	*EXIT
20	*ALLUSR
30	*EXIT

This is a copy of the IBM Support document Parallel Save Appending to Tape When Append to Media is *NO located at IBM Support under Historical Number 463788647