I'm looking for some help to backup various datasets to emulated tape.

My current backup strategy for my instance is to shut it down, copy all specific disk volumes to another location and re-ipl the instance.  I probably do that once a week or when I get really nervous about some of the stuff that I changed or built.

I'd like to setup some JCL to backup specific datasets (PDS, PS, VSAM) or even volumes if necessary to emulated tape so the can be disconnected from the system incase something goes bad with the guest or host.

So I'm trying this simple job where T00000 is an initialized emulated tape volume:

//BACKUP01 JOB  (ACCT01),'BACKUP 01',NOTIFY=&SYSUID                            
//STEP1    EXEC PGM=IEBCOPY                                                    
//SYSUT1   DD  DSN=LISYS1.CNTL,DISP=OLD                                        
//SYSUT2   DD  DSN=BACKUP.LISYS1.CNTL,UNIT=3490,                              
//         VOL=SER=T00000,DISP=(NEW,KEEP),LABEL=(,SL)                          
//SYSIN    DD *                                                                
//SYSPRINT DD SYSOUT=A                                                         
                          

When I submit this job, the job generates this at the console:

*09.14.03 JOB02345 *01 EDG4012D DFSMSRMM INACTIVE FOR OPEN T00000 BY
* BACKUP01,STEP1   ,SYSUT2  ,ENTER "RETRY", "CANCEL" OR "CONTINUE"  
 

So, can I save to tape without DFSMSRMM being active, or what is the easy way to get this up and running.  The research I did on RMM talks about some PARM files that don't exist, or at least in the common places of the zPDT instance.

Any advise would be appreciated.

Thanks.
 

Yes, you can. Those files don't exist because RMM is not originally installed on zD&T.

Well it turns out I had an RMM subsystem defined to the system.  Once I removed that the RMM message went away.

Now I need to figure out how I should be using emulated tapes because I keep getting tape position errors.

Thanks.

You probably have read additional information, but just in case, please check (or double check) the zPDT redbook Guide and Reference (SG24-8205-02):

- section 3.3.4

- section 13.22

Wondering if anyone has any JCL/Linux scripts that successful writes to emulated tape.

I sort of think I'm doing everything OK, but get a tape positioning error on the console.  My JCL is posted above and I also tried changing the unit to 580, since I saw that in an example.

The steps I'm following.....

1.  mount an emulated tape from the Linux host "awsmount 580 -m /ibm/z1090/tapes/T00000"

2. vary on from the console.  Not sure if I need to do this or not since this tape file is already defined in my device map at startup.  Not sure I even needed my step 1.

3. execute my job which is just an IEBCOPY from dataset to tape. I get this message first: "15.28.13 JOB03381 *IEF233A M 0580,T00000,,BACKUP02,BKUPDS,IBMUSER.BU.BU01".  Then I vary on the device again because it won't go anywhere if I don't.  I then get this message "15.29.39 JOB03381 *IOS003A 0580,INTERVENTION REQUIRED, READY THE DRIVE".  At this point I though I had the drive ready. But anyway, I did a awsmount -u and then remounted the tape.  Then I receive some a series of messages:

15.32.07 JOB03381  IOS000I 0580,EF,EOD,02,0E00,,**,,BACKUP02            
 80400036020001200008(0000000000000000)0000(00000000)0008000000000000   
15.32.07 JOB03381  IOS000I 0580,EF,EOD,02,0E40,,**,T00000,BACKUP02      
 80400036020001200008(0000000000000000)0000(00000000)0008000000000000   
15.32.07 JOB03381  IEC147I 613-08,IFG0195B,BACKUP02,BKUPDS,RECEIVE0,0580,
 T00000,                                                                
IBMUSER.BU.BU01                                                         
15.32.07 JOB03381  IOS000I 0580,EF,EOD,02,0E00,,**,,BACKUP02            
 80400036020001200008(0000000000000000)0000(00000000)0008000000000000   
15.32.07 JOB03381  IOS000I 0580,EF,EOD,02,0E40,,**,T00000,BACKUP02      
 80400036020001200008(0000000000000000)0000(00000000)0008000000000000   
15.32.07 JOB03381  IEC147I 613-08,IFG0195B,BACKUP02,BKUPDS,RECEIVE0,0580,
 T00000,                                                                
IBMUSER.BU.BU01                                                         
15.32.07 JOB03381 *04 IEC613A BACKUP02,BKUPDS  ,0580,T00000 TAPE POSITION
 ERROR - REPLY 'R' RETRY OR 'U' CONTINUE WITH ABEND                     
 

My only choice is the ABEND the job because an R just resends the messages.

Any guidance would be appreciated.

Thanks.                     
 

Hi John,

With the help of our experienced colleague Maurice Isrel, he pointed me to a previous discussion and tests he did using tapes under zD&T.

Please, take a look at this forum discussion:   https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/community/forums/html/topic?id=c9d2846b-5ef1-4d82-98d9-cecea5298278&ps=25

Thanks,

I was successfully able to write to the emulated tape using the example in the link you specified.

My next question is, how do I display the list of datasets on the tape, either using MVS or Linux utilities.  Everything I tried (MVS side) seems to result in the tape volume being not available.  Still trying a couple things, but is there something simple that I'm just missing?

Thanks.

From the Linux perspective you can use the tapePrint utility to check the content written in the emulated tape file.

From the z/OS perspectives, you can use any utility to read the tape lable, as an example: DITTO.

Both are not prepared to list the tape lables in a friendly way. You may need to make it more friendly.