The Inband option (specified with a value of YES for the REMOTE parameter on the FlashCopy® Establish request) allows FlashCopy requests to be issued remotely through an existing PPRC link. Once a FlashCopy establish is issued, the direct host connection from local to remote ESS is not required for a background copy to complete. The host connection would be needed, however, before any new FlashCopy tasks could be initiated. Inband FlashCopy can be useful if the host at the recovery site is not online.
The Inband option eliminates the need for a host connection from local to remote exclusively for FlashCopy backup. The FlashCopy request must be issued at a host processor connected to the PPRC primary volume, with the PPRC secondary volume specified as the FlashCopy source.
All supported full-volume FlashCopy commands can be issued with the inband option, however, the THAW portion of consistency group processing is not supported with the inband option. If it is acceptable to have long busy reported on a PPRC secondary device or an XRC secondary, the FREEZE portion of consistency group processing can be issued inband and it will automatically thaw after 120 seconds. See FlashCopy consistency groups for more information.