Using interval migration

Interval migration is a space management function that performs hourly space management on eligible volumes that exceed specified volume threshold requirements. Interval migration migrates data sets to ML1 or ML2 volumes and transitions data sets from one class of user-accessible volumes to another until the low threshold is reached or there are no eligible data sets remaining.

During interval migration:
The following functions that are performed during primary space management are not performed during interval migration:

Specific interval migration eligibility requirements must be satisfied both at the volume level and the data set level. See Interval migration eligibility requirements.

Enabling interval migration

Interval migration is enabled by default and there are two methods of explicitly enabling interval migration:
  • Add the SETSYS INTERVALMIGRATION command to the ARCCMDxx parmlib member of SYS1.PARMLIB. Then restart DFSMShsm.
  • Issue the SETSYS INTERVALMIGRATION command after DFSMShsm is started.

To determine if interval migration is enabled or disabled, issue QUERY SETSYS. Message ARC0151I is issued with the query response.

To use interval migration after it is enabled, eligibility requirements must be satisfied. See Interval migration eligibility requirements.

Disabling interval migration

There are two methods of disabling interval migration:
  • Add the SETSYS NOINTERVALMIGRATION command to the ARCCMDxx parmlib member of SYS1.PARMLIB. Then restart DFSMShsm.
  • Issue the SETSYS NOINTERVALMIGRATION command after DFSMShsm is started.

Interval migration eligibility requirements

There are two sets of requirements that must be satisfied in order for a volume to be eligible for interval migration. The first set of requirements must be satisfied at the volume level. The second set of requirements must be satisfied at the data set level.

Requirements that must be satisfied at the volume level for interval migration to be performed are:
  • The volume is either an SMS-managed or non-SMS-managed volume.
  • The volume belongs to a storage group defined with AM=I (Auto Migrate, interval) or AM=Y (Auto Migrate, yes).
    • If the storage group is defined with AM=I, the volume must exceed the midpoint between the low and high threshold to be eligible.
    • If the storage group is defined with AM=Y, the volume must exceed the high threshold to be eligible.
    • If the storage group is defined with AM=Y, on-demand migration must not be enabled for the volume to be eligible. Otherwise, on-demand migration is performed.
  • The SETSYS INTERVALMIGRATION setting is in effect.
Requirements that must be satisfied at the data set level for a data set to be transitioned or migrated from an eligible volume are:
  • The management class for the data set is configured to allow both command or auto migration (COMMAND OR AUTO MIGRATE=BOTH)
  • - For transitions:
    • The age of the data set has exceeded the management class TIME SINCE CREATION attribute value.
    • The last referenced date has met or exceeded the management class TIME SINCE LAST USE attribute value.
    • The current date has met or exceeded the PERIODIC time period specified in the management class.
  • For migration, the inactive age of the data set has exceeded the management class PRIMARY DAYS NON-USAGE attribute value.
  • If the data set is a candidate to be backed up:
    • It is not eligible for migration if the migration of the data set is directed to tape.
    • It is not eligible for a transition if the management class TRANSITION COPY TECHNIQUE specifies a technique other than STANDARD.

Interval migration usage notes and other considerations

  1. Neither interval migration or on-demand migration is performed on SMS-managed volumes that belong to a storage group defined with AM=P (Auto Migrate, primary) or AM=N (Auto Migrate, no).
  2. Interval migration is performed on volumes that belong to storage groups defined with AM=I regardless of whether interval migration is enabled or disabled.
  3. When on-demand migration is enabled, on-demand migration is performed instead of interval migration on eligible SMS-managed volumes that belong to storage groups defined with AM=Y. For on-demand eligibility requirements, see On-demand migration eligibility requirements.
  4. If you want to require operator permission before allowing interval migration to run, issue the SETSYS REQUEST command.
  5. If you want the operator to be notified of the space allocation of each volume during the interval migration space check, issue the SETSYS MONITOR(SPACE) command.
  6. Data sets on SMS-managed volumes are processed in the following order:
    1. Data sets eligible for a class transition and migration will be migrated.
    2. Data sets eligible for a class transition will be transitioned.
    3. Data sets eligible for migration only will be migrated. For this phase, data set size is a determining factor for the order and priority in which data sets are migrated. The largest eligible data set migrates first, followed by the next largest. The priority for migrating data sets from volumes that belong to storage groups defined with AM=I applies when the low threshold exceeds 5% only.
  7. In order for a data set to be migrated or transitioned by TIME SINCE LAST USE, the date of the current backup copy should be greater than the date-last-referenced by at least one day.

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