With the RVARY command you can switch, activate, or deactivate RACF® databases without an IPL. You can also list the current configuration of RACF databases, or, if RACF is enabled for sysplex communication, change between data sharing and non–data sharing modes.

During recovery, you want to keep the primary database active and not go into failsoft processing. Guideline: To avoid failsoft, use RVARY SWITCH rather than RVARY INACTIVE.

You can enter this command from an active TSO session, from a batch job, from a started task that executes the TSO terminal monitor program (TMP), or as an MVS™ operator command if the RACF subsystem is active.

If your RACF database has multiple data sets, you can use the DATASET operand on the RVARY command to specify which one you want switched, deactivated, or reactivated.