Converting from built-in storage locations

If you already have volumes stored in the DFSMSrmm built-in storage locations, you need to decide if you migrate the volumes to installation defined storage locations or allow the built-in storage locations to fall out of use when volumes are moved out and not replaced.

Once you decide to move to installation defined storage locations, whether or not you decide to continue to use the same names (LOCAL, DISTANT, and REMOTE), you must redefine the vital record specification definitions so that DFSMSrmm knows you are using installation defined storage locations.

The built-in storage locations LOCAL, DISTANT and REMOTE can be defined on LOCDEF parameters. This gives you the ability to use the existing built-in names rather than having to change the storage location names in use. When you use the DFSMSrmm built-in storage locations in a LOCDEF parmlib command, the DFSMSrmm built-in storage locations are treated like any other installation defined storage location.

You cannot use the LOCDEF command to change the PRIORITY of LOCAL, DISTANT or REMOTE and have them otherwise continue to work as before. Once you have defined the built-in names using LOCDEF:

You can no longer use previously assigned bin numbers. You must define new bin numbers using the media names that are specified in the LOCDEF command.
You must redefine the vital record specifications which reference these locations so that volumes can be scheduled to move to the installation defined location.

If the built-in storage location names are defined using LOCDEF without the PRIORITY operand, the default installation defined location priority is used.