This topic describes how vital record processing works.

1. Only volumes with VRSEL retention method are included in vital record processing. 2.
2. Data sets that have the VRSELEXCLUDE attribute set to on are excluded from vital record processing.
3. You control how vital record processing works by using the EDGRMMxx parmlib OPTION command options CATRETPD, EXPDTDROP, MOVEBY, RETAINBY, RETENTIONMETHOD, VRSDROP, VRSJOBNAME, VRSCHANGE, VRSMIN, and VRSRETAIN, as described in Defining system options: OPTION.
4. You must run vital record processing when you add or change a vital record specification for DFSMSrmm to apply the policy defined by the vital record specification. You should reclaim any volumes that are pending release or ready to return to scratch to avoid data loss. Use the RMM CHANGEVOLUME subcommand to change the status of these volumes to reclaim them
5. As part of vital record processing, DFSMSrmm checks that data set name masks and job name masks used in vital record specifications are specified according to DFSMSrmm naming conventions. z/OS DFSMSrmm Managing and Using Removable Media provides information on defining vital record specifications. DFSMSrmm compares the data set, job name, and volume information recorded in the control data set with information in the vital record specifications to determine which data sets and volumes to retain and the processing required. This includes any volumes with special JCL specified expiration dates used by your installation. See Managing volumes with special dates.
6. DFSMSrmm deletes any vital record specifications that have reached their automatic deletion date from the control data set. When a vital record specification is deleted, no data set or volume information is changed. DFSMSrmm uses only the remaining vital record specifications to apply policies. If the data set or volume matches to another remaining vital record specification, DFSMSrmm applies those policies.
7. When stacked volume support is enabled, DFSMSrmm retains exported stacked volumes based on how the contained volumes are retained. The stacked volume is retained as a vital record if any contained volume is retained on a volume basis or data set basis. DFSMSrmm sets the stacked volume's retention date to the highest retention date of all contained volumes. DFSMSrmm sets the required location of the stacked volume using the required location priority of each contained logical volume. Retention and movement of copy exported stacked volumes is based only on the volume VRSes that matched to the stacked volume volser.
8. During vital record processing, DFSMSrmm records information about the matching vital record specification name and retention date that DFSMSrmm sets for the data set or volume. If the data set or volume does not match to any vital record specifications, and is no longer retained by a vital record specification, the data sets are eligible for expiration processing.
9. DFSMSrmm determines the release options for each data set and sets them at the volume level. Release options can be determined regardless of whether a data set is retained as a vital record. When there are multiple data sets on a volume, the results for release option processing are such that:
   • If any data set on a volume is or has been retained by a vital record specification, the release options for the volume are set only from data sets that are retained by a vital record specification.
   • If no data sets on a volume are vital record specification retained and none of them have yet been retained by a vital record specification, and the volume is not yet retained by a volume vital record specification, the release options are taken from any data sets that match to a vital record specification. Both primary and secondary vital record specification matches are considered.
10. DFSMSrmm saves movement and retention information in each volume record. DFSMSrmm also saves retention information in each data set record.
    • When a data set is retained by a vital record specification, DFSMSrmm sets the data set retention date to the date calculated during vital record processing.
    • When a data set is no longer retained by a vital record specification, DFSMSrmm sets the data set retention date to the date vital record processing started.
    • When a volume is pending release or scratch, or is no longer retained by a vital record specification, DFSMSrmm does not change the retention date that was already set.
    • DFSMSrmm uses the highest data set retention date on the volume to set the volume retention date.
11. See Confirming global volume movement for information about the global move confirmation processing that takes place during vital record processing.
12. Any volume no longer retained by a vital record specification is updated to indicate that it is not retained by a vital record specification and the retention date is set to the date that inventory management is run.