Defining resources for dump data sets

If allocation is active, SVC dump data sets can be automatically allocated as soon as resources are defined to store them. If you have not changed the name pattern, then the system default is used. See Establishing a name pattern. You can define dump data set resources using the DUMPDS ADD,VOL=volser (for DASD volumes) and DUMPDS ADD,SMS=class (for SMS classes) commands. You can remove resources using the DUMPDS DEL,VOL=volser and DUMPDS DEL,SMS=class commands. Automatic allocation is directed to SMS classes in preference to DASD volumes.

When automatic allocation is inactive, dumps are written to pre-allocated SYS1.DUMPxx data sets. Deactivating automatic allocation does not result in the loss of resource definitions, however. So, if automatic allocation is reactivated, all the previous resources remain available for receiving automatically allocated dump data sets. Similarly, removing the last allocation resource will not cause automatic allocation to be inactive. Removing the last allocation resource effectively ‘turns off’ the function, though, just as if all the defined resources were full. In both cases the system responds with message IEA799I and dumps are written to pre-allocated SYS1.DUMPxx data sets if they exist. Otherwise the dump remains captured until: