Enrolling Virtual Volumes

BRMS does not auto-enroll or automatically create virtual media for you. Virtual media must be manually enrolled to the BRMS media inventory using the Add Media to BRM (ADDMEDBRM) command. You will need the image catalog name when adding the virtual volumes to BRMS.

Before the virtual media can be enrolled in the BRMS media inventory, you must create the image catalog, and the image catalog entries for the virtual volumes. These must be created on the same system where the volumes will be used. After the virtual volumes are created, add the volumes to an appropriate media class and specify the image catalog name on the Image catalog (IMGCLG) parameter of the ADDMEDBRM command. BRMS must know the image catalog name for a virtual volume so that it can mount the image catalog whenever the volume is used.

Use the Create Image Catalog (CRTIMGCLG) command to create the image catalog. Example:

For Virtual Tape:

  CRTIMGCLG IMGCLG(MYIMGCLG) DIR('/myimgclg') TYPE(*TAP) 
              TEXT('Virtual tape image catalog')

For Virtual Optical:

  CRTIMGCLG IMGCLG(MYIMGCLG) DIR('/myimgclg') TYPE(*OPT)   
              TEXT('Virtual optical image catalog')

Use the Add Image Catalog Entry (ADDIMGCLGE) command to create the image catalog entry representing the virtual volume. Example:

For Virtual Tape:

   ADDIMGCLGE IMGCLG(MYIMGCLG) FROMFILE(*NEW) TOFILE(virt01) 
              VOLNAM(VIRT01)

For Virtual Optical:

   ADDIMGCLGE IMGCLG(MYIMGCLG) FROMFILE(*NEW) TOFILE(virt01)

You will need to retrieve the Volume identifier for the virtual optical volumes in order to add them into the BRMS media inventory. To find that information follow these steps:

  1. Type in WRKIMGCLG and position down to the image catalog you are working with.
  2. Type in Option 12: Work with entries. This will bring you to the Work with Image Catalog Entries.
  3. Type F11, to bring up the Volume information. 
                            Work with Image Catalog Entries                         
                                                             System:   RCHAS400 
 Catalog  . . :   DLAOPT01                Status . . . :   Not ready            
 Type . . . . :   Optical                 Device . . . :                        
 Directory  . :   /dla/clg/opt01                                                
                                                                                
 Type options, press Enter.                                                     
   1=Add   2=Change       4=Remove   6=Mount   8=Load   9=Unload                
   10=Initialize volume   12=Work with volume                                   
                                                                                
 Opt   Index  Status      Volume                                                
      *AVAIL                                                                    
           1  Mounted     050304103408093                                       
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                         Bottom 
 F3=Exit   F5=Refresh   F6=Load/Unload image catalog   F7=Verify image catalog  
 F8=Reorder by index    F11=View descriptions   F12=Cancel   F24=More keys
  4. Use the volume names displayed in the panel for the Volume identifier parameter on the ADDMEDBRM command.

The following notes provide additional information about virtual volume usage.

Notes:
  1. The ADDMEDBRM command must be run once for each virtual media volume added.
  2. Virtual volumes must be initialized before they can be used.
  3. Virtual volumes use integrated file system storage on the current system. The file containing the virtual volume cannot be saved when the volume is mounted.
  4. Virtual media can be duplicated to other media as long as the density of the target media is equal to or greater than the density of the source media.
  5. Virtual media can be logically moved but not physically moved.
  6. BRMS does not monitor the storage used by your virtual media.
  7. i5/OS does not provide volume statistics for virtual volumes.
  8. BRMS does not manage image catalog or image catalog entries. This is a user responsibility.

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