INPUTTAPEALLOCATION: Specifying whether to wait for the input tape to be allocated

Explanation: INPUTTAPEALLOCATION(WAIT | NOWAIT) is an optional parameter specifying whether DFSMShsm should wait until the tape unit is allocated for the input tape for recall, recovery, or restore.

Subparameter Explanation
WAIT INPUTTAPEALLOCATION(WAIT) specifies that DFSMShsm waits until the input tape unit is allocated. All DFSMShsm functions stop until this allocation request is satisfied.

When using the WAIT option, caution must be exercised to limit the number of DFSMShsm tasks that require tape. If more tasks run than there are available tape devices, a deadlock condition will occur because of the exclusive enqueue that MVS™ allocation will put on the task input/output table (SYSZTIOT) while awaiting the tape device. This condition can be resolved only if another job (not DFSMShsm) releases a tape device, or if you cancel DFSMShsm.

NOWAIT INPUTTAPEALLOCATION(NOWAIT) specifies that DFSMShsm does not wait until the input tape unit is allocated. Instead, DFSMShsm reissues the request every 10 seconds up to six times. If the input tape unit is still not allocated after seven tries, DFSMShsm asks the operator whether DFSMShsm should cancel the request or repeat the allocation sequence. With the NOWAIT option, dynamic allocation issues message IEF238D. Once answered, other DFSMShsm tasks can proceed with allocations.

SMS relationship: Parameter has the same meaning when applied to SMS-managed or non-SMS-managed DASD volumes or data sets.

SETSYS default: None.

DFSMShsm default: If you do not specify either subparameter on any SETSYS command, the DFSMShsm default is NOWAIT.