Deleting Catalogs for Recovery

When you are recovering a catalog, you can temporarily delete the catalog without deleting any data sets cataloged in it. Normally, it is not necessary to delete a catalog before recovering it. If you want to change the size or unalterable attributes of a catalog, however, delete the catalog for recovery, define the catalog with the desired size and attributes, and then recover the catalog.

To delete a catalog for recovery, use the DELETE RECOVERY command. When used on a BCS, DELETE RECOVERY:

Deletes the connector record for the BCS from the master catalog
Deletes all aliases for the catalog from the master catalog
Deletes the VVDS records that describe the BCS
Deletes the VTOC DSCBs for the BCS
Does not delete or alter any data set cataloged in the BCS.

You can also delete a VVDS for recovery using DELETE RECOVERY. This is normally only done when you are rebuilding a VVDS. When used on a VVDS, DELETE RECOVERY:

Deletes the entry for the VVDS from the specified BCS
Deletes the VTOC DSCB for the VVDS
Does not delete the BCS and VTOC entries for the data sets and catalog objects that were reflected in the VVDS
Does not delete the entries for the VVDS in any other BCSs.

Before deleting a VVDS, ensure that sharing systems have been quiesced or have varied the shared DASD offline.

You cannot delete a VVDS that contains entries for data sets cataloged in the master catalog. Because any catalog data set or SMS-managed data set is inaccessible after the VVDS is deleted, delete any BCS on the volume before rebuilding the VVDS. The BCS can later be recovered from a backup copy. If you can, export the BCS before deleting the VVDS.

If a VVDS is not cataloged in any BCS, you must establish a connection with a BCS before deleting the VVDS. This can be done with DEFINE RECATALOG, specifying the VVDS and a catalog in the CATALOG parameter. It can also be done by defining a catalog data set on the volume with the VVDS. You can then delete the catalog data set before deleting the VVDS.