When you export a copy of a data set for backup, specify the TEMPORARY attribute. Exporting a data set means that the data set is not to be deleted from the original system.

You can export entry-sequenced or linear data set base clusters in control interval mode by specifying the CIMODE parameter. When CIMODE is forced for a linear data set, a RECORDMODE specification is overridden.

Use the IMPORT command to totally replace a VSAM cluster whose backup copy was built using the EXPORT command. The IMPORT command uses the backup copy to replace the cluster's contents and catalog information.

You can protect an exported data set by specifying the INHIBITSOURCE or INHIBITTARGET parameters. Using these parameters means the source or target data set cannot be accessed for any operation other than retrieval.

IMPORT will not propagate distributed data management (DDM) attributes if you specify the INTOEMPTY parameter. Distributed file manager (DFM) will reestablish the DDM attributes when the imported data set is first accessed.

Compressed data must not be considered portable. IMPORT will not propagate extended format or compression information if the user specifies the INTOEMPTY parameter.