Keeping system-managed volume information consistent

DFSMSrmm uses information in the TCDB to verify requests or to obtain information about volumes that are being added to DFSMSrmm. When you define volumes to DFSMSrmm by using the RMM ADDVOLUME subcommand with the STATUS(VOLCAT) operand, DFSMSrmm uses TCDB information to update the DFSMSrmm control data set. When there is a conflict between information in the TCDB and information in the control data set, DFSMSrmm uses the value in the TCDB.

To control the way DFSMSrmm updates the information in the TCDB, specify the DFSMSrmm EDGRMMxx parmlib OPTION command SMSTAPE operand and the OPTION command OPMODE operand. See Defining system options: OPTION for information about the DFSMSrmm EDGRMMxx parmlib OPTION command. When you run DFSMSrmm in PROTECT mode, DFSMSrmm updates the TCDB. If you are running DFSMSrmm in other modes, you can decide if and when you want DFSMSrmm to update the TCDB. DFSMSrmm updates this TCDB information:

Volume owner information

DFSMSrmm uses the first 8 characters of the 64 bytes of owner information in the TCDB to store the DFSMSrmm volume owner information. DFSMSrmm does not overlay any information you might have entered into the first 8 bytes. Keep the first bytes of the field blank and DFSMSrmm maintains the volume information for you.

Expiration date

The expiration date is updated in the tape volume record:

When RMM subcommands are used to change the status of a volume
During OAM installation exit processing, as described in Table 1.

Volume use attribute (status)

DFSMSrmm updates this information when an RMM TSO subcommand is issued and a volume's status is changed. For example, if you issue the RMM CHANGEVOLUME subcommand with the STATUS(USER) operand or the RMM GETVOLUME subcommand, the TCDB volume use attribute is changed to PRIVATE. Volume status is also changed when volumes are returned to scratch status during inventory management.

Storage group name

DFSMSrmm updates this information when an RMM TSO subcommand is issued to change TCDB information.

You can use the DFSMSrmm EDGUTIL utility to perform these tasks:

Check the consistency of the control data set with the TCDB and the library manager database and use EDGUTIL MEND(SMSTAPE) to synchronize the TCDB and library manager database from the DFSMSrmm control data set.
Mend information in the control data set based on information in the TCDB and the library manager database.

For more information about EDGUTIL, see Using EDGUTIL for tasks such as creating and verifying the control data set.

Use the RMM CHANGEVOLUME subcommand with the LOCATION(mtl_name) operand to rebuild manual tape library information in the TCDB.

If you use DFSMSrmm, ISMF, or operator commands to eject a volume, DFSMSrmm notes that the volume is 'intransit'. During eject processing, DFSMSrmm checks the setting of the DFSMSrmm EDGRMMxx OPTION SMSTAPE(PURGE) operand to determine whether to request deletion of volume information from the TCDB. This optionally overrides the ISMF default cartridge eject option you might have specified. If the volume record is not deleted, DFSMSrmm sets the volume destination information into the TCDB volume shelf location field.