A vital record specification management value is a single qualifier name that you define in a vital record specification to tell DFSMSrmm how to manage and retain your tape data sets. The vital record specification management value can be up to eight alphanumeric characters, and must begin with an alphabetic character. DFSMSrmm matches a data set to a vital record specification management value during vital records processing when the data set does not match a vital record specification with a data set name mask and optionally a job name. This matching is done only if the data set is on a volume that has retention method VRSEL and the data set attribute VRSELEXCLUDE is not set.

Use the RMM ADDVRS subcommand with the DSNAME operand or the DFSMSrmm Add Data Set VRS panel in the DFSMSrmm ISPF dialog to define data set vital record specifications. Use the data set name masks that match the vital record specification management values you have defined. See z/OS DFSMSrmm Managing and Using Removable Media for more information on defining vital record specifications.

For example, you can use the vital record specification management value D99000, for the special date 99000 and define a vital record specification using the data set name, D99000. Figure 1 defines a vital record specification for managing the special date 99000. You could also set the ACCODE=xCACATLG value in the DD statement to manage the special date 99000.

RMM ADDVRS DSNAME('D99000') WHILECATALOG

You could define a vital record specification data set name mask that matches multiple vital record specification management values. For example you could define a data set name mask of D9900% as shown in Figure 2 to cover several vital record specification management values. With this data set name mask you could manage special dates in the range 99001 through 99009.

RMM ADDVRS DSNAME('D9900%')