Evaluating removable media management needs

Use the list of questions to assess your current tape management practices and anticipate future requirements. You need your answers to these questions later, when you assess direct access storage device (DASD) needs for the control data set, journal, and report extract data set.

If you plan to change anything about the removable media library, such as increasing the number of volumes, consider the changes shown in Table 1 when identifying your DASD needs.

Table 1. Evaluating Removable Media Management Needs
Task	Subtask
Determine the number of resources you have in your removable media library.	How many volumes do you have in your removable media library? A volume is any type of removable media, such as a tape cartridge or an optical disk. Add an average of five volumes in your count for each software product in your installation. How many shelf locations or slots do you maintain in your removable media library and in your storage locations? A shelf location is a single space on a shelf where you store a volume. Count all shelves in the library and in your storage locations. For DFSMSrmm subcommands and the ISPF dialog, shelf locations in the removable media library are called rack numbers. Shelf locations in storage locations are called bin numbers. How many data sets do you have on removable media? Count any data sets on your removable media. How many different individuals or groups use removable media? DFSMSrmm can keep track of owners and of removable media in the DFSMSrmm control data set.
Determine the number of requests submitted to your removable media library.	How many scratch tape mounts are performed daily? A scratch tape mount is a non-specific tape mount as, for example, when someone requests a blank tape. How many non-scratch tape mounts are performed daily? A non-scratch tape mount is a specific tape mount as, for example, when someone requests a tape he or she owns or a software product tape.
Determine the types of activities taking place in your media library.	What activities are performed to support disaster recovery and vital records management? How many volumes enter and leave your removable media library daily? This includes volumes moving to storage locations for disaster recovery and vital records, as well, as foreign tapes entering your library. How many volumes are returned to scratch daily? This number can be used to calculate the space required for the journal. How many volumes expire daily? This number can be used to calculate the space required for the journal. How many logical volumes are imported and exported daily? This number can be used to calculate the space required for the journal.
Determine the number of information changes that might be made to DFSMSrmm information.	This number can be used to calculate the space required for the journal. Changes include information about data sets, owners, software products, or volumes made by using the DFSMSrmm TSO subcommands or DFSMSrmm ISPF dialog.