Controlling the use of tape volumes: OPENRULE

Use the OPENRULE command to identify special processing for DFSMSrmm to perform during OPEN processing. It applies equally to both system-managed and non-system managed volumes.

In a shared CDS RMMplex, these commands allow you to control sharing of volumes between systems while still maintaining a single CDS. OPENRULE allows you to specify what cannot be used as well as what can be used.

The processing provided is based on volume sets, and these are identified by OPENRULE entries that you create using OPENRULE commands. When a volume is processed during OPEN processing, the volume is matched to an OPENRULE entry as follows:

The TYPE(RMM|NORMM) is determined. For additional details, see the TYPE operand in OPENRULE command operands.
DFSMSrmm matches the volume serial number to a volume set from most specific volume set to least specific volume set within TYPE.
This command uses the VOLUMERANGE and VOLUME values including the volume prefix based on the set scope. DFSMSrmm OPENRULE entries are sorted in ascending EBCDIC collating sequence in most specific to least specific matching order within type. VOLUME(*) is considered to be the least specific.

Note: During OPEN processing, the first processing performed is the OPENRULE IGNORE action checking. Next, the PRTITION processing occurs before OPENRULE ACCEPT | REJECT processing, so that a volume identified as TYPE(NORMM) by PRTITION processing can be TYPE(RMM) at OPENRULE time. This occurs when an action of ACCEPT is set under PRTITION, and DFSMSrmm processing automatically adds the volume to the control data set.

If there are any OPENRULE or PRTITION commands found in EDGRMMxx parmlib, or there are no REJECT commands, default entries are created from the following command to cover any volumes for which you do not define an OPENRULE command:

OPENRULE VOLUME(*) TYPE(ALL) ANYUSE(ACCEPT)

You can list all the OPENRULE entries used by DFSMSrmm using the RMM LISTCONTROL OPENRULE command; which lists all entries including any created from the default command.